It's My Birthday

It's my birthday

It's my birthday week. A new decade for me! Definitely feels different than when I hit 20. Been celebrating basically the whole week, but if anyone can send me fanart of Madara and/or Alucard (bonus if they're scantily clad), or direct me to short scenes of Alucard or furry/monster slice of life, smut, or fluff, that would make this dirty woman's next week 🙏🏻

A Night for Hunting Ch.10 should be out in the next few days! Got carried away with the celebrations this week! 🥳

A Night for Hunting Ch.9- Courtship

T/W: Alucard(Ultimate) x F!Reader, fluff alert!, romance, heights, “kidnapping.” Lonely, mild vampire. Alucard is a shithead and you can’t even be mad.  Words: 4120 On AO3

Thank you for over 250 kudos! Not to mention all the comments and (mostly private 🤣) bookmarks and subscriptions! And the likes and reblogs too! The reception this story gets continues to astound and humble me. An incomplete fic getting all this attention! Who would have thought?! This chapter is one of the ones I wanted to write for several months. It took so long to post because I saw a scary movie trailer (“The Exorcist”) and then I was too spooked to sit in the living room alone to write at night for over a week.  I hope you guys enjoy it! As of this chapter, this story is now my longest piece of writing.

“This place is incredible.” Everywhere you inspected continued to inspire awe. From the paintings on the walls, to the details on the ceilings, or the shininess of the floors, the restaurant was lavish in the most tasteful of ways from every angle.

You finally accepted Alucard’s invitation to the Shangri-la. Fortunately, you never took him up on his prior offer to feed you properly every night. You were like a duck sitting in a nest of swans. You could dress like the rest of the patrons and act gracefully enough, but this sort of grandeur would never suit you.

A portion of the restaurant was sectioned off for your private use with Alucard, which brought about another problem. While you were thankfully shielded from the prying and admiring eyes of other guests towards your companion, you were also stuck in a public setting where you were forced to interact with him. 

You were on a date with a freaking vampire. This just wasn’t how you envisioned life would turn out.

Most of the meal consisted of him watching you eat while he sipped wine from an engraved crystal glass set on a stem of gold. Such extravagance. You weren’t one to complain though. The food was divine, the complex flavours melted into your tongue and you nearly moaned as you swallowed. 

“I see you are enjoying your meal,” he observed. The light reflected off the orange lenses of his sunglasses at such an angle that you couldn’t see his eyes through the glare. But his grin was ever-present.

Honestly, it didn’t even seem like the vampire was attempting to impress you with the fancy scenery. He was completely at ease and disinterested in the setting, like he was born into grandeur such as this. Opulence was simply a natural backdrop he was used to being surrounded by.

"Soo…vampires can turn opposite sex virgins into baby vampires, but if they bite a non-virgin, they become zombies instead?"

"That is correct."

"Who decided on this? Why does being a virgin change anything?" Maybe he was a pervert who was insecure about his sexual prowess.

The said ‘pervert’ chortled and set down the wine before his glasses followed, mirth glittering in those liquid pools. They were the colours of the autumn leaves that filled the lush treeline with spectacular shows of foliage a month ago. "You will never cease to amuse me little one. I assure you, I didn't create this rule, but it is the one we must abide by."

Damn vampire getting in your head again. The lack of mental privacy was aggravating, especially when you recalled the night he glimpsed your moment of insanity, when the briefest thought of intimacy with him flitted across your mind. 

"This rule is stupid," you told him defiantly.

The grin stretched wider, the tips of two sharpened canines poking through. “I am inclined to agree.”

You had the feeling he was reading your mind again and while you didn’t want to verbalize how much it bothered you, knowing it would predispose him to doing it more frequently, you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.

“Stay out of my head! You’re being rude!” You stabbed a morsel of meat with a fork.

He merely chuckled at your reaction. “I can attempt to refrain from doing so, but humans are so fascinating.”

“You were human! Have you forgotten what that was like? Anyways, you are planning on turning me into a zombie?!” If that was the goal, with his superpowers, he could have done so already, with or without your consent. But that didn’t make sense because he saved you from a crowd of ghouls!

An elegant brow lifted. 

So you elaborated. “You keep trying to convince me to sleep with you and you just drank my blood! You want to bite me!”

Alucard howled with laughter and pinned you with a pointed look. “You truly are fascinating, little human.”

You bristled with indignance at the way he found humour in everything you said and did, irritation making your skin turn hot. What was the point in coming here tonight if all your date did was mock you? Ever since you met this creature, it was one supernatural encounter after the other. It was all made worse by how he was privy to your myriad of thoughts. Slamming a vexed glare back to him, you found the vampire with his face propped up on a fist, staring at you with a soft expression. A tiny smile tilted the corner of his lips.

He was teasing you. And you fell for it. You felt like a foolish schoolgirl as your ire deflated, but goodness, how can anyone look so gorgeous? It was too unfair. Your fork slipped from your grasp and fell to the floor with a metallic clatter, not that you wanted to stick cutlery in his face anymore.

One moment he antagonized you and the next he gazed at you like that. You swallowed your displeasure and sat up straight, eager to recover some face.

"Then how about you? Do you have a sire?"

Something changed in his expression. His eyes dulled and the smile fell a fraction, as if he really didn't like thinking about this aspect of his past. Recalling how comfortable he was with the brutal slaughter of the undead, you realized he must have an extended history with violence and bloodshed. Alucard was dangerous, and you didn’t mean what he was capable of doing to you. It seemed there were secrets in this world larger than the existence of vampires and ghouls. Concern about what you were getting yourself into if you spent more time with this vampire crossed your mind. 

