Title: The Living Years
Author: bnomiko
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Trevor + Sypha + Alucard, Dracula + Lisa
Spoilers: post S4
Disclaimer: "The Living Years" is performed and recorded by Mike + The Mechanics. 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: Vlad Tepes, formerly known as Dracula, utilizes a distance mirror in hopes of reconnecting and reconciling with his estranged son. But while a lot can change in four and a half years, like marital status and children... other things can stagnate, like the physical and emotional scars left behind by grief and a moment's rage. Post S4 animation canon based.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

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The Living Years

Ch. 3: Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

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In the end it turned out that Trevor didn't have to go very far to retrieve his wife, because he ran into her on the stairwell on the way down. Sypha looked a bit harried, having trudged along as quickly as she could manage, but she was more than relieved to see the brunet whole and unharmed, though predictably she immediately asked about what had happened, and if Adrian was all right.

"I still don't have all the details, but yeah, it looks like ol' Drac and Lisa somehow got resurrected," Trevor reported, thinking of all the running around they'd done to try and prevent such a thing, and it had happened regardless. "Adrian vouched for it by activating the mirror on our end - the mirror he'd said he couldn't use, because he couldn't unlock it or something." He rubbed at his forehead, still trying to wrap his head around it all, then dropped his hand to his thigh with a smack. "Anyhow, I figured Adrian should have the opportunity to talk to them alone if he wants, and I figured we could use your help past that so I was gonna go get you, but you beat me to it."

Sypha mulled all that over, then asked quietly, "How is he taking it?"

"About as well as you'd expect. He showed up in a panic, itching for a fight, but now that that's worn off, he just looks... well, stunned. A little lost." Trevor glanced back up the stairs, then sighed. "I can't imagine what he's feeling right now. Seeing his mom again... Seeing his dad again."

"I'm surprised you didn't just punch the mirror in a rage before he'd gotten there."

The hunter grunted and turned back to Sypha. "What good would that do? Best case scenario, I cut up my knuckles. Worse case, I either smash the mirror and Adrian doesn't get the chance to talk to his mother at all, or even worse, I fall through the fucking mirror and get to dance with Dracula again. In his house." His expression grew slightly more grim. "Of course, if he'd done anything to Frediric, I'd already be over there, no questions asked. But the kid's okay, so..."

He shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair before fishing around in his various pockets for a leather tie. On the slim chance that something happened, he didn't want to be caught unaware and stuck fussing around with his longer hair, of all things. "I guess the other thing is, I don't know what's the right thing to do in a situation like this. I only know how to fight; you're the peacekeeper. But then again, it's not like we can say, 'How's it going, and please don't wipe out humanity again,' and Dracula would say, 'Sure, no problem,' and suddenly everything's fine." Then as if he'd just registered his own words, he muttered, "Shit, what are we doing?"

"It is safe, right?" Sypha asked, concerned.

"Far as I can tell; I wouldn't have left Adrian there otherwise. Plus... well, I'm hardly the best judge of things, but I guess as long as Lisa's in the picture Dracula's just a normal guy... if a creature of the night standing eight feet tall with fangs like daggers and fucking three inch claws can be considered 'normal.'"

The redhead frowned slightly, but she understood where Trevor was coming from. Dracula was simultaneously the terror that still lurked in many Wallachian nightmares, as well as Vlad Tepes, Adrian's father. But since he and Lisa were now back amogst the living (or unliving), if that meant Adrian had the chance to repair his relationship with his parents, then she wanted to give him her support, even if that sounded absolutely crazy.

Trevor escorted Sypha up the stairs and into the study to find Adrian seated on a settee he'd dragged in from somewhere, facing the mirror that once again displayed his parents' faces. The blond looked over as they entered, unable to hide his relief at seeing his partners. "That was fast."

"You didn't think I'd leave you two to handle this alone, did you?" Sypha gently scolded.

The corner of Adrian's mouth twitched upwards for a moment, though neither Sypha nor Trevor could miss the strain around his eyes. He should've known she wouldn't appreciate them trying to protect her... "The kids?"

"I gave Frediric the same instructions as you and Trevor tried to give me."

"Let's hope he's better at following them than you," the brunet joked, earning him a poke in the bicep.

Since the seating looked rather tight for three, Trevor settled their wife on Adrian's right, then as Adrian busied himself piling whatever pillows were available behind her back, Trevor swung around to the other side and settled himself on the padded armrest so that his thigh lightly brushed against the blond's arm.

"Did we miss anything?" Trevor asked.

