[ Hilda jumps and he braces himself in determination to not have a repeat of crashing down to the warehouse floor. Especially not when the ground is now a good amount farther below and likely no more forgiving than the floor had been, but she lands in his arms. Safely, he thinks, then lets go of that word almost instantly, nearly in the same moment that he makes sure she's steady from the short drop before he lets go of her.
It's not enough to prevent the small current when she opens her eyes, some kind of magnetism he wills himself to forget when it has no place here. Something else he'll have to let go of as he takes a half step back and murmurs an of course in response before looking out to the alleyway they've ended up in. ]
Well, it's not the most exciting escape, but at least we did it ourselves.
[ Or some other meager consolation he's half-heartedly pretending he means while dropping down to the next crate in the stack to get ever closer to leaving like it'll help wash away any of this from his mind. It won't; it'll be there waiting to fester painfully with everything else. It's the kind of thing he promises himself while knowing full well all of it will circle around his thoughts tonight, tomorrow, for any number of days yet to come when he's reminded of all of it while looking at the fragments of her still all around his room.
He can't, he thinks, bring himself to remove them just yet even if Hilda's already taken that step for herself. ]
On the plus side, now you know a way out if that warehouse door gets any more ideas.
It's not enough to prevent the small current when she opens her eyes, some kind of magnetism he wills himself to forget when it has no place here. Something else he'll have to let go of as he takes a half step back and murmurs an of course in response before looking out to the alleyway they've ended up in. ]
Well, it's not the most exciting escape, but at least we did it ourselves.
[ Or some other meager consolation he's half-heartedly pretending he means while dropping down to the next crate in the stack to get ever closer to leaving like it'll help wash away any of this from his mind. It won't; it'll be there waiting to fester painfully with everything else. It's the kind of thing he promises himself while knowing full well all of it will circle around his thoughts tonight, tomorrow, for any number of days yet to come when he's reminded of all of it while looking at the fragments of her still all around his room.
He can't, he thinks, bring himself to remove them just yet even if Hilda's already taken that step for herself. ]
On the plus side, now you know a way out if that warehouse door gets any more ideas.
[ He presses a soft kiss to her forehead as he carries her down the hall towards her room. ]
He doesn’t snuggle nearly as well as you do.
[ He can feel the lingering hurt, doesn’t know how to take that back without venturing into topics that are just going to cause more pain first. For both of them. He knows that without the alcohol talking, she’d remember that he’s not what she wants but that Claude’s still painfully out of reach until these two can sort out their emotions.
Were they anyone else, he wouldn’t feel so bad about taking advantage of that. But he hadn’t been lying when he said he hated seeing her so sad, that he missed her smiles and laughter. He missed Claude’s too. They’d both become a little dimmer in the weeks since their fight, like they’d doused too much of that inner warmth that shown so brightly from both of them. He wanted to see that back more than just about anything.
He nudges her door open with his foot, her room clean and tidy and just as she’d left it. Carrying her over to the bed, he lays her down and crawls in beside her, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her closer. ]
Come here. I’ve missed this, too.
He doesn’t snuggle nearly as well as you do.
[ He can feel the lingering hurt, doesn’t know how to take that back without venturing into topics that are just going to cause more pain first. For both of them. He knows that without the alcohol talking, she’d remember that he’s not what she wants but that Claude’s still painfully out of reach until these two can sort out their emotions.
Were they anyone else, he wouldn’t feel so bad about taking advantage of that. But he hadn’t been lying when he said he hated seeing her so sad, that he missed her smiles and laughter. He missed Claude’s too. They’d both become a little dimmer in the weeks since their fight, like they’d doused too much of that inner warmth that shown so brightly from both of them. He wanted to see that back more than just about anything.
He nudges her door open with his foot, her room clean and tidy and just as she’d left it. Carrying her over to the bed, he lays her down and crawls in beside her, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her closer. ]
Come here. I’ve missed this, too.
[ Her comment gets a quiet snicker from him. ] The boobs are a nice bonus, not gonna lie. But your snuggling title would never be in danger either way. It’s all yours, sweetheart.
[ He drags her blanket up over them both, even as he settles down with her in his arms, letting her wiggle as close as she wanted. He stays wrapped around her, holding her close, his chin resting atop her head. She fits so perfectly here, that it brings a soft smile to his lips.
Her confession has him pressing another soft kiss to the top of her head as he lets one hand stroke softly up and down her arm. ]
Then we’ll go back and explore it together next time, you and me.
[ He drags her blanket up over them both, even as he settles down with her in his arms, letting her wiggle as close as she wanted. He stays wrapped around her, holding her close, his chin resting atop her head. She fits so perfectly here, that it brings a soft smile to his lips.
Her confession has him pressing another soft kiss to the top of her head as he lets one hand stroke softly up and down her arm. ]
Then we’ll go back and explore it together next time, you and me.
[ There's something he forces at that meant to be a laugh, something to clear the air and probably would if it was anyone standing here but someone who knows him so well. Something he should change to knew, but that's also on the list of things Claude can't manage to reconcile even as they wait there for him to do so. No struggle he needs to involve her in when it's clear this is something he has to solve for himself.