But as you studied his face carefully and his mild gaze slid back to yours, suddenly you felt guilty for asking about things he wasn’t ready to share.

“Um, you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

"To be or not to be, that was the question," he finally murmured cryptically.

Huh? Shakespeare?

Was Alucard referring to his decision to turn, to become a vampire? But you doubted someone so sophisticated would miss the deeper meaning behind those words and misquote Hamlet. 

…Did he too wish for death? Ironic for someone who already died once. His choice of words bothered you, but you weren’t in the headspace to ponder this point further at this time. The orangey-yellow in those mesmerizing pits swirled slowly as he studied you. The silence stretched long during this intimate moment, when you felt closer to him than he probably ever allowed anyone. You didn’t want to let it simply slip away.

“Do…do you ever miss being human? Or seeing the sun?” You ventured cautiously, not wanting to push him away when he was letting you view this other side of him, so different from his usual cockiness and menace.

“Silly child, you do not comprehend the preciousness of your humanity, nor the curse of so-called immortality.”

Your mouth opened to protest, but no, he was right, you never stopped to ponder your humanity. It was such an intrinsic part of you that was taken for granted.

“Alucard, how old are you?”

His expression once again filled with amusement despite his gaze remaining warm. “I have seen over five centuries come and go.”

Okay that was really old. Much older than you assumed. Your eyes dropped from his piercing stare as you thought back to all those times this ancient creature chased you around and attempted to woo you. Was it strange for something so old to court someone your age? Then again, were there many other ancient vampires for him to choose from? Human standards probably didn’t apply any longer.

“I haven’t lived through the ages like you, and I don’t know where I was trying to go with this conversation, but maybe I was just trying to say that I miss the day. It’s…sometimes difficult to always work at night, especially now that it’s winter. The nights are long –it’s dark when I leave home and dark when I return. And then my body is so confused once the shifts are over and too soon, it’s time to switch back to a daytime schedule.”

Alucard leaned back and crossed his legs, his chin tilting up as he regarded you. “The garish light of day will never compare to the beauty of the black night. Her generous velvet wakes the imagination and makes the senses come alive.”

“The blanket of night hides creatures such as yourself,” you stated flatly.

In his eyes, a mysterious light shone. His attention was entirely devoted to you. This vampire was genuinely interested in your words. You squirmed in your seat under the intensity of that sparkling gaze, totally unprepared for the weight of his scrutiny and you wondered what he saw in you. Unlike him, you weren’t made to live in darkness.

“When the sun rises above the horizon and beats back the darkness, or when its dying rays fade away for the night, it paints the most dazzling gradient of colours across the sky. Even at high noon, the world comes into sharp contrast through a sea of cerulean. Daylight is warm, bright, comforting.” 

“...”

You sighed in exasperation. “Do you truly not miss the beauty of daytime at all?”

"No. I despise the sun. It is a mercy that each day must die." 

You laughed sheepishly. "Ahaha. I guess debating this point is moot. You're a vampire after all."

--------------------

The rest of dinner flew by smoothly. Alucard could wield his words like a dagger, yet there was artistry in the way he spoke, an old world pattern to his speech that at times sounded like riddles holding profound meaning beyond your understanding. His intellect was captivating. You were surprised by how pleasant the conversation was when he wasn’t intentionally seeking to get a rise out of you.

He wasn’t so bad at all.

Besides the server who occasionally came to check in on the two of you, you were alone. Before you knew it, you reached out to brush away the stray strands of hair hiding an eye that gleamed like the fiery sun he so hated. Your hand twitched when you caught what you were doing, yet you don't pull away. Neither did he. After a moment, your hand dropped to cradle his cheek.

The vampire’s eyes widened fractionally before dropping to half-open. He sighed and leaned into your touch. His skin was cool, but it wasn’t unpleasant to touch. You traced circles on that strong jaw that captivated you the first time you got a good look at him in your kitchen.

Alucard was crooning and purring, nuzzling his face into your palm. The back of your fingers on your other hand rubbed up his throat to stroke his chin. 

Distantly, the server returned with something you asked for. You couldn’t remember what it was, but they left promptly when Alucard’s gaze fell on them. His hand gripped yours to keep it on himself when you tried to pull back.

"More. Touch me," he demanded. 

So you played with his hair, twirling the lustrous tresses between your fingers and massaging his scalp. You boldly traced a finger down one of his fangs, grazing the sharp tip with the lightest touch. He stayed very still for you with his lips slightly parted and lidded eyes glowing fiercely. 

It occurred to you that he was very much like a cat. He liked to nuzzle his face on you, purred like an engine, and was constantly sniffing around. He loved body heat and being pet, and had slit eyes that often blinked slowly at you. 

Would he let you? You lifted a finger at him, making the rumbling vampire follow it curiously with his head tilted. You gingerly pressed the pad to his nose before pulling away. His eyes opened up before a content grin spread over his face, and he brought his face closer to bump the tip of his nose against your fingertip again.

--------------------

It was getting late, but Alucard insisted on having you stay up with him, stating there was somewhere he wanted to show you. Imagine your shock when he immediately scooped you into his arms before you could rescind your begrudging agreement and began leaping impossible distances from building to building. The wind cut through your jacket and chilled you down to the bone. It was not meant for the weather of these late winter nights. 

