Title: Coming Around Again
Author: bnomiko
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Trevor x Alucard, Trevor x Sypha x Alucard, Richter x Alucard, Alucard x Maria, minor Soma + Mina
Spoilers: post S4 animation + "best endings" for the referenced games
Disclaimer: "Coming Around Again" is performed and recorded by Carly Simon. Castlevania is the creation and property of Konami. Castlevania (animated series) is the creation and property of Netflix. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: During the events of Grimoire of Souls, Alucard learns that Elgos' catalogues are not the only way to bring back those loved and lost from the distant past. An immortal heart, an eidetic memory, vows of love and friendship, can call forth beloved, brave souls all the same. But once crisis is averted, what happens to those same heroes who have been forgotten even by the annuls of history? A reunion tale combining aspects of various game canons including Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, Grimoire of Souls, Judgment, plus the original Castlevania animation. May include some minor referencing of other games / source material. Trevor, Sypha and Alucard's relationship based off "Under the Milky Way," my post S4 animation canon based series, but this story can be read as a standalone. Maria and Richter based off Symphony of the Night and Nocturne of Recollection.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

* * *

Coming Around Again

Ch. 8: Alucard's Wallet vs. Rampant Consumerism

* * *

Adrian rhythmically ran his thumb over the backs of Sypha's fingers as they walked, as if he couldn't believe he was strolling down the busy streets of Tokyo hand in hand with his wife. But every time he glanced sideways he could catch the glint of sunset orange from her hair, and the gentle, answering press of her slender fingers and the brisk slap of her sandals beside him were exactly as he remembered, when she was still young and spry.

They wandered for a couple of minutes, heading nowhere in particular, then Sypha steered him towards a small park before slowing her pace.

"Want to talk at all? Or were you just hoping for a breather?" she asked under the sparse shade of a young tree, leaving it up to him whether to discuss the issue now or later.

He slid a look her way, and finally released a tired sigh. "I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"Anything is fine. You can tell me about the weather if you wish. Regardless, I will listen; you know I will."

Adrian tilted his head back. "It is a nice day, isn't it?" he commented, taking the easy out as they began slowly strolling again. A few fluffy white clouds floated through the soft blue-gray expanse, though the depth and breadth of it paled in comparison to the wide sea of cerulean above their homeland. He missed it, but this was where he resided now and for the foreseeable future.

Sypha hummed. "There's a slight chill in the breeze, but overall it's pleasant."

"Yes. I enjoy it." He glanced down at the delicate hand he was still clinging to. "But it'll be winter soon. You'll all need gloves and scarves and..."

"... Adrian."

He stuttered to a halt, both verbally and physically. She smiled at his confusion; she hadn't expected him to take her "tell me about the weather" suggestion so literally.

"I... was rambling, wasn't I?" Adrian finally commented.

"Not quite yet, but it was starting to head that way, yes."

The blond slowly took in a deep breath, but when he released it it was choppy and uneven. He dropped his head as well as his volume as he admitted, "Losing you and Frediric shook me badly, but it was Ann's death that I couldn't get over. She was murdered - and for what, a few coins, her wedding band, the gold locket I'd given her? I felt like I'd failed her - I know, I wasn't there; I didn't receive the letter until months after it happened. But it was like that with my mother too. I failed to protect someone I cared about, someone gentle, who wasn't going to fight back. I... wanted to die. I thought I deserved it. But I couldn't; none of you would have ever forgiven me for it."

"So you put yourself in a coffin and sealed it."

"The old warding spell for the Hold worked just as well on the mausoleum doors. Once sealed, only the three of us could open it."

But both she and Trevor had passed already... Sypha bit down on her lower lip, wanting to ask him what was supposed to happen after that - but he'd made it clear what his mindset was like at the time, so no point in beating a dead horse. She thought about the set up some more, then asked, "What woke you?"