Adrian shook his head. There were a hundred burning questions, but he figured it'd be best to wait until everyone was there before beginning. Now that they were, he turned back to the two silent faces in the mirror and started with the most obvious one. "How did this come to be?"

"We're not quite sure ourselves," Vlad answered. "We awoke in a field one evening and had to steal some clothes. But as far as before that..."

"I know I died. Vlad died. And then, he came and found me. That's really the last thing I recall. Just, being together again," Lisa added, her arm shifting somewhere below their field of vision, probably to take hold of her husband's hand.

Trevor glanced at Adrian for his reaction. He looked almost relieved, probably because they didn't mention anything about the Rebis. They didn't remember struggling and screaming in agony, nor Trevor throwing the holy water laced cross haladie into the monstrous form, blowing it up.

"Before we continue on, is it all right if we do introductions?" Lisa asked. She gave everyone a moment, then, seeing no objections, said, "Well as you probably know, I'm Adrian's mother, Lisa. And I believe you're both familiar with Vlad..."

"Yeah, we've met," Trevor grumbled. Sypha narrowed her eyes at him. Chastised, the hunter sighed, then said, "Trevor Belmont."

"I'm Sypha Belnades Belmont. Speaker, magician..."

"... stealer of castles," Trevor piped in automatically, before rethinking the wisdom of identifying said castle thief in front of its former owner.

Sypha rolled her eyes. "Poke him for me," she sweetly requested, and Adrian did, jabbing the other man hard enough between the ribs to earn a slight wince.

Despite the horseplay, Lisa looked a little more at ease. "It's nice to meet you both." She dipped her head in an approximation of a small bow.

"Same here. We've heard much about you," Sypha responded.

Trevor gave a jerky nod of his own, mostly out of courtesy. "I do have a question. When Adrian was messing with the mirror earlier we saw a small cottage and an even tinier village, with a lot of blackness beyond. Is that where you're living? I don't recognize it," he said, still recalling just how simple the residence was. But more importantly, he needed to know how far - or close - they were to the town of Belmont.

"Yes. We're in England, in a coastal village called Whitby that's not even a pin dot on a map," Lisa explained. "Nothing but the scent of fish, and the sea."

Trevor had a vague idea where England was. Past France, across the ocean. So the black mass was all water? He'd never seen so much of it! "That's rather far away, right? How'd you end up there?"

"It was my idea," Vlad volunteered. "I knew I would not be welcome in Wallachia, and I had heard of a beautiful, remote village on the northeast coast of the isles where the sun rarely shone. I suggested it to Lisa, and she agreed."

"It is pretty. Very quiet. Gray and foggy more often than not, which suits Vlad just fine. And as expected, they didn't have a doctor in the area, so I've been happy to fill that role. Occasionally I travel to the nearby hamlets and villages to offer my services." She turned her attention back to Sypha, smiling. "I hope you'll forgive me; I suppose it's a doctor's curiosity, but is it all right if I ask how far along you are, Sypha?"

The Speaker nodded. "Thirty-seven weeks."

"My, so you're almost there!"

"Yes. I can hardly wait. 'Soon' can't come quickly enough," Sypha couldn't help but groan. "Thankfully, the boys take very good care of me," she added, giving Adrian's hand a squeeze. He exchanged quick, small smiles with her.

Lisa glanced at Vlad. They were both thinking the same thing, if only they could figure out how to best broach the subject...

"The three of you seem very close..." the doctor observed.

"Yeah," said Trevor, refusing to bite. He and Sypha hadn't talked about it, but instinctively he knew they were on the same page. It was up to Adrian to tell his parents about their relationship, if he so chose. The brunet wasn't going to spill the beans for him.

Vlad's chin lifted slightly. "I could not help but notice: Adrian, you have my wedding band. As well as a ring which matches the ones your friends wear."

Good thing Sypha was holding onto Adrian's right hand, as his left tightened up into a ball. "I would be happy to return your ring to you. As far as the other..." and he paused to consider his wording, "Trevor and Sypha aren't just friends. This is my family now."

Vlad gave a small nod. "I see..."

Trevor frowned. He'd figured there'd be some sort of reaction; he'd expected Vlad to fly into a rage, seething about Belmonts and how he would never accept his child conceding to one. But the vampire was sedately nodding as if he'd been told that the night sky was dark and water was wet, and Trevor wanted to do something to garner a reaction.

"You get it, don't you?" Trevor asked, before leaning marginally closer to the mirror and loudly announcing, "I'm fucking your son."