Your hair billowed into your face and filled your mouth. You barely heard yourself shriek through the howling wind as you clung to the vampire’s shoulders while he took you soaring through London from up high. You peered down at the sea of lights at your feet and gulped nervously. The ground was so far away! 

This wasn’t the kind of commute I had in mind! You desperately thought to him.

His smirk was devious when he gazed down. You are safe with me. He told you with a squeeze to your legs for reassurance.

With no other warning, you were suddenly thrown into the air and you screamed bloody murder at the loss of your anchor as you started to free fall –the wind whistled into your ears and slipped past your splayed fingers. The loose ends of your clothing flapped uselessly as you plummeted back to the earth…only for your flailing body to be quickly bundled into Alucard’s red duster to protect you from the winter chill. 

He was grinning like a maniac as you landed back in his arms with a squawk. You stared back in betrayal with huge frightened eyes and resisted the urge to smack him, but only because you didn’t want to risk him dropping you again for fun. 

Still he ran, jumped, and landed on various structures, sometimes sideways or even upside down. The rapid changes in direction was disorienting and made the cutting wind slap against you, so you clenched your eyes. The laws of gravity did not apply to him. With your arms trapped within the heavy jacket, neither were you able to grab onto him for safety as the two of you hung from another overpass while Alucard traversed its underside. You were forced to trust the vampire not to let go of you. 

Somehow, you barely felt each landing before he jumped again. The longer you lay in his embrace, the more apparent it became that the ride was surprisingly smooth. 

Land. Jump.

You must now be nearing the outskirts of the city. How did he know where you were going? 

You felt the derisive snort in your head. Humans today, so lost and helpless without your electronic devices. He stopped on the rooftop of a house.

"Look there, little one," his fingers weaved a pattern in the air and you followed their trail without seeing the constellation. "Do you see that? That is Ursa Minor, which may be hard for your mortal eyes to visualize with the city lights, but that bright star at the end is Polaris. It has many names dating from antiquity. You might also know it as the North Star or Guiding Star."

He looked at you expectantly like he wanted to tell you more, but sighed and hopped off and continue his jumps when you stared at him blankly, unable to pinpoint exactly which specks in the sky he was pointing at.

Gradually, you abandoned the light pollution of the city and the sky became inky black. There was no longer any light at your feet, only the darkest abyss that was entirely opaque. Your racing heart and gasping breaths eventually eased during Alucard’s leisurely journey through the city. Together, you sailed through the sky, ascending and falling in an endless loop. It was intimidating, but the vampire’s grip was strong. You huddled into his chest, at last feeling secure cradled like treasure in his arms. 

You were blind to what was below, but up above, the vast, glittering expanse of sky stretched to infinity. Billions of twinkling stars smiled down. You considered the planets that surrounded them, as well as the moons that orbited those. You thought of the galaxies out there, yet knew what was visible was only a tiny window into the universe that existed. It was all so close when Alucard leapt into the air again, and you reached out to grasp it. 

You were so small in this world. The existential humbling was profound, yet also exciting. The night sky promised adventure and filled you with vigour. The wind still stung your face, but you screamed in joy, at the freedom granted by the stars themselves as you drifted amongst them.

That exhilaration ground to a halt when you finally arrived at your destination with Alucard.

A private airport? 

--------------------

“What are we doing here, Alucard? Where are we going?” You faced him in alarm.

“Faroe Islands,” he instructed the pilot waiting by the aircraft as he sauntered up the ramp to a jet with you in arms. You started kicking your feet in protest.

“I-isn’t that Denmark? Y-you’re just going to spirit me away to another country in the middle of the night?!”

The vampire finally set you down on a plush seat while he settled in the one across from yours. You jumped up and attempted to unroll yourself from Alucard’s duster in a frenzy, only to get tangled in the lengthy garment pooled around your feet and nearly tumble over.

“I don’t have my passport!” Any reason to dissuade him from his crazy idea. This was madness!

“Don’t worry about it.” A wine bottle floated up to arm’s reach and uncorked itself. He tipped it into a long-stemmed glass and offered it to you. You didn’t take the drink.

“You are afraid, Sweet?” He cocked a brow at you with a challenge.

You sputtered and glared at him with disbelief. “What? You’re acting like you didn't suddenly drop this trip on me! You can’t just steal me away to a different country! And I’m going to freeze to death! Do you know how far north that place is?! When are we coming back tonight? Are we returning to London tonight? Is this even allowed?!”

The vampire paused to consider, “Integra may be displeased, but there will be no issue,” he chuckled to himself.

You continued to gawp at the ridiculousness of the situation before opening your mouth to argue again. This was definitely not how you envisioned any first date, even with this creature, would proceed.

“You are fretting over nothing, Dear.” He placed a finger to your lips gingerly and strapped you into the seat for takeoff, still mostly bundled like a burrito in his jacket.

Eventually, your indignance and dismay passed. It was just like Alucard to do whatever he wished and force whoever was part of his plan in line. ”We’re going to fly past all of Scotland, and not even visit Edinburgh Castle or Loch Ness. Or the Isle of Skye!” You pouted wistfully. 

The vampire sipped his wine, his legs crossed and posture casual, until you decided to join in. After all, he already had a bottle to himself earlier. Wriggling out of the encasing scarlet prison, you took hold of your glass with a stiff fist and gulped it down in one mouthful, much to the vampire’s amusement.

You continued to grumble about being dragged out to the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold and dead of winter. 

Two hours and several glasses of wine later, the jet was landing. You felt the pressure in your ears. Alucard stood and headed for the side of the jet where the storage was, revealing a bundle of winter attire. He returned to offer everything to you.

