Work Text:
The heavens above had opened and instead of coating Wallachia in golden light, they wept. The death of Dracula had lessened the blood bath’s caused by the demon hordes and in its wake followed a grief unlike any Trevor had ever seen. With the constant terror of death decreased, villagers took the time to bury their dead for the first time in months instead of lighting pyres. Trevor could only imagine that was why the sky had decided to drop a deluge of rain in solidarity.
Trevor pulled his soaked cloak closer to his skin in hopes of warmth as he stumbled down the mud trodden road. Try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the throbbing pain in his side as he willed himself forward. Lessened though the demon hordes were, they were not gone and Trevor had stumbled upon a particularly vicious arc demon whose claws had found purchase in Trevor’s left side, shredding the flesh. He had bandaged it the best he could alone, but Trevor knew he needed medical attention, which was how he found himself staring up at the menacing spires of Dracula’s castle, banging his bloody hand desperately against the glass of the main door, rain drops flowing down it, the water taking his blood with it.
“Fangs, open this goddamn door!” He shouted, knowing the dhampir likely already knew he was here.
“Honestly Belmont, must you make such a racket,” Alucard queried, but upon opening the door and seeing Trevor’s condition he paled. “Come in quickly, you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“Huh, I hadn’t noticed,” Trevor retorted, but followed the command willingly.
Alucard led him quickly through the maze that made up the castle's halls to a small room with a padded table in the middle and various medical supplies placed on counters flanking both walls.
“Strip and lay down,” Alucard instructed.
“You think I’m that easy?” Trevor snorted, but complied nonetheless.
“I think you’re dying and require medical attention and you will do as I say,” Alucard snarled as he mixed two strong smelling herbs together in a mortar to create a salve.
“dying, I’m hardly dy...” was the last thing that Trevor uttered before the darkness of pain and exhaustion overtook him.
———————————————————————-
Trevor’s exhausted mind was filled with a colorful amalgamation of dreams. He dreamed of demons and Sypha, of his parents and of fire, of frozen tundras and Alucard’s eyes.
Occasionally he was vaguely aware of the vampire's presence, but Trevor knew not how much was reality and how much was dream. Time passed but he was completely unaware of how much when he finally gained enough lucidity to hear Alucard mutter, “Goddamn it Belmont, wake up!”
“Don’t want to,” Trevor croaked, startling the vampire who quickly recovered and flitted to Trevor’s side.
“Belmont, the demon's poison is slowly working its way through your system,” Alucard explained, “Every attempt I have made to slow it has been to no avail. Only one option remains to save your life.”
“No,” Trevor seethed. His body ached and the clothes Alucard must have dressed him in were covered in sweat, but there was no way he was going to let the vampire turn him.
“I’m not suggesting I turn you, but as you are well aware, vampire blood has healing effects. It is the only thing that will save your life Trevor,” Alucard said quietly.
Trevor was startled by the soft way his name came out of the vampires mouth before another spasm of pain wracked his body. Trevor could feel his body dying and once he would have willingly succumbed, but he thought of Sypha and strangely Alucard, and nodded.
“Say it,” Alucard whispered.
“I consent,” Trevor said weakly.
Alucard looked visibly relieved as he brought his own wrist to his mouth and bit down. He raised his wounded arm up to Trevor’s lips and before Trevor let himself think too much, he opened his mouth and sucked.
———————————————————————-
What Trevor would later find out was two days later, he awoke in a different room of the castle than the treatment room he had resided in before. He rested comfortably on a large four poster bed, the mattress fluffy and soft and he sheets smooth and warm. As if he had sensed his guest was awake, Alucard entered the room carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass on it.
“I could get used to this,” Trevor commented, stretching his aching body.
“I would prefer that you do not get used to dying on my doorstep. If you must, please go elsewhere.”
Trevor chuckled. “I meant the bed, I would prefer not to die again for a while.”
Alucard placed the tray on the nightstand and handed Trevor the bowl.
“Eat. My blood kept you alive and cleared the poison, but you will need nourishment to regain your strength,” Alucard explained.
Suddenly images flooded into Trevors mind of Alucard’s wrist on Trevor’s lips, red liquid flowing down Trevor’s throat, warm, so warm, it burns yet tastes of sweet summer berries. Alucard’s golden eyes looking on with concern, his soft locks brushing Trevor’s face. The world falling black.
