AN: Hello, everyone! Sorry for taking forever to upload this, I got considerably sidetracked and just wasn't too excited about the story for a long time, but I'm back (again) and a little more determined to update at a… less indecent pace. (I feel like I always say that and still fail miserably…)
Anyway, thank you for sticking around if you're still there, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
Edit: Chapter renamed to simply "chapter 5".
#
Chapter 5
Pip stopped a few feet away from the door when he noticed its knob suddenly turning. The metal contraption swung slowly, allowing the butler to come out of the bedroom, but the Frenchman didn't know what to make of his expression. Noticing the subtle distress in Pip's face, Walter approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"It went just fine, captain," his lips contorted into a smile. "Alucard has already left."
Relief washed over him as he nodded, thanking the older man in silence. Appreciating the gesture, Walter pulled his hands away, hiding them behind his back, and resumed his path towards the stairs, most definitely to report his findings to Integra. Pip watched as the former hunter disappeared, and then finally turned around to see across the still open door.
Seras stood, almost still, looking at him; one of her hands was rubbing the opposite forearm, a nervous tick she occasionally made known. Positioned behind the door frame, and near the center of her chambers, the draculina felt strangely small and fragile to the Frenchman's eyes. Pip frowned, remembering what had happened: how could Alucard have been so cruel to someone as delicate as the police girl?
A few seconds later she gave him a small, albeit genuine smile, and his features could finally relax. He took in a small breath and walked towards her for a much-needed talk. Whilst he crossed that short distance, his mind worked for a bit; defining Seras as "fragile" or "delicate" was not exactly true to reality, considering her strength, but there were different kinds of pain. The draculina had kept a good portion of her humanity intact, and was still susceptible to emotional agony like any other person. It simply wasn't possible for Pip to not be bothered by the strange incident; Seras was his little lady, after all, whilst Alucard was…
… was something that he couldn't actually, to this day, quite figure out.
"Good evening, captain," she greeted him, as he entered her bedroom.
Pip grinned at her and gestured towards her couch, so they could sit down. She obeyed, putting her hands on her lap. The Frenchman followed her lead with extra vigor, almost crashing onto the smooth surface, causing Seras' side to wobble and the draculina to suppress a giggle. He turned his body to rest his back on the arm of the couch and face her.
"So… how did your talk with the big guy go, mon cher?"
Seras' smile wilted a little, hanging on by a fine thread, and she looked down at her feet. She herself was still processing her master's words and behavior, and that had created an unwelcome rift in her heart, dividing it into blind trust and a tip of doubt that kept gnawing at her since the… thing between them. Try as she might, she was having trouble trusting him completely; how could she, when the count himself didn't seem to be entirely sure that what had happened had been nothing more than an exaggerated, facetious reaction?
"It went okay," she shrugged, her voice soft and somewhat tepid. "He apologized, told me he hadn't meant to react that way, and that he went a bit too far with the joke."
Pip frowned slightly, studying her. Seras appeared to be fine now, but her answer to his question was not what he expected from her usual self. He sighed. Whatever had truly transpired, it hadn't been something so insignificant that the draculina had dismissed in a heartbeat; her normal joy and excitement would have been clear in her tone, eager to defend her master and put this whole thing behind them. Instead, there was this alien… restraint.
"So, that's all it was? A… joke?"
The draculina gulped. She could not answer that question with the utmost certainty, and she hated the feeling that she was deceiving people. Even worse, her own insecurities were now making others doubt her master's words, as well.
It was difficult for her to keep that inside. The shock from the incident might have already subsided, but the blossoming suspicion… it hadn't stopped pestering her for a second.
"Yes… My master is… rather unique, isn't he?"
A few moments passed with the two of them silent. Pip shifted a little on his spot, trying to tame the chaos of his thoughts. He was having a hard time accepting that explanation due to Seras' abated responses, although he did understand Alucard was not an ordinary, entirely comprehensible or predictable being. He once again noticed, with a mixture of surprise and relief, how the two of them were so different from one another, even though she was his childe.