You walked out together onto a snowy field atop a cliff, overlooking…well, it was too dark to see anything. No doubt the sight would have been spectacular if this was during the day. Waves crashed down below from what you heard and the skies were clear.

“So? You brought us here. Now what?” Displeasure at being kept awake at this hour made you snippy. The feeling was accentuated by the frosty puffs with every breath you took. There was no way Alucard brought you to the middle of nowhere only because he could, right? Right?

”Patience. They are supposed to appear tonight.”

The jet rumbled in the silence. Staring in the direction of its beam of lights, you rubbed your eyes to refocus and made out vague shapes of something. Edging closer in that direction, you gasped at the dramatic mountainous landscapes in the distance. They were marvelous, even in the dimness. The jet lights died abruptly, leaving you in darkness, except it wasn’t black. The canvas that made up the heavens came into even starker contrast than in the suburban cityscape. Glimmering starlight splattered every visible inch in the sky.

This was also a desolate location. You were far from any other souls, in a world belonging to only you and him (minus the pilot). You hunkered down in your jacket and boots, glad to finally be in proper winter attire, then looked back at Alucard with a questioning stare after glancing up to admire the speckled expanse again.

The air was too crisp. The tip of your nose stung and was beginning to run. It was freezing. The wind was even worse than the subzero temperature. Burying your gloved fingers within the crook of your crossed arms, you sniffled, resisting the urge to wipe yourself on the back of the hand. 

Your eyelids started to droop. What time was it? It shouldn’t have been long since you arrived.

“There.”

Your eyes shot up and were blessed by the most miraculous vision. A translucent layer of green light undulated in the heavens. The ribbons of light swayed ever so slowly, a ghostly apparition haunting the land. Your eyes widened at the extraordinary show, a feeling of tranquility overcoming any prior exhaustion, and your lips fell open slightly in awe. Coherent thought ground to a halt.

How can anything in the world be so breathtaking? You took back every negative comment you made during the trip here. Everything Alucard put you through tonight was worth experiencing the Northern Lights.

"Isn't it remarkable?" The vampire also appeared to be at peace, a small smile gracing his lips. When did he come this close? His large palms went around your hips as he found his place at your back. He unexpectedly placed a kiss to your neck under the scarf and you jumped from the frigid caress.

His affectionate laughter subsided as you huffed. “Rest assured, I have no intention of biting you. You will not become a ghoul with me.” His whisper sent cold air tickling your ears. He withdrew from your side to let you enjoy the view.

Having trusted him the entire night already, the vampire behind you was no longer a cause for worry. The lightshow remained enchanting. You basked in the carefree, electric dance of the auroras above and felt your tension releasing. This was transcendent. 

Your eyes finally adapted to the faint lighting. In this darkness, the aurora borealis casted a sublime glow on Alucard. His features were pale, yet refined. You blinked. His silky midnight tresses reflected the light’s radiance in a circle, almost like he was crowned by a halo. He looked like an angel.

What were you thinking? You weren’t.

You took the half-step needed to close the distance between you and leaned towards him, your head barely reaching halfway up his chest. But you craned your head way up to drown in those ruby irises, for the first time seeing him in a new light. Getting up on your toes, you initiated the kiss softly, tentatively. It was exploratory and chaste when you brushed up against his chest with a feathery touch.

His lips were cool and smooth and tasted like fine wine. Your fingers found their way into his lapels to tug him in as his palms found your hips. He was just too tall and your neck hurt. Starting with a light peck, like you were seeking permission, you deepened the kiss when he didn’t protest. Again and again, you pressed gentle kisses to his mouth.

It was an eternity until you pulled apart. There was no need for additional words. You turned to take in the heavens on earth again. His arm draped around your shoulder to pull you nearer and you leaned in with your face resting on his chest. His chin dropped on top of your head.

For now, this was enough for both of you.

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter- What Makes a Meal?

Ahhh, I need to get back into my Hellsing brain so I can start writing again next week! Please send asks. Can be about Sabine, Hans, Barrett or anything to do with my hellsingverse please 🙏

A Night for Hunting Ch.6- The Living Dead

T/W: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, horror, gore, eventual romance Words: 1830 On AO3

The frenzied fluttering of wings was audible in the distance. You strained your neck to look, thinking perhaps a few crimson-eyed bats would be visible above the treeline, but it was much too dark for anything to be seen in the glittering navy expanse of sky. 

It had been over two weeks since that doomed night when you confronted Alucard about his behaviour and there hadn’t been any interaction since. You told him then in no uncertain terms to leave you be. It was quite unlike that vampire to do as he was instructed, but you relished the newfound freedom and privacy. 

There was the slightest shuffle from behind. Instinctively, you turned to look, vowing never to let yourself be as helpless again as that time you tried to get home intoxicated. 

At the end of the street stood another person, probably another late-night commuter. Nothing overly unusual. Barely sparing the other person another glance, you kept walking. Your thoughts were introspective.

You felt badly about your harsh parting words to the creature, but shrugged off the guilt. It wasn't like they were entirely undeserved. Alucard did much to torment you. If he was human, you would have gone to the police long ago for a restraining order. The breathing space was a welcomed reprieve from the perpetual badgering over the last year. No, you were not at fault for what happened that night.

You frowned and turned around, your senses switching into high alert. What was with the lady’s gait? She was still there, as expected from hearing her steps behind you. They were loud and unruly, every step was exaggerated with effort like she was about to keel over. 