"I'm not sure. Was it purely coincidental, as far as timing? Maybe my body had reached its limit and forced me to wake. Or perhaps some dark magic was at play, whether from the castle itself, or those who wished to see my father walk the Earth once again." He shrugged, having given the matter little thought. "Regardless how it happened, once I awoke I sensed things were amiss, so I went to investigate, and... well, that's how I met Maria and Richter."

"But you did not intend to stay with them."

"No. With Richter's sanity restored and the castle driven back into the darkness, I meant to return to my slumber." He managed a slim smile. "Maria's stubbornness won out; she followed me and pestered me, halfway back to Belmont... how could I think of sleeping with such a racket? Besides... I felt I owed a debt to her. If it wasn't for her strength and persistence Richter would've been lost. What would've happened to the Belmonts then? I should never have abandoned your descendants to the fate I feared, but in my selfishness, I did just that."

"We all have moments of weakness and doubt. The important thing is you recognized it and sought to rectify it."

"Two hundred plus years after the fact?"

Sypha's eyes were soft with understanding. "You operate on a different time frame than the rest of us. It can't be helped."

Adrian looked down, shuffling his feet slightly. He was tired - he'd been tired since he'd brought back Sypha and the others, but some moments he felt more drained than others - and that only made his guilt worse. He was doing his best to sort out his feelings, but it was exhausting. "Trevor's angry with me. I can't blame him. Maria's upset too... I wasn't fair to her. I never fully opened up to her; maybe part of me did wither and die in that coffin."

"Is that how you feel right now? That you've lost part of yourself?"

"I... don't know. I've lived like this for so long now, how should I feel?" Adrian sighed heavily; the weight of all his promises had lain on him for so many years, it was hard to shake off the feeling of expectation, even if it was no longer on his shoulders. "After Richter passed, I stayed with his youngest, Lottie, and through her and her children and her nieces and nephews I remained in the vicinity of the Belmonts. Over time I reconnected with some of the other branch families, offering help when needed, but mostly I kept to the shadows. That seemed for the best."

Sypha made a noncommittal sound, keeping a neutral face, though it hurt to hear Adrian say that he'd kept distance between himself and the family he'd once considered his own. Though he didn't expand on it, it was clear that repeated losses had made him wary of connecting with anyone on more than just a surface level. But she knew the dhampir too well... he was a lonely soul. He needed close bonds in order to thrive. But an immortal amongst humans was only ever going to get left behind. Given the choice between loving and knowing it would lead to hurt, or solitude leading to numbness, he'd opted for the latter.

"Do you want to be Adrian? I didn't think of asking earlier, I just assumed - but we're all making assumptions, aren't we? I worry that you're just going along with whatever you think we want because you think that'll make us happy, but it's not so easy when there's a total of five different opinions in the mix." Her lips pressed tightly together. "'Adrian'... would you feel safer leaving that part of yourself buried, because we don't really know what will happen to us in the future, do we?"

He could only shake his head. Trevor would say both halves of him were what made the whole, but it had never been that clear cut or simple. Adrian was the child born of love, grown into the man who couldn't bear to strike down his father as they both grieved his mother's murder, and because of that thousands had died until Alucard had pulled himself together and gone back to finish the job. Adrian was also the man who'd fallen in love and lived happily with his spouses and children until the years forgot to take him too, and the grief became too much. But because Alucard was necessary to help hold the darkness at bay, he remained even after love was lost once more, even after humans had long become ignorant of the threats lurking in the night.

He hadn't questioned it when it had been only him and Trevor for those few days; it was easy falling back into old habits when the hunter had energy enough for the both of them. He'd convinced himself that he was the man that Trevor remembered, like all the years between then and now had easily fallen by the wayside. But now with Sypha, Maria and Richter in the mix, he wondered if that had all be an act? Or had "Adrian" survived, remaining asleep as Alucard had gone to confront his father yet again, only to finally rouse once Trevor and Sypha had returned? But where did that leave Maria and Richter in the grand scheme of things? He hadn't dragged them back into the world of the living just to shortchange them once again.