He made an effort and grinned at her, eventually. It wouldn't help anyone to fret over the warlord's behavior. The police girl needed his support, someone she could rely on. It pained him to know there wasn't much he could do about it, and that he needed to depend on other people like Walter or Integra to fix the situation, but, then again, who better?
Pip noticed Seras now cocking her head to the side, waiting for a response, and slowly let out a breath. Whether the draculina truly believed her master, or had lingering doubts about his intentions, he would keep a watchful eye out for her, with his handgun ready in its holster.
Not that he thought it would ever come to that, or even that his gun would be useful. It was basically how he usually carried himself anyway, but he realized this now, going about his business fully loaded hadn't been accompanied by this kind of anxiety in… quite a while.
"Absolutely, mon cher," he spoke, at last. "Weirdest guy I ever met in my life."
Seras covered her mouth with a hand to hold back laughter. That hadn't been the exact term she had used to describe her master, but Pip had his own vocabulary and didn't always weigh words when he talked about other people. Her reaction infected him, and the captain of the Geese felt a blush spread all over his cheeks. Despite his apprehension, he rubbed the back of his neck and continued.
"I, uhm… I don't like seeing you upset, mon cher, so… If you need to talk to someone about all this, well…" He tried to hide his butterflies by winking at her. "I'm at your services."
His gentleness almost made her joy completely deflate. Behind Pip's loving gesture, there was clear worry for her. She shook her head, pushing the negative thoughts to the back of her mind, and allowed herself to plaster a big, enthusiastic grin on her face. Making other people sad, especially someone who cared about her so deeply, squeezed her heart too tight.
Besides, she thought, Alucard was her master and she loved him, even if he was, as Pip himself said, weird. She knew him, and knew he was uncommon; she would simply not allow for a small slip up, a tiny mistake such as that, to threaten the mutual trust they had for each other. She would be optimistic and positive in her resolve to believe in him; after all, they were a family.
"Thank you, captain," she told him, now bright and confident. "I think… no, I know this was just a misunderstanding! I'm sure he's just a little strange because he won't stop thinking about that dumb baby."
Pip's eyes widened, but Seras' smile and determined expression did not falter. He was quiet for a while, waiting for a retraction or for her to come to a realization, but the draculina's features didn't seem to have noticed anything unusual. He parted his lips, wondering if he should mention it; had she really said that? 'Dumb baby'?
"Uhm… mon cher, you-"
She playfully smacked him on the shoulder, making him choke on his own spit.
"You have no reason to worry, captain. Everything will be fine!"
#
A couple of days had gone by with, fortunately, no new occurrences. Sitting by herself, Integra shifted a bit on her chair and stared down at a stack of paper sheets in front of her. Her mind, however, drifted to the conversation she had had with Walter concerning the talk between her two vampires.
"Alucard behaved properly and seemed to me to be truly regretful. In fact, he appeared confused by what happened."
"Hmm," she nodded. This report coincided with her own previous interaction with the count. "And Seras?"
The Angel of Death sighed and removed his monocle for a quick clean-up.
"A little shaken at first, but by the end she appeared alright. I am sure she will get over it soon."
The many details and numbers on the pages brought her back to the present and she adjusted her glasses on her frame. She had already talked privately with both of them, and neither had given her too much reason to worry, all things considered. She crossed her arms and pushed back against the chair, in thought: perhaps this had truly been an accident, and all it was needed was a little bit of time to get through.
Minutes went by and her office accompanied the tick-tock of her wristwatch by becoming slowly less brighter. Without much announcement, a dark figure began materializing in a corner, and she observed, her brows now slightly furrowed, her monster finally emerging to kneel down and properly present himself.
For a few seconds, neither said anything. Integra freed one of her crossed arms to use as support for her chin, keeping her eyes fixed on the new inhabitant of the room. Alucard answered her stare-down with a smile so small it could barely be noticed. He wondered what she could be thinking about at the moment, but every answer that came to his mind was uncomfortably tied to him.