Haaaaa. Haaaaaaa. With every lurch she exhaled forcefully, the guttural crackling breaths grated against your ears. There was no subtlety to her motions at all. Was she drooling? A glob of spittle broke off from her mouth and dribbled to the ground. A visceral feeling of disgust rolled over you. 

Upon closer inspection, this person was off. She was unkempt and emaciated, her tottering steps as if she was moving to the beat of a metronome. Her skin was a sickly shade of grey. You knew she was staring at you, although you couldn’t make out all her features from this distance. The hairs on your arms stood on end and a shiver shot down your back. Taking a quick glance around, you noted you were, of course, alone with this woman. You didn’t like this. 

How strange it was to see someone like this in this nice neighbourhood. At first you assumed she was a drunkard, but she was more likely a homeless woman who was using drugs. Her circumstances were undoubtedly unfortunate, but not your business, and the way she stared at you was disconcerting. The breeze carried over the reek of fetid gangrene. Swallowing, you felt suddenly nauseous and your mouth ran dry, another tingle crawling over your skin and you spun around to keep a brisk pace.

You jaywalked past the traffic lights and entered the park, speeding even faster through the darkness. You nearly forgot how spooky this park was at night, just rows of rustling greenery on both sides, street lamps whose functionality were inconsistent at best, and the desolate lack of anyone else. Everywhere you looked, it seemed like the creeping shadows turned the ordinary into shapes of horror.  

A mere minute later, you glanced over your shoulder to check on the situation. Good, you lost her. You shivered. Just now, it felt almost reminiscent of your old days of being stalked by a blood-sucking demon. If only it was just Alucard.

You hastily cleared this park where Alucard last chased you through months ago, which was the quickest shortcut to bring you back to your building despite the eeriness and lack of light. At last, you were back on solid pavement when you heard the panting coming from the alleyway just ahead. You stopped, but there was only one other alternate path at this point, which would be a long detour back. 

Something was strange about this night. A dense, uncanny energy in the air seemed to coalesce around this area. The air was heavier, and your heart thumped rapidly as you fought to keep your breathing discrete. It could just be drunks screwing…You debated whether to walk past the alley or to take the long way around, but you really didn’t want to be outside anymore. You stopped again in a panic when your footsteps made a loud crunch on the rocky ground and cursed yourself. Somehow you knew you should stay quiet.

You must be the dumbest person in the world, but you took a step forward, and then another. With each step, it felt like you came closer to your destiny. That powerful eldritch energy wrapped around you and you peered inside the murkiness of the alley. You stopped breathing. Nothing else existed at that moment.

Crunch.

A massive figure hovered over another much more diminutive one, pinning them to the ground with spiky shadowed extremities ringed in a crimson outline, a long jacket flaring around them both. It was pitch black, but you saw that the person on the bottom had their limbs splayed about at impossible angles and the gleam of broken bones coming through torn flesh. 

It was only for fleeting moments, but they lasted forever. You stopped at that alleyway and kept looking on in morbid fascination, trying to make sense of the sight. The victim was gargling, no, drowning in their own blood, an inky puddle pooling under them. Your lips fell open in horror when the beast lapped at that puddle.

Crunch.  Bone snapped.

Lustrous vermilion irises turned a feral gaze up at you. They were all you registered in the gloom once they became visible. Red eyes. Inhuman. You forgot to keep breathing. Staring back into the nightmarish gaze with terror-stricken eyes, you distantly heard the rhythmic slapping of footsteps to the beat of a metronome.  Your sense of self-preservation kicked in at last.

RUN! 

Your feet hit the ground in rapid succession to flee the scene, setting a pace faster than you’ve ever run before. You bolted with your heart in your throat, only to realize you missed the last turn to your apartment. Stumbling to a halt, you almost tripped over your feet and fell over, catching your stride at the last second to turn back. There was no paranormal being behind you, so you kept sprinting once you found your bearings and adjusted your route home.

BANG! BANG! BANG BANG BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

Looking up in panic, you wondered briefly what it could be now. There shouldn’t be fireworks tonight. The long weekend was last week! You didn’t want to believe that the commotion was gunshots. --------------------

Heaving from the lack of breath, you slammed the door shut and put on the lock and steel chain with trembling hands that missed the target several times, wishing there was more you could do to secure your home. Your lungs burnt as your legs finally gave out and you shuffled inside on your bottom. 

What was that? 

Still quaking to your very core, you turned on all the lights by the entrance and sat back down, hugging your knees closely as your eyes darted around the kitchen and living room for anything out of place. For any monsters that could be in hiding.

Idiot, idiot. You were such an idiot! What were you doing earlier, just standing there staring like a dumbass?! 

Several long minutes passed before you felt like you could move again, though no part of you was at ease. Crawling to your bedroom, you stayed close to the floor in an attempt to be as small as possible. You didn’t even want to shower or change right now, only wishing for the safety of your bedroom. You slithered into bed and pulled the sheets over your head, the mind already automatically replaying the ordeal of the last half hour. 

You recalled those glistening scarlet eyes fixated on you and the crunch of shattering bone.

Sleep eluded you. You were too spooked to have your back facing anything but down on the mattress. Your eyes jumped around blindly in the dark, yet your paranoia gave the imagination wings and it took off. Things of legend became reality and the products of your fear came alive. The darkness on the edges of your vision took on fanciful shapes, disappearing only at the moment you stared at them directly.