A hand stole up to the side of his face, and he twitched away from it minutely before remembering who it was and pressing into it instead.

Sypha drew his head down for a chaste kiss. "You don't need to answer right now. I know you're tired, and this is a lot to take in all at once. Just think about it, that's all."

He nodded against her cool palm, glad for the reprieve.

"Shall we head back? I think some lunch will do you good."

* * *

When they returned to the restaurant, Yoko and Julius were already there and seated with the others. They looked up, greetings on their lips, but one look at Arikado's blank face had Julius completely swallowing what he was going to say.

Yoko also bit back the joke she was going to make about how Alucard was a lucky dog, now that he had four lovers in tow. She turned instead to the woman at his side, trying her darndest to not vibrate out of her seat in excitement. Every child in their clan had been brought up on tales of the heroic exploits of Sypha and Trevor and Alucard, though unsurprisingly Sypha's contributions were of particular pride to her branch of the family. "Are you Sypha? I'm Yoko. I've looked forward to meeting you!"

The redhead stepped up and exchanged greetings with the new arrivals, which also gave Trevor the opportunity to stand, grab Adrian's arm, and steer him back out the door before anyone had a chance to protest.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Trevor blurted the moment they were outside, the door's bell still jingling merrily as it shut behind them. "I wasn't trying to judge - well, I was - but I shouldn't have. I wouldn't have taken it well if you'd told me I handled things wrong after my family died; I should've afforded you the same courtesy."

"I... don't know what to tell you. Sypha told me to take time and think about it, but right now... I just don't know."

"Yeah. And that's fine. She's right; she always is," Trevor said with a soft chuckle, gently rubbing Adrian's hands, hoping to lighten the mood, but the blond remained uncertain and almost... distracted?

"Well... I am sorry. I just wanted you to know that," the hunter said awkwardly when it was clear they were at something of an impasse.

Adrian dipped his head and gave Trevor's hands a quick squeeze back. He wasn't sure if he had much of an appetite any longer. Curling up in bed - or even on the sofa - sounded better. Still, he let Trevor walk him back into the restaurant to at least make an appearance, not wanting more sympathy and concern thrown his way when he had obligations to face.

Several pairs of concerned eyes tracked Arikado's movement as he retook his seat. He purposefully did not meet any of their gazes, and instead pretended to study the menu as if he cared what the options were.

Yoko gave it thirty seconds, then, unable to rein in her curiosity, asked, "So... am I the only one that finds this whole thing kinda wild?" She glanced around the table, at faces old and new. "I mean not just because here you are and it's 2036, ta-da! - but like... it has to be weird for you to all live together, right?"

"Because we come from different eras?" Richter pondered.

"Mm, that too. But I meant, more like..." and her gaze landed on Trevor, growing sly, "if I was dating someone, I sure wouldn't want to come home and find a bunch of other people to compete with." And didn't that sound like the plot of some typical harem manga? The clueless protagonist magnetically attracting a variety of love interests, but unable to settle on just one...

"Jesus, Yoko," Julius muttered. Sure he was wondering about that too, but he didn't expect her to just come out and say it.

"They're not a 'bunch of other people,'" Trevor grumbled under his breath at almost the same time. Sypha was his wife; Richter and Maria were their descendants - which did sound weird in a way, even he'd admit that. But there had been hundreds of years and several generations between them so they were about as related as two families from opposite sides of town. Besides, maybe Sypha's perspective had influenced his somewhat, because he wasn't nearly as bothered as he thought he'd be at the thought of Adrian having other lovers. Even seeing Adrian clinging to Richter's arm while they slept on the sofa had only set off a fleeting spark of jealousy, when he used to seethe with possessiveness whenever anyone admired the blond for more than a moment. Or was it because Adrian had spoken so much and so fondly about Richter and Maria that Trevor had already accepted their relationships to some degree?

Either way, it wasn't like Adrian had had a revolving door of strangers parading into his bedroom, which was what Yoko seemed to be implying!