Amidst his distracted speculations, an intrusive memory flashed: Integra grabbing at his collar, crashing her lips against his, him ridding himself of his gloves to touch her thighs, and then… then her body colored with red, his own hands drenched in her blood, Integra heaving, and the offensive screams reminding him and anyone that could hear of his true nature. Monster… What have you done?
He bit his lower lip to anchor himself back and finally greeted her.
"Good evening, beloved."
Integra blinked at that quirky display and relaxed both her arms on her chair. She also noticed a bit of a waver on her vampire's tone, and made a mental note to talk to Walter one more time; it could be nothing, or it could be an indication that Alucard's reunion with Seras did not go as well as he had told her, or maybe something else. The subdued shine of his red eyes also betrayed his mediocre attempt at smiling at her. Had she not noticed these signs before?
"Good evening, servant."
Alucard successfully held back a snarl, as if that God-forsaken designation had personally slapped him on the face. One part of him patted him on the back, congratulating himself on his extreme and efficient self-control. Another, however, the most verbose of the two, was rather indignant and demanded this injustice be somehow rectified.
Giving even more credit to that first facet, he simply and silently nodded.
"You are the first to arrive," Integra continued, her face slowly relaxing into a more pleased outlook. "Were you bored?"
The count squeezed his eyes a little. As much as Integra looked and sounded alright, she could not fool him into thinking there wasn't at least some level of distrust behind her calmness. This peaceful state, it was momentary, he knew, but he began thinking it could also be a façade. Maybe he had been right in his speculation; since the incident with Seras, and his and Integra's last intimate encounter, of course the Hellsing would have every reason to feel that way about him.
Alucard grimaced. He dreaded to think that, once again, his presence in her life was attached to insecurities and doubt. It hadn't been this way since they first met, when their relationship was essentially non-existent and she had no idea how to best deal with him.
He swallowed nothing, pushing those thoughts far back; lingering on them would cause him to falter, which, in turn, would cause her suspicions to grow. She had asked him a question, and it was expected of him to answer. His eyes trailed her figure and landed on her stomach, and a small light went up; the bump that accompanied a pregnancy could still not be noticed, but thinking about it elevated his spirits.
"No, dearest. I merely wished to get here first to inquire about the prince's wellbeing."
The shift in her demeanor to something that looked more like a frown was not what the Nosferatu foresaw, but a selfish little demon on his shoulders celebrated that small victory; even if it was irrational, even if he didn't quite understand why, it was still payback for the insult of minutes ago. Still, Alucard stopped himself from cocking his head to the side in confusion, and wondered for a brief moment if he should have asked about something… or, rather, someone else, instead.
Integra inhaled deeply, crossing her fingers together on her lap. Maybe it was just her imagination, but these questions about the baby's health were becoming more and more frequent. Before she could make any sense of it, she asked herself if Alucard, or anyone, had ever been this concerned about her own health when she herself was young. There had always been adulation from the count's part, but this was different; even if she knew he was to become a father, maybe this… this whole circus, noble titles and insistence on the baby being a boy included, was a bit too much.
Another thing quickly crossed her mind; she couldn't recall the last time Alucard addressed her by "master".
"As far as I'm aware, everything is perfectly fine."
Her dry answer was like a small drop on a forest fire, and he chuckled, somewhat contained.
"Of course he is. He is our son, after all."
Before Integra could say anything, three consecutive knocks on the door echoed through her office. At her command, Walter came inside, followed by Seras and the captain of the Geese. They now positioned themselves around the director, none bothering to sit down, as this promised to be a short encounter. The director shot a quick glance at the draculina, who noticed and answered with a small, reassuring smile, causing Integra to nod.
Alucard stood up and made a quick exploration of the place with his eyes, paying attention to the other people together with him, and noticed one trait they seemed to share; they were all very human, in a way or another.