Something creaked in the house and you jolted. Logically, you knew sometimes homes made noises, but your mind was overrun with possibilities. You remembered the gurgling sounds of a person drowning and only now, did you notice your clammy hands. You were hot with anxiety, yet cold sweat soaked through the sheets. Bravely, you inched over slightly to lay on the next dry spot on the mattress.

Even when your eyes adjusted to the darkness, it felt like there were monsters lurking in every darker patch of the room, but you were too apprehensive to get out of bed and banish the shadows with light. You swallowed some sleeping pills and clenched your eyes, trying every method you knew of to lull yourself into sleep: counting numbers, mental relaxation, distracting yourself with happier thoughts.

It was all for naught. You flipped onto your side now that the next patch of bed was damp with sweat, still completely at the mercy of your fear. The clock read 0400. Dawn couldn’t come soon enough.

A cacophony of shrieks sounded outside, followed by the flapping of approaching wings. Adrenaline again pumped through your veins and your heart palpitated from the hormonal rush. Nothing happened. Daring to move once more, you felt silly and slunk over onto the next cooler spot. Your lids were heavy over burning eyes, but rest remained elusive.

Exhausted, your eyes fluttered open in abject frustration and immediately found two glowing spots high on the wall, several paces away from where you lay. You focused on them in confusion since nothing should cast a light like that in your room. The orbs were the colour of a dazzling sunset. They smoldered vibrantly, the shifting colours stunningly beautiful.

The tension eased out of your body and your eyelids drooped. You distantly heard the sound of soft purring filling the room as you found sleep at last. The comforting purrs rumbled through your consciousness, sending vibrations tumbling through your chest that soothed your soul. All your recent worries felt like simple folly. The fear that held you captive like a hungry beast relinquished its hold and suddenly, you were unable to remember why you were so frightened to begin with.

Cradled within the nest of your home, you floated through the skies. You slept soundly until the next afternoon in a sweet, dreamless slumber, lost in a feeling of safety that you have previously never known.

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter- Fear

A Night for Hunting Ch.4- Who Raised You?

Been busy this last week, but here it is! Hope you enjoy our latest adventures with our detested yandere stalker.

T/W: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, yandere, touch-starved vampire, awkwardness, I gave up trying to make the conversation better Words: 3072 On AO3

"You are working yourself too hard. I can feel your hunger and exhaustion." 

You saw the naughty shadows dance, the reflection barely matching how your body was moving. It was undulating and stretching under the faint light of the streetlamps, which was certainly not what your shadow should have been doing. The vampire emerged from the ground, oozing upwards to recreate his body and walk beside you. The gravel crunched as he matched your stride easily. 

"You don’t think it's because I have to entertain the likes of you every few nights? Unlike you, I have stuff to do, a livelihood to look after. A job to work, an apartment to care for, meals to cook —responsibilities, you know." You yawned.

The two of you made for an awkward pair strolling the somber night boulevards, his imposing stature was as flamboyant as your appearance was unassuming —his crimson duster in stark contrast to your quiet black uniform. You walked together in silence, though you kept your distance and attention on him. His hands were at his side, his stance relaxed. Your sideways gaze flickered up briefly to ensure there weren’t extra extremities planning on stealing touches from you.

It was too peaceful. The same upside down patio chairs and industrial-sized garbage bins parked backwards to allow for pickup as on the other side of town. This area was much the same, yet so different, from your old neighbourhood. It was just another quiet suburb, but generally more desolate even during regular hours. There was ample greenery though, which you appreciated. 

You glanced around the street to the darkened corners and crevices, carefully inspecting the usual favoured hiding spots for potential unnatural shadows harboring eyes. There weren’t any, although that smirk of his was ever-present. Annoyance flared in the pit of your belly. 

It suddenly hit you. ”Is your name ‘Dracula’ spelled backwards? Haha such a funny coincidence, unless it’s not. Who names themselves ‘Alucard’? It's so sad, what a wannabe,” you snickered to yourself. 

"Indeed. Isn't it quite amusing?" ‘Alucard’ tilted his head to gaze at the half-moon, his face mostly obscured beneath the sunglasses and hat. The sky was overcast, the modest light of the celestial body unable to penetrate the haze with the city’s light pollution also contributing to the concealment of the stars. This night held its own intrigue, but wasn’t quite as exquisite as the last, Alucard decided.

You arrived at your building and unconsciously held the lobby doors open for him. He didn't say anything to acknowledge your action, lest you become aware and try to ‘rescind the offer.’ You gently shut the door to your condo and toed off your shoes. 

After settling your belongings, you ran fresh water in the kettle to boil. You thought the conversation about your overwork was over when he spoke up again. "Come to the Shangri-la at 1900 each night. We will have supper unless I have other…arrangements.”

You scoffed at him. “What are you talking about? You'll do that every single night? That's quite a commitment I'm sure you won't be able to keep."

Piercing golden orange irises locked onto your scowling face, before the slit-like pupils contracted and he sighed, "Go there whenever you do not wish to cook, with or without me."

You gave him the flattest look you could muster. “Do you really think I can afford eating at the Shangri-la everyday?”

The vampire returned your expression before it turned back into a grin. What was he smirking at this time?

Your irritation spiked as realization dawned. “I don't want such an arrangement with you, or a sugar daddy. It’s way too good to be true and I don’t trust you. What makes you assume I even want to be with you? No thanks.”

“No other motives, Sweet. Only ensuring you eat well.”

Once upon a time not long ago, this vampire chased you through abandoned streets like a serial killer of women, but now he was acting the gentleman? You didn’t know what to make of him except for how he made you uncomfortable and you wanted him gone, especially with the recent news about the disappearances of several people in the city. Your heavy mistrust of this freaky creature resurfaced with force. Making sure you ate well? Was he trying to fatten you up before he ate you?