"A 'traditional relationship' has never been part of my expectations. But Trevor's right, there's nothing random about this, nor is it a competition," Sypha said diplomatically. "That said, as Richter, Maria and I haven't even been back for a full day, we're still sorting through the details."

"We'll figure it out. We're doing this for Alucard, after all," added Maria.

Yoko wrinkled her nose slightly. Everyone always gave her flack for not settling down with Hammer, so why couldn't she throw it back at Alucard? "You must all be saints or something. I certainly couldn't stomach it if my boyfriend had a boyfriend, or a wife, or whatever," she grumbled.

"I'm sorry that my having a grand total of four lovers over five hundred years is excessive. Meanwhile there's teenage girls who go through that many boyfriends in a single year," Arikado finally snapped, glaring over the edge of his menu. "Are we ready to order?"

"Yeesh, okay, I get it," Yoko complained, backing down as she picked up the tablet to begin ordering. Actually she still didn't "get it" but it wasn't her love life... Maybe Alucard liked his relationships complicated?

Orders were placed, food was delivered swiftly, and soon they were chowing down, getting to know one another and talking about what to do after lunch. Julius hadn't planned on anything more than a meal - he'd wanted to meet everyone but already had plans to tail Soma and Mina for the rest of the day - but the others were talking about needing to buy clothing and basic necessities and if there was one thing Yoko loved more than gossip and pop up events for her favorite shows, it was shopping.

"Are you going to be okay with all this activity?" Trevor whispered to Adrian as he leaned a bit closer to his husband. The blond hadn't said much after his earlier outburst and his eyes were now a bit glazed over; while he'd polished off his coffee he'd also only made it about a third of the way through his spaghetti and was just pushing it around every once in a while. "Adrian."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," the dhampir replied, making a show of relocating another forkful of pasta to the other side of the plate.

Trevor swiped the abused spaghetti and began tucking into it. "You're tired, aren't you. Should we go home instead?"

Adrian began lifting a hand to rub at his face, then thought better of it when Julius glanced his way. But even though he'd caught himself, it was impossible to hide his weariness from the table - hunters were by nature observant, especially once they'd caught scent of weakness. So too were sharp-eyed sorceresses. "No. Need to get everyone situated."

"Well Yoko seems eager enough to help with that."

Adrian sighed, but Trevor did have a point. Best to get a move on, then. He announced he was going to pay unless anyone wanted anything else, then fished out his phone and took care of the bill.

They said their farewells to Julius as he split off to "join" Soma and Mina on their movie date, then the remainder of the group headed over to a shopping mall that Yoko was especially eager to go to.

Even though they'd "known" what to expect, Sypha, Maria and Richter couldn't help but be awed to be amongst so many people, to wander past endless shop fronts and be dazzled by the lights and the noise and the wide variety of, well, everything. It was one thing to see a cluster of stores here or there, or to stand waiting at a single subway station, but the city was a sprawling spider's web of endless nodes that it was almost too incredible to believe without seeing.

"Oh, how cute is that purse!" Yoko enthused, pulling Maria towards an accessory shop. The two blondes had hit it off easily, bonding over the fact that they both liked pretty, girly things. It didn't hurt that despite Alucard's claim to the contrary they looked and acted like sisters, with their flowing golden locks and endless chatter and perky cheer. Plus Yoko had mentioned more than once that she wished she'd had a little sister to dote on, and Maria had always responded well to big sister figures, having spent her teens trailing behind Annette and Berthe and even Richter's visiting stepsisters.

"I like the one behind it even better!" Maria responded, eyeing an apple green bucket shaped bag with pink and yellow flowers rimming the top, giving it the illusion of a basket spilling over with blooms.

"Want to take a look? Sypha, you too, you'll need one too!" And Yoko grabbed the redhead and dragged her into the store with them.

Richter groaned as the trio disappeared yet again, leaning against a wall with bags dropped at his feet. Only one contained clothing for him. The rest were Maria's, and he'd apparently been relegated to pack mule for her shopping. "How much is she going to buy?"