Undoubtedly more so than himself. Something akin to burning nausea bubbled inside him for a moment. His eyes continued to shift, quickly jumping from one living being to another, and suddenly, he felt… awkward. More than that.. he felt inadequate.
Useless…
"We've been roughly debriefed on our next assignment," Integra started, cutting through his thoughts. "But new information has come up."
She bent down to reach for a drawer, and pretended to not notice the dizziness that threatened to annoy her with every unusual movement she made. Opening it, some envelopes could be found. Walter was already privy to their contents, and Alucard rarely bothered with "excessive instructions", as he put it, so Integra handed one to Seras and a dozen or so of them to Pip.
"I want the coordinates in there properly studied, captain."
Pip held his bundle somewhat precariously, balancing the volume in the small space between his right arm and his waist. He scratched the back of his head, feeling his cheeks burn a little bit.
"Don't worry, boss. The boys will get it right, this time."
Walter nodded and addressed the other subordinates in the room.
"It will not be very different from our usual routine, but the terrain can make it somewhat tricky. We will need to be more agile than brute."
As the butler relayed instructions, focusing mostly on the Frenchman, Integra shifted her gaze, switching back and forth between her vampires. She noticed that, from the moment the draculina came in, she had not spared a single glance at her master, and had positioned herself besides Pip, away from the count. The director frowned; she did not expect Seras to immediately go back to being chirpy around Alucard, but still… The officer noticed her boss studying her and scratched her neck, with a small blush covering her cheeks.
Integra sighed and her eyes raced, briefly landing on her monster. Rather than traditionally uninterested, expression marked by a hand on his hips, his eyes closed and a smug half-smirk, Alucard, who was still standing on his corner, simply faced a wall opposite to where the rest of the group concentrated, arms crossed. She couldn't quite read his expression, which seemed to display something that dangled between worrying and scowling.
The director took a deep breath. Of course things wouldn't magically revert to being the same so soon, but she couldn't avoid the feeling that their encounter did not go as well as both of them had claimed.
When Walter was done, Seras shook her head, perked up and nodded.
"Understood! I bet we'll be done in a jiffy!"
The Hellsing heir raised an eyebrow at the draculina's obvious compensation for her embarrassment, but said nothing; it really seemed like this was an issue that would probably take some time and patience and tact to properly deal with. She wondered if figuring out the best strategy would give her headaches or stomach aches, besides the ones she was already getting due to her condition.
This brief meeting, however, was the last item on her mental list of daily tasks, and she just wanted to get it over with. Her shoes were feeling way too tight and confining recently, and she couldn't wait to feel at least a little bit of freedom from… well, almost anything. Her vampire problems would have to wait a little to be re-addressed.
"Good. That's all for tonight, then," she began slowly raising from her chair. "We will have a new briefing in a couple of days to review planning and set our time of departure."
Alucard, who had been quiet and distant this whole time, became immediately aware of his surroundings. He turned his head away from the wall and landed his eyes on Integra, attempting to recall her words. It seemed to him like she had said "our time of departure" rather than "your". He shuffled on his spot; surely she wasn't considering going with them on this mission. No, his bride was more reasonable than that.
It could be that he misheard, he pondered. He admitted his mind hadn't completely been where it was supposed to, and he hadn't been paying too much attention. Still, it wouldn't hurt to say something; the worst that could happen was punishment, and these had become progressively rarer and less severe since Integra took over the organization.
He uncrossed his arms and had barely parted his lips when another voice made itself heard.
"Our time of dep-... Y-you mean… You're coming with us, master?"
The room felt silent for a few seconds. Pip turned to the draculina, and then back to his boss, his interest suddenly piqued: it didn't seem like an unreasonable thing to consider, but this was the Hellsing heir being questioned, by his tiny, adorable lady, no less. Walter, who was standing closer to his charge, blinked in surprise at Seras, who was never this bold. Alucard struggled a bit to avoid furrowing his brows, still incapable of not feeling frustrated; he was just about to say that…
Integra stopped on her tracks and tilted her head, confused by the inquiry. The sudden silence in the room was starting to get on her nerves.