The vampire's deep chortle filled the room, which you hated to find was a pleasant sound. "I don't eat humans, little one, though I'm certain you would be delicious." His eyes wrinkled with mirth and you felt yourself on the defensive again.

“As if you should be treating some woman to the Shangri-la every night. You realize it’s a luxury restaurant in a 5-star hotel? An unemployed thing like you can’t afford it either.” You couldn’t believe you had to explain how preposterous his proposal was to him. After filling the teapot with piping hot water, you turned back to your guest intending to tell him he was being stupid, when you froze.

He cocked a brow at you, an insane expression spreading over his face. Goodness, he looked like a psychopath. You were right to be wary of him. “I am employed, little human,” he cackled.

"Harassing me every few nights isn’t considered employment, vampire. And stop calling me 'little human.' It's demeaning." You could feel the pulsing behind your left eyelid, a headache beginning to emerge within your temples from the endless back and forth.

"My visits to you are a separate matter. I enjoy catching you —it truly gives me great satisfaction.” The beast turned to shadow, into a seeping dark mass that trickled to your feet and clutched your ankles, then began crawling up your body before you could escape. Frightening memories of the last time he held you down as a shadow replayed themselves, but you were unable to budge at all to try kicking him off. Anxiety gripped you by the throat, yet he was weightless this time, and materialized just his head directly in front of you, shiny teeth flashing and towering stature proudly hovering over your head. He had you cornered and you glared back defiantly. 

“Are you not little and human?" He purred through a ghastly smirk at your shocked face, then abruptly became solid again, silently phasing through the counter and dining room furniture to sit at the couch. 

You gasped for some much-needed air as he left, feeling your heart's rapid gallop in your ribcage. 

Jerk. Was he reading your mind right now? You weren't sure. But you repeated yourself to be certain he heard.

"Jerk," you muttered under your breath as you scampered to the bedroom to change. Raspy chuckling sounded from the living room.

In the privacy of your bedroom, you stomped around, feeling only indignance and frustration from the incessant harassment. He was only messing around to make a fool out of you for his own entertainment, you reminded yourself. Ripping the black shirt off your head, you whipped it at the bed. What a twisted monster. Repeating the same manner of motions with your pants and underwear, you found your sour mood unimproved at all from throwing around your belongings. You cursed when you rammed a shin into the corner of the bed frame. That leg was going to bruise. 

Hissing in pain, your gaze landed on the framed photos in the corner of the room, immortalized moments of cherished simpler times. You went to the photos sitting on the drawer and leaned over it with your hands braced against the top. There was a layer of dust gathering on the surface of the drawers. Two of your fingers smeared the dust off in a line. It’s been awhile since you had the luxury of time to take care of affairs within your home. You sighed. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and you forced yourself to take deep breaths. 

You may not be able to escape him, but one day, if the vampire didn’t maim or kill you first, he will get bored of you and eventually leave you alone. It was only a matter of time. Until then, you will have to bear the burden of his presence.

Forcing numb calmness over your mind, you took one final breath and stood with a straight spine, to present yourself with more poise than you felt. You dabbed away the wet residue at your eyes and smacked your cheeks lightly, then eased open the door to reenter the battle. --------------------

“So you can play with the lights, possess telepathy and control minds, have a lot of eyes, and you can turn immaterial and shapeshift. You have all these fancy abilities, perfect for scaring young women. Are you proud of yourself? Any other superpowers I should be aware of?”

Your unwanted guest’s duster was draped over the couch, revealing a dapper suit beneath, all brought together by the pretty red cravat at his neck. His expression was serene, not frightening as it was earlier. The fleeting thought of how easy he was on the eyes crossed the mind yet again, before your eyes narrowed at his comfort level and the way he made himself at home when he was in fact unwelcome. 

"My other superpower is that I'm rich." 

Wha-? Your exhausted brain faltered. "Y-you didn't. You are not Batman." 

He looked at you curiously, then EXPLODED into hundreds of furry bats. The absurdity of your situation didn't escape you, but even you had to laugh as you gawked. He made a movie reference, but you set yourself up for that. 

Staring at the horde for several seconds, you felt your scorching anger dampen, then evaporate. It just wasn’t the same when he wasn’t in the shape of a man, directing his mocking eyes and smirks your way.

You held out your hand to offer a landing spot for the bats. Alucard eagerly took up the offer. It was the first time you ever reached out to touch him, even if he was merely a collection of small winged critters at the moment. A larger bat landed on your palm and clung to your fingers. You stared at the colony fluttering around your home, some now docked on various light fixtures, kicking up dust and making the lighting in the room blink erratically from the wings periodically blocking the light. You turned your attention back to the animal in your hand.

It was black and furry, regarding you with translucent scarlet eyes and chirping in greeting. The animal lover in you ignited and your heart melted. You cooed at the bat, almost in disbelief that this was real, and alternated between stroking its back and belly. The animal keened, awkwardly climbing your hand to roll over and present its stomach while fluttering its wings and rubbing its back into your hand. Oversized saucer ears swiveled from side-to-side to catch the sounds of you babbling to him. The collection of his bat eyes around the room were focused on you as they soaked up your affection.