"It's fine," Arikado said, dropping his own weight onto a bench. He too had been stuck with someone else's packages - in this case, Yoko's - but from the way he was acting it was as if those two small bags held lead weights instead of jewelry and a pair of house slippers. With the women out of view, he let himself sag against Trevor as the older hunter sat down beside him.

Trevor studied the top of his husband's head as if it held some secret beyond the ink black illusion coating the platinum strands. "Hey. Come on, you stubborn bastard. Just call it quits and we can go home," Trevor said, bumping Adrian with his shoulder. All it did was jostle Adrian's head from its resting spot, which earned a grumble.

"I can't. Maria's... so excited."

"She can be excited tomorrow or next week. It's not like the seasonal markets we had, these stores are here all the time, yeah?" Trevor reasoned as Richter pushed away from his perch and sat on Adrian's left.

Richter gave Alucard's shoulder a squeeze. "She'll understand. It'd make her unhappier if she realized you were forcing yourself to accompany her while exhausted."

"She needs clothing." He made a vague gesture in Richter's direction. "You too."

"I think she's got plenty here already, but what do I know?" Richter shrugged. "As for me, if push comes to shove I can borrow from you. Or maybe even Trevor. I can get more for myself some other time."

"Come on, let's go in and tell them you're leaving. They're in good hands with Yoko; she obviously knows her way around here and can help with anything they need. Or I can stay too, if that would make you feel better about it," Trevor gruffly volunteered.

Adrian shook his head slightly and stubbornly stayed put. Trevor groaned, but stopped short of trying to force the issue, even if he was tempted to just throw the other man over his shoulder and make the decision for him.

By the time the ladies exited the store some fifteen minutes later, new purchases in hand, Adrian had nodded off, wedged upright between the hunters as if they were matching bookends. Richter braced for Maria to run up, upset at them for not having said anything about just how tired Alucard was, but instead she simply frowned at the dhampir and then turned to Yoko and said, "See?"

The younger Belnades put her hands on her hips. "Geez, why doesn't he ever say anything?" She crouched down and began trying to figure out if she could free her purchases from Alucard's grip without putting her hands all over him, since he'd laced his fingers over the bags on his lap.

"He's never been good about taking care of himself," Sypha commented, reaching down to help Yoko with her dilemma. The Speaker slowly stroked over his fingers, tugging slightly, until Alucard loosened his hold with a slight crease between the brows. "He'd rather drop dead of exhaustion than 'inconvenience' anyone," she declared as she handed the bags to Yoko.

"But now he can't refuse when we tell him he has to go rest," Maria said with some satisfaction.

Yoko pursed her lips. "Well, there were a couple of other stores I wanted to hit, so I guess I'm on my own for that."

"You ladies can keep shopping if you want. We can take him home - or Trevor can," Richter offered.

Sypha nodded. She didn't care much about the shopping, only that Adrian was taken care of by someone.

"Let's do that. I'll take him and some of this stuff with me as well; Richter, you stay and help the ladies bring home the rest." Trevor nudged Adrian again with his shoulder. "Hey. Wake up, sleepyhead."

Adrian twitched, his eyes fluttering open. For a moment he looked confused as to where he was, then it was like the sounds and sights hit him all at once. He jerked upright. "I... must've nodded off. I apologize. Ready to move on?"

"They are. You're not; we're going home," said Trevor.

As Alucard opened his mouth to protest, Maria intervened, stamping her foot for emphasis. "No, we don't want to hear it! You're obviously too tired to continue and if Trevor and Richter have to truss you up and carry you home like a doe for dinner, so be it."

Yoko couldn't help but snicker as Alucard lowered his head slightly, cowed by the petite summoner.

"Or you can be reasonable and leave on your own two feet," Maria continued. She picked up some of the bags Richter had been carrying and thrust them in Alucard's face. "Don't worry about us, I'm sure Yoko will make sure we get back with no issue."

"Of course," said the other blonde with a wide smile. "You can treat me to dinner as a thank you."