“Fuck,” Trevor swore as he remembered the dhampir saving his life. His head suddenly throbbed. I drank fucking vampire blood willingly, and I enjoyed it, he thought.
Trevor stared down at the delicious looking vegetable soup, his eyes following a pea as it moved through the broth.
“I’ll leave you to your thoughts then,” Alucard conceded, breaking Trevor out of his revere.
Trevor looked up at him dumbly, “What?”
“Eat your soup Belmont,” Alucard ordered as sauntered to the door, “And know that this changes nothing between us.”
The door gently closed behind the dhampir, leaving Trevor to his soup.
Doesn’t change anything? Trevor felt if he concentrated, he could feel the vampire’s life blood flowing through his veins. He could tell that he was not enthralled, while he was slow to trust Alucard, Trevor knew that the vampire wouldn’t dare. But still, he clutched at where his wound would have been and could swear he could feel Alucard’s long fingers caressing his skin. Trevor felt drawn to the dhampir as he never felt before, and that feeling terrified him.
Trevor picked up his spoon and fished the pea out of the broth and into his mouth. The broth warmed him from the inside, but it’s taste was nowhere near as pleasant as the dhampir’s blood. He resisted spitting the broth back out.
—————————————————————
Trevor didn’t have long with his thoughts before he succumbed again to slumber. While the poison had cleared and his flesh had healed almost entirely, his body was still weak. He felt as if the demon had drained every ounce of his energy, limiting him to a few feet from his plush bed for two more days before he ventured further into the castle.
“Trevor,” Alucard eyes widened when the hunter entered his study, “What are you doing out of bed? You need rest.”
Trevor’s breath hitched as his name spilled from the dhampir’s lips in surprise. Seeing him lounging, feet up on his desk did something to Trevor that he wasn’t quite ready to admit. “I can’t waste away in bed forever, as comfortable as it is. Where’s the kitchen? I’m starving for something more than broth.”
Alucard set the large tome his reading from on his desk and gracefully pulled his feet to the floor, standing up in one smooth motion only possible for someone inhuman. “Of course, please follow me.”
Alucard led Trevor through the maze of hallways making up Dracula’s, or rather now, Alucard’s castle.
“Is there a map of this labyrinth?” Trevor asked.
“Hmm, no there is not. The layout is fairly simple one you get acquainted with it.”
As they walked, Alucard pointed out the baths, library, and training rooms for Trevor before they finally reached the kitchen.
“What do you desire to eat? I went into the village yesterday to stock the kitchen,” Alucard explained.
“How domestic. Do you actually know how to cook?”’
“Of course, my mother taught me. I can survive for a time off human sustenance alone.”
Trevor wasn’t overly surprised, he had watched Alucard eat human food while they were on the road, but he had never considered that Alucard actually knew how to cook. “What are your specialties?”
Alucard paused in thought. “Cinnamon Brewet, Baked Gammon of Bacon, and Pikkyll pour le Mallard.”
Trevor gives him a blank look.
Alucard chuckled. “I’ll make Cinnamon Brewet, I think you’ll like it.”
Trevor shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
Alucard busied himself grinding cloves and cinnamon and chopping ginger to season a roast he had pulled out of a cool storage unit in the corner of the kitchen. Trevor took a seat at a tall wooden table in the center of the room and watched Alucard work. Just walking through the castle had worn him out, his muscles ached, most likely from a combination of disuse and his body still recovering from the demon poison.
Alucard worked swiftly and gracefully, as he always did. Trevor focused on the movement of Alucard’s hair as it’s golden strands rustled while Alucard worked. The vampire’s hair had been one of the first things that Trevor had noticed after they had stopped trying to kill each other. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t want to know how it would feel between his fingers.
“You’re staring Belmont.”
Trevor blushed and turned to stare at the wall instead.
“Not even going to deny it? You truly are not feeling well Belmont.”
That wasn’t entirely true, Trevor was feeling much better and was slowly coming to terms both with the fact that he willingly drank blood and that he did not hate the man in front of him. “Thank you, for saving my life.”
Alucard gently set down the knife in his hand and turned to face Trevor. “Belmont?”
“Don’t make me say it again!”
Trevor watched as Alucard smirked and turned back to his cooking.
They ate dinner in silence before Alucard led Trevor to the bath chambers.
“I probably do smell, huh?”
“Atrociously Belmont. I washed as much of the blood and demon guts off as possible, but I would recommend a full bath, if only for the sake of my nose and sheets.”