"Of course, police girl, as I always do in missions like this."
Eyes shifted back to Seras, who now thought this was a bad idea. The uncomfortable warmth caused by embarrassment, however, couldn't compare to the growing, cold pressure around her, a familiar sensation she had grown used to, but hadn't felt this menacing in a while. Invisible to everybody else in the room, a dark veil crept on towards her from the corners and expanded to fill up the walls. The draculina's heart didn't work like a human's anymore, but something still pounded in her chest, loud and aggressive.
She struggled to not put a hand on her head, as the apprehension in her mind began to grow with the sudden emergence of a dreadful confusion. She couldn't stop a knot from forming in her throat at the realization that all her effort to understand, to convince herself things would be alright, was starting to actually crumble. Why was this happening now? Had he been untruthful? Right after he apologized, too…
She gulped nothing and balled her fists, feeling her legs threaten to start shaking at any moment. He had lied. She looked down at the darkness now slowly making its way up her calves. The apology meant nothing. It coiled around her knees, circling them with determination, intended to form a lock, and a sizzling sting pierced her chest. She meant nothing.
Her lips began trembling.
That dumb, stupid-
"Mon cher?"
Startled by Pip's voice, she gave a sudden jerk of her head and took a quick look around. Questioning faces were still on her, but the darkness was no more. Her chest expanded slightly, as she tried to control an unexpected and unnecessary intake of breath. After having moved about frantically for a few seconds, her eyes eventually settled on the Frenchman, who had moved a little closer to her.
The sight of him triggered a wave of comfort that blissfully soaked her; the pressure had lifted and only a tinge of shame stayed. Seras finally remembered the conversation they were having and what exactly had triggered the other inhabitants of the room to fixate on her.
"W-well," she started, recomposing herself and making an effort to not stutter too much. "It's just that, things are different now, right?" She rubbed a forearm, deciding on how to explain her view. "I mean! It could be dangerous, not just for you, master…"
At Integra's quizzical expression, Walter interjected with a small smile, much to Seras' relief.
"What the police girl means, princess, is that she also worries for the baby's safety, and thinks it would be wiser for you to sit this one out."
The director stared at Walter for a while, as that thought began to slowly sink in. She hadn't even considered that, given all the years of field work she had done already; this was just usual practice, wasn't it? She struggled to stand still and avoid the disconcertion; she had just recently criticized the old men for suggesting another dangerous thing, too.
Puzzled as she became, however, a small angry voice whispered in her ears; since when did people, especially her employees, try to dissuade her from simply doing her job?
They rarely dared. Now, much to her frustration, it seemed that her safety alone had never been quite enough for them to be so outspoken. No, she had to go and get herself knocked up for her routine to become a reason for worry.
"I understand," she finally told the police officer, furrowing her brows and adjusting her glasses. "I will consider it. You're all dismissed."
Seras gave her a crooked smile and then quickly exited the room, exhaling discreetly as soon as she was outside. Pip, who trailed behind her, hid his uneasiness with a light chuckle, but couldn't quite keep the act up when he crossed the door. Walter was next to leave, having informed Integra dinner would be ready in about an hour, seemingly unaffected by the whole ordeal.
Inside the room, Integra turned around to pick up her coat, a little perplexed by what had just transpired. As she crossed the small distance towards the hanger that held her garments, she noticed she wasn't completely alone. She looked up to see her vampire still standing in his corner; if not for the gentle air current blowing from outside to barely ruffle his hair, she'd think he was an actual statue.
She frowned at him, trying to understand what was going on in his head. His eyes glowed dimly in the artificial lighting of the room, and his brows were slightly furrowed, but he followed her every movement. His mouth was twisted half-way between a neutral expression and a pout.
The Englishwoman felt she had had enough of his brooding silence as well and gave up in her current attempt to properly unpack his thoughts. She was tired and in pain, and would deal with him and Seras' troubles later.