Alucard eyed the small bags now in Yoko's possession. "I already treated you to lunch and a bracelet as a thank you," he pointed out.

The cat-like grin widened. "Well then I guess you're extra thankful!"

* * *

In the end there wasn't anything Adrian could say or do other than let Trevor escort him home, both of them laden with enough packages that they could barely take a step without one bag or another bouncing off a leg or thigh.

Privately, Adrian was glad to be going home. The brief, fitful nap on the bench hadn't done much for his energy level. Lying down in a comfy bed sounded like heaven. His eyelids drooped at the very thought, even as they swayed with the movement of the subway.

"Will you be able to make the walk back to the apartment?" Trevor asked, his low voice startling Adrian back to awareness.

"... Yes." A trek of a handful of blocks while tired was hardly the most difficult thing he'd ever faced.

It took slightly longer than usual, but at least Adrian could blame it on their armloads of purchases. They dumped everything by the dining table, and then the blond turned to head back to his bedroom, stuttering to a halt at the realization that he didn't currently have a bedroom... and possibly wouldn't have one in the future.

"What's wrong?" Trevor asked, nearly bumping into his lover at his sudden stop.

Adrian turned around. He'd spent the previous night on the sofa. But the futon had already been folded up and the blanket and pillows put away, so... "I'm... not sure which bed to use."

"The one in your bedroom?" the brunet replied, already trying to herd him that way.

"But..." Adrian weakly protested, uncertain as to where he belonged. And then it dawned on him. This was why everyone was talking about schedules and such. Was he really going to spend each night being pushed and pulled, with everyone jockeying for a night with him?

With the dhampir remaining frozen in place, Trevor gave up and again asked, "What's wrong?"

"Where am I to sleep tonight?"

"Fuck if I know. We still need to figure that out, right? But for now... the bed we were using is made and available. Get some sleep; we'll talk about the rest once everyone's back."

Adrian may have balked the entire way there, but once Trevor got him changed and lying down, he was out before he'd even properly pulled up the sheets. Trevor paused to consider the sleeping figure sprawled on the bed, then, figuring he had nothing else to do in the meantime, shrugged out of his clothing and tucked himself in behind his husband. Adrian slept better warmed up, so he could at least do that much.

* * *

Despite Trevor's presence, Adrian began rolling around restlessly in his sleep, his mind wandering through an ever-changing dreamscape, aimless as a vagabond. His first memory was the cottage in Lupu where his mother had practiced medicine; then he'd returned after frivolously wasting time exploring to find a burnt husk, his mother gone. There was the castle with its too many stairs, the one he'd been raised in, the one he himself had raised a family in, where he'd chased Frediric up and down as the boy learned to hone his family's craft, disguised as play.

He'd laid down in heartbreak and grief in the dank confines of a mausoleum and awoke to find his village near-abandoned, the water in the area having run dry. And then he found himself in the castle again, not a safe shelter like before, but dark and foreboding with malice and forbidden magic.

The castle crumbled as he walked away, a teenaged summoner at his heels. He began regaining himself at another cottage, smaller than the one in Lupu, where Maria tried in futility to learn to bake pies, as if a woman with her abilities and lineage ought to be keeping house. And then in sharp contrast, there was the family manor standing guard outside yet another village, a lively household with overwrought furniture and generations of hunters who'd called it home.

More tragedy - Grandmother Lydie and Grandfather Juste had gotten up in years, so it was inevitable that they joined Maxim on the other side. But then Richter lost Annette and the baby he'd planned on naming Adrian in his savior's honor, then his eldest son Herrick, and then Maria. Richter had become more and more stone faced with every loss; Alucard understood the face of grief was different for every man, but he did not want to see Richter lose himself again. The manor was left behind and ahead of them, years on the road. And then Richter was gone too. And Lottie. And so it went, as each generation of Belmonts or Belnades begat the next, as faces and names began blurring together, as Alucard tried to distance his heart even as he remained the family's loyal shadow.