“Your... sheets?”
“Yes Belmont. I have not had the time nor the resources to restore all of the bedrooms, so you are currently residing in mine.”
“Ohhh umm...”
Alucard ignored Trevor’s stumbling and continued explaining where everything in the bath was before leaving Trevor to his thoughts.
————————————————
A week later Trevor finally was able to leave the small area of the castle by Alucard’s room. The shirt he had arrived in was no more than tatters so he had been forced to borrow one from Alucard. Trevor was thankful that the neckline of this particular shirt was far more modest than Alucard’s usual attire, but wearing it, Trevor realized how different they were. The thin cotton barely stretched over Trevors shoulders though he knew the material would loosely fit around Alucard’s own. It smelled of cinnamon and cloves and Trevor resisted the urge to take it off and bury his nose in the fabric, surrounding himself in Alucard’s scent.
Trevor hooked his short sword and morning star around his waist, making his way down the main staircase, only losing his way twice. The autumn air held a crisp chill as Trevor made his way across the meadow and into the tree’s in search of a practice target. He avoided the entrance to the Belmont keep, not ready to once again face the ghosts that it contained.
At the edge of the meadow, he found an old tree, dying and rotten; it had seemingly been years since it had born leaves. Trevor loosened his whip from his belt and released a few practice swings at his newly acquired target. His movements were slow and measured, not wanting to aggravate his injury, however he was pleased to find that it offered him no pain. He quickened his movements, relentlessly attacking the dead tree, sweat on his brow due to the recent lack of exercise.
Once satisfied with his use of Morningstar, Trevor coiled it and returned it to its place on his belt. As he went to draw his sword, he felt eyes piercing the back of his neck.
“Now who’s staring?”
Alucard ignored the question entirely instead observing, “You seem to have recovered fully since you are now taking out your aggression on my tree’s.”
Trevor continued to pull out his sword, “I could use a moving target if you’re offering?”
Alucard silently removed his coat, tossing it gently against the tree and summoned his sword. “I thought you learned your lesson the last time we did this, Belmont.”
Trevor readied himself to strike, “I’ve always been slow on the uptake.” Their blades clashed, Alucard easily parrying Trevors frontal assault.
“I believe that is rather untrue, you merely wish for people to perceive you as such,” Alucard replied, taking the opportunity to attack.
Trevor grunted as he fielded the hit, “Careful, that sounded dangerously like a compliment.”
Trevor reared back, preparing for another attack when Alucard blipped from his vision. Damn I hate that he can teleport, Trevor thought as he quickly tried to ascertain where Alucard was planning to attack from. He was too slow as the vampire reappeared to Trevor’s right and quickly disarmed him. Before Trevor knew it, he was backed against the tree he had been using as a target, fangs at his throat.
Trevor tried to suppress the jolt of arousal that shot through him as he felt the tip of Alucard’s fangs grazed his throat, not piercing the skin. While Trevor had ventured outside of the castle under the guise of training, his secondary motive had been to put some distance between himself and the dhampir before he did something stupid. As in kiss him senseless, if that were even possible.
“Did you put me in a thrall?” Trevor gasped, breathless.
Alucard pulled back sharply. He looked as if Trevor had slapped him. “How dare you even insinuate such a thing!”
“No! That’s not what I...” Trevor tried to explain as Alucard stormed off. “Meant... Ah hell.” He stared down at the jacket that Alucard hadn’t bothered to pick up in his rage.
Trevor knew he wasn’t in a thrall, didn’t even know if Belmont’s could be, but the magnetic force he could feel drawing him towards the dhampir was terrifying. So like he always did, Trevor opened his mouth and fucked everything up. The desire to simply fall into Alucard’s arms, give in, lose himself in strength and warmth and... and something else he dared not name.
His existence before Gresit had been empty and lonely, then Sypha and Alucard had walked into his life like tornadoes cutting a path across the plains, and like the fields he offered no resistance. But then they went their separate ways. Trevor had thought it would be easy to fall back into obscurity. But he had tasted a life of promise, of happiness, and now he just pissed off one of the two people that had ever made him truly feel at ease.
Trevor grabbed his sword off the ground and sheathed it before picking up Alucard’s coat. He had no clue where the dhampir had gone, but guessed he shouldn’t follow regardless. Instead, Trevor found himself in the kitchen with the brilliantly stupid idea of apologizing with food and a romantic dinner.