He knew the moment the words left his lips that he was going to get it. Sypha immediately hissed his name - not just his name, his full name - and Adrian... well, the blond would probably insist on sparring later just to have an excuse to beat him into the ground, as he was currently preoccupied with facepalming and trying his best to melt into his seat. But it was worth it, getting to see the former king of vampires struggle to come up with a response, his jaw working to do something other than make a confused sound.

Finally, Vlad ground out, "You've certainly allied yourself with interesting humans, my boy."

Adrian pressed his lips together. On one hand he agreed that Trevor was a moron, acting up just to get a rise out of Vlad. On the other... "Despite the fact that he's unequivocally an idiot, Trevor is a brave, kind, loyal and selfless person. There's no man I trust more than him," he said softly, his eyes fixed on the ground somewhere between the sofa and the mirror. "And I feel the same for Sypha. She's an extraordinary woman: bright, inspiring and almost generous to a fault."

Sypha melted a little, the corners of her eyes crinkling. Adrian was so sweet, she almost wanted to coo at him, but he was flustered enough already.

Vlad noted that during Adrian's praise of his companions, he hadn't disputed the hunter's claim... so apparently that was no longer a secret to tiptoe around. "I suppose that explains the bite marks as well?" the vampire inquired instead, gaze zeroing in on the punctures dotting the brunet's neck.

Trevor's hand flew up as Adrian shot a look in his direction. For some reason, he always forgot about how visible those were. Maybe it was because by this point, they were just a part of him, no different than any other mark on his body, other than the fact that they were there of his own volition. Seeing Lisa lean in a little closer to study the scars on his neck, Trevor quickly explained, "This isn't Adrian's fault. I asked him to do it. They're just love bites, he doesn't drink my blood or anything like that."

Sypha had begun rubbing Adrian's shoulder as if she could somehow massage some of the embarrassment out of his system. The blond still couldn't quite make eye contact with his parents, and it was all Trevor's fault. "What our dear Trevor meant to say was, we're married. Trevor and I on paper, but all three of us exchanged vows," she explained.

"I know it's a surprise, and probably not at all what you expected of me, but I hope you can accept it," Adrian murmured as Trevor stroked his hand over his hair.

"As long as they love you and treat you well, that's all that matters to me," Lisa stated firmly. She had always hoped that her son would marry someday, that somewhere, somehow, he'd find someone that saw him as a person instead of an oddity or a prize, someone who'd be able to love him as he deserved to be loved, but she certainly hadn't thought it would happen this way. Now she had a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law, and even worse, they'd missing the wedding!

"How long ago did you wed?" Lisa asked, studying the pair flanking her son more intently. Sitting half reclined on the sofa, Sypha looked tired, understandably, but like the wreath of cropped red curls on her head, she had a warmth and a brilliance to her, a spark that surely would've drawn in someone like Adrian like a moth to a flame. On the other hand Trevor was loud and crude, a real loose cannon, but she could see how observant and protective he was, his steel-like courage sharpening the intensity of his blue eyes; this was a man who wouldn't back down to anyone or anything.

"It's been a little over four years now," Sypha answered.

"I'm sorry we missed it," the doctor said, wistfulness tingeing her voice. "If we'd known..."

"You really didn't miss anything. There wasn't a wedding. We just took care of it ourselves one evening, after I'd suggested it..." Adrian volunteered, finally glancing up to gauge his mother's reaction. "Since Trevor didn't have the sense to consider the legitimacy of his children before that."

"Our children, you prick. Jesus, I told you, I don't care," the hunter complained good-naturedly. "Sypha didn't care either until you brought it up."

The redhead huffed and rolled her eyes. "I did care. I just didn't see it as as big of an issue, as that is not how Speakers do things."

Adrian grumbled under his breath, resting his chin on a loose fist as he slid a look in Trevor's direction. "Excuse me for doing the right thing..." Then he stilled, the tension that had been slowly seeping from his bones back in full force. Stiffly he straightened up and stared into the mirror with rising concern. His gaze flicked from his mother to his father and back. "You just said you were sorry you did not see us marry, because you hadn't known... You did not say you were not available." He sucked in a breath. "Just how long ago was it that you found yourselves in a field?"

"Hmm, about four years?"

"About four and a half now," Vlad amended. "It took us a few months to make our way to England, and a few more to settle in. We would've liked to..."

Adrian's eyes flickered. "Over four years... and yet you've only managed to contact me now?" The faces in the mirror blurred and faded for a split second, and Trevor wondered if it was a momentary glitch or a reflection of Adrian's feelings, because the half-vampire was the one who'd activated the current connection after the initial contact...

"It took me quite a number of months to procure a mirror. These are hard to come by, my son," Vlad explained, gesturing vaguely at the glass pane before him.