He'd ended up in Japan, chasing an eclipse and the source of his father's madness alongside yet another Belnades and Belmont. And then to stand guard, he'd adopted yet another name and yet another mailing address, a modern apartment in a great city that had never once felt like a home, until the moment he'd welcomed Trevor inside as the hunter stepped past the threshold.

Living together with Trevor again felt like a dream. Being reunited with Sypha, Maria and Richter, even moreso. But every time he opened his eyes, he was afraid to find that it was just that - a dream. Adrian's breath hitched; he groaned, pressing his face against a pillow that was too firm, and was rewarded with thick yet nimble fingers scratching at his scalp. A purr rumbled from deep down in his chest; he snuffled and pressed his nose against an artery pulsing under a layer of scruff and the unease that had lofted and risen settled back down into warm and syrupy satisfaction, memories dulled and forgotten.

Normally Adrian was very aware of any intrusion into his space, even while asleep; his senses stayed alert for any sign of trouble. But with Trevor idly continuing his impromptu head massage, the dhampir registered nothing but safety and familiarity, completely unaware of the fact that it was evening already and that Maria, Richter, Sypha and even Yoko had poked their heads into the bedroom.

"How cute," Yoko cooed with a soft giggle as Adrian smooshed his face further into the underside of Trevor's jaw, undeterred by the bristle. For such a stoic, stuffy suit, it was unexpectedly refreshing to catch him being cuddly as a teddy bear. She almost wished she could snap a photo to blackmail Alucard with later.

Trevor scowled as he drew the blankets up higher. His husband wasn't some oddity to be stared at. Maria took the hint and rather blatantly crowded Yoko out of the doorway, earning a squawk of protest.

"It's pretty late so we were going to head out for dinner. We can bring something back for you - anything you want, Trevor?" Sypha whispered.

The older hunter shrugged. He wasn't picky, nor was he all that hungry anyhow, given that he'd eaten most of Adrian's lunch. With that in mind, he pointed at the dozing blond. "Make sure to grab something for him, he barely ate earlier."

The redhead simply nodded. That was a given. "We'll be back soon, then."

Silence returned. Trevor began half dozing again, since there wasn't much else to do. Adrian stirred at some point, mumbled an aimless apology, and then resumed snoring against Trevor's neck.

A little while later the group returned sans Yoko who'd said her good nights at the restaurant. Sypha decided that one way or another Adrian needed to eat, so reluctant as she was to disturb his rest, she shook his shoulder until he roused, then with Trevor's help and encouragement, they got him up and into the dining room, where Richter and Maria were opening up to-go boxes.

"Yoko wanted Chinese food. We weren't sure what to get you, but there's gyoza, fried noodles, these filled, steamed buns... chukaman?" Maria ticked off.

Alucard nodded and sat. Unlike earlier, he was now famished, so everything looked good. Trevor joined him as they loaded up their plates and dug in. The others took a seat at the table as well to join in on the conversation.

"So you guys got enough stuff to get by for now? Clothes and shoes and grooming things and whatever else?" Trevor asked as he chewed.

"I think so. Though Maria went a little overboard..." Richter began.

"I did not! Yoko said it's normal for women to have many options in this day and age," Maria sniffed. Though admittedly she hadn't planned on buying much - even she thought it was excessive to have an outfit for each day of the week! - but there were so many interesting styles of dress and pretty fabrics that she got a little caught up in trying things out. Hopefully Alucard would like what she chose. Not that he was so shallow to value her for her looks, but what girl didn't want to look her best for the man she loved? She wanted him to be proud to stand beside her, and wanted others to see that he cherished her as well.

She glanced at him. Alucard liked taking care of others: he'd learned about a doctor's virtue at his mother's side and at his core, he was a gentle soul. In contrast, he was terrible at looking after himself, whether it was due to the fact that a dhampir was out of place amongst both vampires and humans, or because he wanted to punish himself for having failed his mother and father all those years ago. Maria had no doubt that Sypha and Trevor had done what they could to mitigate that imbalance in Alucard's life, but it remained ingrained in him, as much a part of him as his vampiric abilities. Maybe between the three of them - and Richter, if he could get over his own issues - they could finally tip the scales enough to get him to love himself as much as they loved him...