---------------------------------------------
By the time he was done, Trevor had annihilated the kitchen, but had managed to cook a decent roast with potatoes and carrots. Or at least he thought.
He set the food and mead upon the dining room table, there was no way he was going to have this conversation sober, and began searching for the dhampir.
Trevor started his search in Alucard’s study, unsurprised to find a secret passage entry standing ajar. He followed the stone staircase down to what appeared to be a laboratory. There he found the dhampir in question, slumped in a chair, bottle in hand.
“I thought alcohol didn’t affect vampires?” Trevor asked.
“It must be incredible, incredibly,” Alucard slurred, “Potent to do so.”
At that Trevor realized that any chance of an actual conversation was most likely out the window, but he figured he should at least start his apology, even if Alucard wouldn’t remember it.
“I’m sorry I accused you of enthralling me, I know you would never.”
Alucard snorted and Trevor almost laughed at such an undignified sound coming out of the dhampir’s mouth.
“No, I wouldn’t, wouldn’t want to,” Alucard whispered, but it hit Trevor like a bucket of ice water. Before he could reply, Alucard was dramatically throwing himself further down into the chair, “You’re just so dummy thicc it makes it hard to think, makes me hard.”
Trevor instantly smirked. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I said I want to fuck your shapely rear,” Alucard shouted, throwing the bottle against the wall.
At that Trevor burst out into hysterical laughter. “Well I want that too, but only once you’re sober. Let’s get you to bed little dhampir.”
“Fuck you Belmont.”
“Maybe tomorrow if you can get out of bed. How bad are vampire hangovers?”
“Don’t know,” Alucard slurred, his arm slung over Trevor’s shoulder as they made their way to the stairs. “Never been drunk before.”
Trevor shook his head, of course Alucard had never been drunk and of course Trevor was the one to drive him to alcohol. At least he knew now that they both wanted the same thing, at least partially. That was the thought Trevor dwelled on as he put the drunk vampire to bed and put away the food he had made.
-----------------------------------------------
Trevor rose with the sun the next morning, noting the soft snores he could hear coming from where Alucard slept as he passed on his way to train. Trevor smiled, hoping that Alucard didn’t wake up with too painful of a hangover.
Several hours and a lot of sweat later, Trevor wandered back to the castle in search of a bath. As much as he wanted to check on Alucard, Trevor figured he smelled terrible and didn’t want to subject someone with superhuman senses to that.
As soon as he exited the baths, moisture still dripping from his hair, Trevor let his nose guide him to the kitchen. He found Alucard frying bacon and eggs.
“Not a word Belmont,” he hissed as Trevor sat down at the table.
“How’s your head?”
“Fine, vampire healing.”
“Ah, I suppose that is a perk.”
“Yes, however remembering every sentence I uttered in my incoherent state is also an unfortunate side effect.”
Trevor cocked his eyebrow. “Everything?”
“Yes Belmont, everything. Now would you kindly piss off?”
“You’re grumpy considering I said I would let you fuck me when you got sober.” Trevor watched as the spatula Alucard had been using to cook clattered to the ground. Alucard turned slowly to face Trevor. “What?”
Trevor picked up the spatula, turning the bacon and removing the eggs from the heat so they wouldn’t burn. As he cooked, Trevor apologized to a sober Alucard. “I know you would never use your powers on me, but the pull I feel toward you is... mesmerizing. And I don’t know how to deal with those feelings, so I pushed them away like I always do.” He took the now cooked bacon off the heat and placed it on a plate with the eggs before offering it to Alucard.
“Trevor,” Alucard whispered softly, setting the plate down on the table. Trevor wasn’t sure if he had ever heard his given name said so gently. “I... I never thought you would return my feelings, never thought you would look at me as anything other than a monster.”
“To be honest, I didn’t think so either, but here we are.”
“And where is that? Friends?”
Trevor scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I was hoping for something more.”
Alucard’s eyes narrowed. “Something carnal?”
“More,” Trevor whispered.
“Lovers?”
Trevor bobbed his head in a motion that would have been almost imperceptible to anyone else, but Alucard saw and gently cupped Trevors face. The dhampir leaned in, lightly brushing their lips together and Trevor melted. All of the emotions that he had been trying to deny flooded to the forefront.
“Like that?” Adrian asked, drawing back but leaving their foreheads still touching.
“Yes,” Trevor whispered in answer. For the first time in his violence marred life, he felt at peace.