"You too, servant. Off you go."
At her command, Alucard's eyes widened and he finally blinked, as if waking up from a dream. There was that word, again. He bowed his head and faded through the shadows, saying nothing. Integra sighed, grabbed her coat and took large steps out of the room.
#
"Mon cher, wait up!"
Fortunately for Pip, Seras finally stopped her speedy walk towards the courtyard. She turned around to look at him, apparently unaware he had been trailing after her this whole time.
"Oh, captain! Sorry, I was a little… out there, I guess."
"That's alright," he reassured her with a small smile, which prompted her to mimic his gesture. "Are you okay? You seemed a little nervous back there."
The draculina's expression suddenly became a little somber. She peeked over his shoulder, then cautiously looked around; the main hall was empty, with the Geese outside and the rest of the household nowhere to be seen. The atmosphere was pleasant enough, and she felt no trace of Alucard's presence nearby.
She inhaled softly, and debated whether she should say something or not. She couldn't help but feel at least a little bit concerned with the situation, but didn't want to risk putting her loved ones in any sort of bad position. Her worries grew, but if anyone found out about it…
She shook her head and smiled again, resting her hands on her hips.
"I'm okay! I was just a little anxious to say anything. You know how master can be!"
Pip nodded and watched as she turned around and resumed her walk, putting an abrupt end to their conversation. He crossed his arms, annoyed that the officer had clearly not been completely honest. Seras had also not made clear which of her masters she was talking about, but his insistent suspicion on the genuineness of her conversation with Alucard obviously put the warlord under the spotlight.
He walked after her, the police girl's behavior during the meeting still replaying in his mind, fomenting his own disquietude.
#
The mattress felt soft and refreshing as Integra slowly stretched her legs. She sighed, rubbing her feet; the last time taking off her shoes felt so good was when she was younger, and was trying heels for the first time. A lousy evening it had been, one she had spent with nothing on her mind but the bothersome pain her lower limbs complained about.
The small shadows that invaded her room from outside were beginning to fade away, as the evening became even darker. Now that her obligations were out of the way and she finally stopped for some respite, an inexplicable urge to lay down pulled onto her. She lazily rubbed her eyes and began unbuttoning her shirt, to force herself to be a little active; there were still a shower and food to deal with, before she could finally get some well-deserved sleep.
A sudden but small drop in temperature halted her progress when she was halfway done. Her vampire was tugging at her mind, asking permission to come in. She groaned, feeling completely depleted of energy, but allowed him inside.
Sensing her consent, Alucard materialized through the wall. He immediately noticed her half-open shirt and stared at that partial display of her bare chest. Something clicked in his mind, and for a brief moment, a part of him suggested getting closer to touch her, just for a feel of her breasts. Her exhausted demeanor didn't appear very welcoming to that sort of encounter, however, and that small voice was drowned, absorbed by an entirely different matter.
"Yes, Alucard?" She asked softly, trying to focus on the count.
He took a few steps towards her and knelt in front of his bride. He tried conjuring up a smile but found himself unable to. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds in silence, when the obnoxious voices in his head finally compelled him to speak his concerns.
"May I be so bold as to ask you not to go on this mission, dearest?"
His eyes widened a bit as her drained disposition contorted into the prelude of fury. Alucard was well acquainted with that expression, as it frequently preceded punishments and outbursts. He wondered what had exactly triggered that freezing glare; she had only said she'd consider not going, and it didn't seem to him she had given the suggestion that much thought. He wasn't being daft or repetitive, was he?
The fabric of her shirt stretched as the director pulled at its edges, strangling the garment with fists balled up in anger. That was the third time today someone brought up the baby's safety or wellbeing, either directly or tangentially through her. Worst, her own thoughts were now constantly inundating her with the same questions.
"Don't worry," she finally spoke, in the calmest tone she could muster, her eyes still squeezed and buried deep within her servant's. She refused to allow herself to be overwhelmed by this, let alone allow others to see through her, and tried cooling down. "Seras' convinced me."