"That's true, though Yoko very much likes shopping so she's probably a terrible role model for you," Alucard said with a slight smile. It wasn't a complaint even if he'd worded it as such. He was looking forward to seeing everyone discover their likes and dislikes in modern attire, especially since fads came and went with dizzying speed. Even Alucard had had his experimental phases; despite Julius' jokes about him looking like a "melancholy poet" that was how Alucard chose to dress, and he liked that it was okay even in this era. It had taken him years to be comfortable in his glamour - familiar clothing was an anchor that helped him feel like himself.

"That reminds me, I got you something as well," Trevor's voice cut in.

Adrian blinked at him. He didn't remember Trevor being gone at all. "You did?"

"I'll go get it," Sypha said with a smile, motioning at her husband to sit back down when he began rising to his feet to fetch the items. "You, keep eating."

The redhead was back in less than a minute with a small bag, which she handed to Adrian. Inside was a wooden brush with a black lacquered handle, along with a three-pack of velvet scrunchies. At his questioning look, Trevor explained, "I noticed you don't have your old hairbrush anymore; this isn't as fancy, but the lady at the store told Sypha this was high quality, the best for long hair. And Yoko said hair ties like this were easy to use and they match with the stuff you've been wearing."

Adrian imagined Yoko sticking her tongue out, laughing at the idea of "boring, stodgy Alucard" wearing hair accessories marketed to harried housewives and tweens. Well, let her laugh; he didn't mind. At least Trevor had chosen colors with his aesthetic in mind: black, burgundy and gold. "Thank you."

"May I?" Sypha asked, holding her hand out. He handed the bag back to her. A few swipes of the brush and a little twist later, and he was sporting a loosely gathered half bun, half ponytail sprouting from a burgundy band. She tucked the sides behind his ears, exposing the delicately pointed pink tips, earning a smile from Trevor and a giggle from Maria.

"I'm just glad to see you awake and eating. Do you feel better now that you've gotten some rest?" Sypha asked after sitting back down.

The dhampir nodded. "A little tired still, but I'll have to get used to that," he admitted as he bit into another bun.

There was a lull as the two men continued eating, and the other three exchanged looks to see if someone would broach the topic that sat in their minds to some degree.

Maria finally took a breath, and took the plunge. "Alucard, I know you've just awoken, but... have you given any more thought to the sleeping arrangements?"

Gold eyes met forest green. "... I have..."

While she held her breath awaiting his answer, he quickly considered the other matter, the one that was more important than who slept where. Alucard - and Genya Arikado as well - existed for the sake of duties only they could fulfill. While Alucard could love - he at least had no doubt that he'd truly loved Maria and Richter, else they would not have slid so naturally into his thoughts when he'd been thinking of Sypha and his feelings for her - it wasn't the same. He'd gone into those relationships too afraid of loss to fully bare his soul to them. Could he really resurrect Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes after all this time? Someone so soft and vulnerable... And yet that was the man who Trevor and Sypha had fallen in love with. It wasn't just Maria and Richter who'd be denied his true self if he shut the door on Adrian once more.

He closed his eyes a moment, then turned and fully faced Maria. "Yes, I've decided. But more importantly, I'd like you to call me Adrian."

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A little thank you sketch for 1,000 kudos on "Under the Milky Way!" I figured I should officially include this story in that ficverse, so it seemed appropriate to share this doodle here as well : )

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Author's Notes:

- I have to figure by this point Alucard's got quite a nest egg saved up (to the extent that he only takes a paycheck because the expectation is to be compensated for work), so he doesn't mind at all paying for all the group meals and many shopping trips. Yoko of course is taking full advantage of his generosity : )

- Thanks to Nenya85 for beta work. Reviews are appreciated!

August 3, 2025