Alucard wanted more. Several more bats flew over to land on your arms and fingers, all vying for your attention. You giggled at the swarm surrounding you, with too many wings, feet and little cheeks and fingers to pet, you didn’t know where to go first. It was a surprise discovery that the wings weren’t leathery, but covered in a thin, silky soft skin. You forgot yourself and ran your fingers through another’s luscious velvet fur and pressed your nose to its face.

Squeaks echoed around the room and the flapping swarm merged to reform into a humanoid figure. The vampire approached with a peculiar expression, his face near yours, forcing you back into reality and to inch away from the proximity. The vampire's eyes were bright vermilion as he took another step forward to maintain the closeness between you. 

"Do that again." 

"Do what again?" Suddenly, you were jumpy now that it was Alucard again.

"That sound, the laugh." 

You gave him an incredulous  chuckle, ”You’re kidding, right?” 

"Not like that. Like before, just now when you were holding me." It sounded like the chime of bells to him.

Holding him? Who speaks like that to someone they barely know?! "You can't just force someone to give you a heartfelt laugh! Sheesh, have you never been socialized before? You are you right now, not a cute bat!" 

The vampire huffed and insisted with a low rumble emanating from his chest, "It was music. Do it again."

"I-I just told you! My goodness, who raised you?"

At that question, he gave you a funny look, almost like he was sad and pained, but it was gone just as quickly and he straightened out and collected himself. "I am far-removed from my days as a human." He observed your arms held out flat to your chest in defence and withdrew.

This thing was human? But of course he was. He must have been a human turned into a vampire, if the legends were true. Thinking back on the timeless beauty you found in his eyes when you first met, combined with the strange mannerisms, you figured this must have been long ago.

You didn’t want to know more about him or his past.

You had leftovers for dinner. Just a simple meal of baked chicken drumsticks and roasted eggplants with buckwheat, all made in bulk several days ago with lots and lots of garlic. Despite the seasoning, you didn't offer him anything, but only because you didn’t want to waste your precious food on him or allow him to feel welcome.

During the entire meal he stared at you eating. It was unnerving. He watched too carefully, his eyes capturing every detail. When your tongue poked out to lick at escaped sauces, you caught his pupils darting over to trace your actions. When you looked at him for a moment too long, his eyes would catch yours and almost drown you with their strange light. He seemed absolutely fascinated by everything you did. You shivered under the intense scrutiny and averted your gaze back down at your food. --------------------

You hoped he would leave after dinner, but the mannerless vampire was still here. You couldn’t sleep with him around. Knowing that requesting for him to leave would be meaningless, you chose to watch a chick-flick in the hopes it would be off-putting. It wasn’t one you enjoyed either.

Seating yourselves with him on the opposite (his favourite) couch, you kept the distance between you. Your lids already felt heavy. 97 minutes wasn’t long for a movie, but in your state, you wondered how you would last the stretch too. 

“You are exhausted,” he noted, crossing his legs to examine you properly. The darkness hid nothing from him. He could see you perfectly.

The air conditioner turned back on with a hum as the movie began. Sirens screamed past your building outside, but you didn’t acknowledge any of this. Your head hung low, chin almost touching your chest as the softness of the couch embraced you. You were drooping, nodding off, the darkness of night a welcome reprieve for once. You came back to awareness with a start.

You made a sound and mumbled, “I am watching.”

"You are watching a movie with your eyes closed?" His voice was quiet, not taunting.

"It's a neat ability I have." You shifted your weight to the other side and stared at the screen blankly.

"It's hard to stay awake after all that happened during the day,” you trailed off. So peaceful.

"You do not need to justify your human needs." 

At the low melodic timbre, you turned bleary eyes towards the source to make out only two irises, iridescent pools of liquid gold in the poor lighting. 

"Time to sleep, little one." 

It was such an odd feeling, like you were floating through haze-shrouded skies. You tried to shake off the sensation, but were too weak. Your lids got heavy and you passed out on a full belly, slumped against a large pillow with your head at a funny angle. In your dreamlike state, it seemed there was to be a strange truce with this nightwalker tonight. 

Alucard stared at your limp form, at the smooth expanse of throat that was bared to him. His eyes honed in on the tiny flickering pulse on the side. It was in the air. Your monthly was due soon, and you were fertile at this moment. His fangs descended. Your neck will be sore later if you slept like that the entire night. He licked his lips and silently slipped up to you. He faded into the soft fabric of the couch and reappeared seated next to you with his shoulder propping up your unconscious body as he emerged from the couch. 

There was almost no external light in the room, only what was granted by the TV screen. The hour was late, or early, depending on what kind of being you were. The blaring of sirens screamed past outside once more before all was silent, save for the occasional noises of nocturnal animals breaking the tranquility.

Alucard allowed the movie to continue playing to completion with you slumped on his shoulder. Two women on screen shrieked at each other for petty perceived offences, but Alucard paid the movie no mind. He watched you sleep, listened to the slow thump of your heartbeat, felt the puffs of your even breaths. He knew you'd be warm, but the prolonged contact with your body heat was more akin to a furnace thawing out his dead body. He caught your scent again, the enticing female pheromones much more preferred now that they were directly on him. For once you weren’t scared or anxious. He was comfortable. Your relaxed expression calmed him and his eyes closed.

Now that you no longer ran from him when he came to you at night, the first vampire honestly missed the thrill of the chase. When the pungent scent of your terror diffused through the air as you realized he was present, it shot straight to his loins. When you screamed and fled, his body was mandated to follow. He missed the exhilaration and adrenaline rush from catching you, addictive drugs which made him almost feel alive again, but this…he shifted to prevent your head from falling off his shoulder…this was good too.

~To be Continued~