"In four years I'm sure you could've come up with an alternate method to let me know you're alive," Adrian snapped, the last words almost coming out as a snarl. Lisa looked startled, like she'd never heard her son raise his voice in anger before. Adrian caught her reaction and seemed upset by it, so Trevor shifted over until he was pressing noticeably against the blond's near shoulder while he slapped his hand on the now vacated shoulder opposite him and began rubbing circles into it. Adrian grunted, but relaxed into it just a tiny bit, taking a moment to calm himself down. "Or you could've just come..."

"No... now THAT would've been a terrible idea," the hunter complained. "Imagine the absolute panic and pandemonium. Let's not pretend I haven't armed the village to the teeth." It was a mild threat at best, but also a reminder to his husband of the absolute bloodshed that couldn't be allowed to happen, not again. He'd trained the people of Belmont to fight, to defend themselves and their homes and their families. But someone like Vlad would absolutely tear through them all.

Adrian began reaching up for the large, warm hand clutching his shoulder, but never quite made it. His fingers stilled about halfway up, curling loosely by his sternum, near the scar that peeked out over the neckline of his shirt; the movement of his hand inadvertently pulled down the fabric another millimeter or so. It didn't escape Trevor's attention that Lisa's eyes went there as well. She did not look surprised to see it.

Trevor felt a sudden bolt of rage tear through him. She knew. This woman, this mother, whom Adrian held up on a pedestal like a saint, knew her husband had wounded her son so badly that there was a massive, permanent scar. She was sitting beside Vlad right now, holding on to one of his clawed hands... the same hands that had torn Adrian open from collarbone to just above his waist.

But before the irritated hunter could say or do something he'd regret, he heard Adrian mumble under his breath, "The right thing..." echoing his own words from earlier. Then, in a timid voice barely any louder than that, he asked, "Did... I do the right thing, Mother?"

Lisa frowned slightly, worried. "Adrian?"

Pale blond brows knit together beneath a wrinkled forehead. He swallowed audibly as the image of his parents on the mirror shimmered faintly again as well, reflecting his mental state. "Is... that why you waited so long? I... I killed Father. You must know that, right?"

Beside him, Trevor had to force himself to hold still, keep his mouth shut and not interfere. He'd been worried about this. More than the physical threat of another round of combat (that they likely wouldn't survive), he'd fretted about the damage that this conversation could do to Adrian's emotional state, which Trevor privately thought of as something like a three-legged stool sitting on cobblestone. Set it just right and don't touch it, and it was stable. Start bumping it around, dragging it here and there, and it was difficult to find a way to restabilize it.

Vlad lifted a hand to his own chest as if pained, contriteness all over his face as a sad sigh escaped Lisa's lips. "My sweet boy... Yes, I know."

"It was what you wanted, wasn't it? For me to put an end to his war," Adrian continued, his voice wavering.

"Adrian, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard it was on you," his mother whispered. "You... did what had to be done. I understand that. After all, you had the whole of humanity to protect."

"You're... not mad?"

"No. If anything, I'm... disappointed, I suppose. Not at you of course," she quickly added. She looked down. How could she explain? She still loved both her husband and her son, despite everything that had happened. Yes she'd been shocked and terribly hurt when she'd learned from Vlad that he'd raised his hand against his son, that he'd wounded him so badly that Adrian had had to go into an extended sleep to recover from it. She'd been equally shocked to learn that Adrian had returned to the castle intending to kill his father, and ending up staking Vlad in what had once been his childhood room. But she also knew how much Vlad had regretted what he'd done, how he felt that death was a just price to pay when he'd had that final moment of clarity.

What could she say? Maybe if Adrian had waited a little longer before approaching his father in the first place, maybe if he'd put aside his oath to not harm humans and came bearing the heads of those directly responsible... maybe that would've been enough to get through to Vlad. Or, maybe not. Maybe if Vlad had gone to his son's side instead, maybe if they'd both holed up together, seeking refuge inside the castle, away from the hate and persecution... maybe they both could've found safety and the time to properly mourn. Or maybe if Lisa had just listened to the bits and pieces of rumors floating around Lupu, as well as Vlad's gentle concern that perhaps she'd overstayed her welcome there, that the Church had become too active in the region, the entire disaster could've been averted.