An innocent alert that the bedroom suddenly felt a little colder managed to pierce through her frustration. Opposite to her, Alucard's gaze was still fixed on her blue orbs, and his apprehension began slowly morphing into heartbroken indignation. He parted his lips but closed them again, without uttering a word, and he successfully avoided shutting his eyes at the unfairness of it all. All these years they've bickered over such small things, his bride always so resolutely stubborn, but now his fledgling mumbles whatever and Integra just… immediately gives in?
His partial frown looked pitiful enough that it got her attention, and her fury began to slowly dissipate. He swallowed nothing, and she thought, for a moment, that she could see his lips sporadically tremble. This just… didn't feel right, and a small sting deep in her chest started bothering her. What was happening, and why was it happening? She avoided contorting her own face, now a little morose at the thought that she might have contributed to whatever was troubling the father of her child.
Eventually he attempted a grin, and it came out twisted and rather poorly-executed.
It looked… pretty sad, actually.
"Oh. Good. I am… glad," he answered, a little unstable and almost shaky, in a volume close to a whisper.
Integra's fingers slowly began uncurling around the fabric, the tension having pretty much disappeared. She looked down at her vampire, who shifted his gaze to focus on the feet of her bed, avoiding eye contact, and sucked on his lower lip. A very uncharacteristic display that she associated with embarrassment or fear, and that made her feel a little sorry for him and how pathetic he looked. His distress over not understanding his own reactions, his strange behavior earlier on… She didn't really wish for her vampire, her most devoted knight and partner, to feel this… disconcerted.
"Okay," she told him, taking in a small breath and giving him a tired smile. Perhaps this would elicit some kind of positive reaction from him, they would quickly reconcile, and she could go to sleep with her conscience a little lighter. "Would you like to help me out of my clothes?"
Alucard blinked a few times at her warm tone and invitation, and stopped for a moment to consider her offer and what it potentially entailed. As soon as his sour mood made space for that contemplation, though, a whisper echoed in the back of his mind: touch her, and see what happens. Then, a memory faded in. His hands, bathed in blood, his bride, staggering, hunched over, sick to her stomach. He shook his head and answered with a stutter.
"Ah, I should not- It's late, dearest, maybe it's best… maybe you should rest, beloved…?"
A small gasp escaped her throat. Her vampire wasn't just refusing her, he was also… asking to be dismissed. Concern over his behavior now taking a different direction, she nodded curtly and barely murmured a "yes, you may go" before he gave her a short bow, and quickly vanished through a puddle of shadows on the floor.
#
AN: Okay, so… This did not come out entirely the way I envisioned. Or planned. I'm convinced I'm not doing the "change" (or is it a shift?) right, but, honestly, at this moment, I can't think of any other way to do it. I don't want to be too on the nose, nor too vague, but I can't seem to find the effective middle ground that I imagine is possible (and better). I didn't like the very ending a lot either; things happened a little too fast and, I guess, not… realistically enough. My bad, I have trouble extending/developing scenes. I'm just gonna blame Integra's hormones for it.
I feel like the characters are a little OOC, especially Alucard, but it's kind of justified, I guess. He is kind of a tragic figure originally, I think. I'll try to not make him feel super lame/weak, though (but I don't think I'll succeed, aha).
Also, I realized something, which I can't remember if I've mentioned before or not, but… I just can't seem to incorporate descriptions of the environment or whatever else that's happening in the scene (that isn't an action made by the characters) into the text. I don't know why yet, but now I realized I can't do it, I kinda want to figure it out.
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you very much for reading it! It's sort of a prelude for things to come, so it's kinda insipid I guess… I haven't yet decided what kind of ending I want to give this story (oops), either, but at least there's a direction. Now that the ball has started to roll, I can stop worrying about introducing the conflict, and start worrying about how to portray and resolve it! Haha! …. Hah…
Well, anyway, see you in the next chapter! Hopefully I won't take a year to update! T_T
June, 2022