With another soft sigh, the doctor said, "I'd hoped the two of you would grieve together and support each other and together, find a way to move on. Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

"No, it didn't," Adrian managed to mumble. He opened his mouth again, working his jaw around as there were many more words on his tongue, but they died there before he could say them. What was he supposed to do, point out that his father had attacked him when he'd arrived home, each man drowning too deeply in their grief to see the other's pain? And why had they waited four years to contact him, if they weren't upset about the subsequent clash, father versus son? Even if they hadn't felt safe in returning to the castle, surely with his father's magical knowledge, they could've found a way to deliver a message to him. And because his mother was doing much of the talking, it was now dawning on him as well that his father hadn't even attempted to make amends for the war he'd started, nor for attacking him - all while Adrian felt like he was shredding himself into pieces inside even bringing it up. How long had he grieved for her... for him... burying it deep inside so he could somehow manage to function?

Sypha gasped softly as the mirror looked like it was starting to come apart, spider webbing along the seams of the individual pieces, but then Trevor tightened his fingers on Adrian's shoulder, digging in, and the glass surface smoothed back out again.

The hunter's steadfast grip was slightly painful, but it also grounded Adrian, letting him know it was okay if he hurt, even if he couldn't say it. The blond drew a shuddering breath, his head dropping to his chest, and Trevor could practically hear the tears welling up. Throwing a glance over the top of Adrian's head, Trevor caught Sypha's gaze. Her eyes were also big and luminous with concern. So she did the only thing she could think of at the moment - she yawned, loudly.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I suppose I am more tired than I thought," she said, uncovering her mouth to rest her hand atop the swell of her belly. Her excuse sounded obviously fake to Trevor but was probably apologetic enough that people who didn't know her would take it at face value.

Lisa stared blankly at her for a moment, spared a worried glance for her son's lowered head, then looked back at Sypha and tried her best to smile politely as she waved off the apology. "No, it's understandable. You definitely need your rest and the sun sets sooner for you than for us, I believe."

"May we... contact you again? A little earlier in the evening, perhaps in a week's time?" Vlad immediately asked, needing to get that in before they were dismissed.

There was another awkward pause. The question had obviously been intended for Adrian, but he didn't move and didn't respond. Sypha bit down on her lip, wondering if she should accept for him - or not - but then Trevor took the initiative, unclenching his jaw at Vlad's audacity to say, "Sure, let's do that," with fake niceness. If Adrian happened to not show up at the appointed time, well, at least that'd only be Trevor's fault.

Both Vlad and Lisa looked a little relieved. Trevor wanted to punch something, but he maintained composure and said, "Good night, then."

"Yes, we'll speak again soon. Good night."

Lisa had barely gotten the words out before the mirror came apart and scattered back into its component pieces, dropping to the ground with just enough force to clink and clatter as they collapsed back into a pile of glass shards.

Adrian wasn't quite so fortunate. He turned blindly towards Trevor, seeking comfort; Trevor met him halfway there, his sturdy arms closing around his shuddering lover, pulling him into his chest so he could use him as a handkerchief if he so chose. Adrian's tears fell silently at first, then as Sypha turned and shifted as close as she could manage, to rub his shoulders and back, the sobs came.

No one said a word as Adrian wept. He cried over the four years that had been lost... he still couldn't fathom why his parents had waited so long to contact him. He cried because the tumultuous jumble of conflicting emotions left him feeling hopelessly confused - in a short span he'd felt terror, surprise, relief, joy, sorrow, embarrassment, anger, disappointment, bitterness...

He cried because he felt like he'd failed his parents: he hadn't been there to protect his mother when the Church came, hadn't been able to stop his father from unleashing devastation across the countryside. And despite the many months that had passed, he was still afraid of his father; just thinking about him made the wound across his torso throb like it was still fresh.

They didn't say anything until the well finally ran dry, and Adrian was sagging like a sack of laundry. Trevor slowly stood up, feeling the strain in his back from having hugged Adrian for so long at an awkward angle, then went and helped Sypha to her feet before holding his hand out to their husband. "Sypha needs her rest, and I need to check on the kids, so let's go to bed, all right?"

Adrian glanced up, his eyes red and bleary. A little reluctantly he reached up, accepting Trevor's help, even though it left the brunet balancing one spouse on either side, but it was better than trusting his own legs to keep him upright at the moment.

"I've got you," Trevor said, reassuring him, as they slowly made their way out of the study.

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Author's Notes:

- So admittedly, this entire fic pretty much sprang up from Trevor telling Drac, "I'm fucking your son." That, and the fact that I honestly couldn't find many "Drac & Lisa reunite with Alucard" fics that weren't simply everyone saying they're sorry and then immediately hugging and crying it out, all wrongs forgiven. So I decided to tackle the topic myself. Doesn't take much to kick me into gear... : )

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

January 7, 2024