It's almost offensive that the sun's still daring to share brightly and nothing about this day is as dim as it feels like it should be. The crowds pass by with all kinds of chatter, there's the calls of different shopkeepers looking to lure them in, and the breeze has the audacity to pick up then to carry away some of the day's warmth while he stands absently flexing his hands and willing himself to forget to the feel of her.
He could leave. There's nothing keeping him here as he's reminded himself several times in the space of a few seconds, but it's like something keeps him rooted to the spot. Until Hilda speaks and he blinks at the passersby he was watching without really seeing to look back at her, and then back at the building. ]
I suppose I probably should since I didn't actually finish what he told me to go in there and do. Wouldn't exactly be the best impression to leave there considering I'm here because of someone else in the first place.
[ He's stalling in ways that don't feel like something he'd do so Claude forces himself to take one step and then another like Hilda will fall into step with him like from other times, other places, and whether she does or not when it comes to where the shop and warehouse meet, he doesn't offer up a goodbye when it feels like this has been a long extended one enough already which won't bring them any closure at all. ]
It's almost offensive that the sun's still daring to share brightly and nothing about this day is as dim as it feels like it should be. The crowds pass by with all kinds of chatter, there's the calls of different shopkeepers looking to lure them in, and the breeze has the audacity to pick up then to carry away some of the day's warmth while he stands absently flexing his hands and willing himself to forget to the feel of her.
He could leave. There's nothing keeping him here as he's reminded himself several times in the space of a few seconds, but it's like something keeps him rooted to the spot. Until Hilda speaks and he blinks at the passersby he was watching without really seeing to look back at her, and then back at the building. ]
I suppose I probably should since I didn't actually finish what he told me to go in there and do. Wouldn't exactly be the best impression to leave there considering I'm here because of someone else in the first place.
[ He's stalling in ways that don't feel like something he'd do so Claude forces himself to take one step and then another like Hilda will fall into step with him like from other times, other places, and whether she does or not when it comes to where the shop and warehouse meet, he doesn't offer up a goodbye when it feels like this has been a long extended one enough already which won't bring them any closure at all. ]
[ He’d missed having her at his side just as much. He gives her a squeeze and settles in to regale her with ridiculous tales from his time with the Fey.
If he exaggerated a bit when it came to the mount contests they’d dared him to, or the disastrous drinking contest with Shepard, well… he knew she’d find it amusing all the same. ]
Of course, one of the highlights of the visit was this stunning beauty that let me chase her through the maze the night of the ball…
If he exaggerated a bit when it came to the mount contests they’d dared him to, or the disastrous drinking contest with Shepard, well… he knew she’d find it amusing all the same. ]
Of course, one of the highlights of the visit was this stunning beauty that let me chase her through the maze the night of the ball…
I think a part of me knew who she was from the very start.
[ There’s a fond smile in his voice as he murmurs the words against her hair, still holding her close. He knows that’s a dangerous admission but as they lay there together, with her so soft and relaxed and warm in his arms, it’s hard for him to cling to all the reasons he should keep that to himself.
He brushes his lips against her hair again and turns his hand until he can tangle his fingers with her own, threading them together. ]
And she was worth every moment of the chase.
[ There’s a fond smile in his voice as he murmurs the words against her hair, still holding her close. He knows that’s a dangerous admission but as they lay there together, with her so soft and relaxed and warm in his arms, it’s hard for him to cling to all the reasons he should keep that to himself.
He brushes his lips against her hair again and turns his hand until he can tangle his fingers with her own, threading them together. ]
And she was worth every moment of the chase.
[ It’s ironic, how often he’s been saying those same words to himself lately. It’s not something he’s ever had to work at reminding himself before. It had never even been an issue before. Not before her, not before Claude. No one had ever really tempted him to get invested. Or if they had, he’d regretted it fairly quickly.
But for now, he just lets his smile linger as he repeats the motion, gentle but teasing against sensitive skin. ]
To the stunning beauty who made me chase her through a maze, of course.
But for now, he just lets his smile linger as he repeats the motion, gentle but teasing against sensitive skin. ]
To the stunning beauty who made me chase her through a maze, of course.
That I missed being able to see her smile.
[ The confession is soft but his hands drift away from her ticklish ribs to brush over the back of her hand once more instead. ]
That no matter what she changed, how different she looked, I was still just as drawn to her as ever. Still wanted to hear her laugh, scoop her up in my arms, hold her against me. I kept catching sight of her all night at that ball, even tried to chase her in there, but she kept getting away. It wasn’t till she stepped outside that I finally caught her. And then got to chase her for real.
[ The confession is soft but his hands drift away from her ticklish ribs to brush over the back of her hand once more instead. ]
That no matter what she changed, how different she looked, I was still just as drawn to her as ever. Still wanted to hear her laugh, scoop her up in my arms, hold her against me. I kept catching sight of her all night at that ball, even tried to chase her in there, but she kept getting away. It wasn’t till she stepped outside that I finally caught her. And then got to chase her for real.
Hilda, you asked me to do this for you.
[Alucard has placed his coat off to one side, but has otherwise dressed no differently. Simple white shirt. Black trousers. Sturdy boots. Hair very much still down, and now sword unsheathed.
It is a fair replica of the one from home, although this one rather pointedly does not float.]
And if we put it off now, it'll be put off perpetually.
[Alucard has placed his coat off to one side, but has otherwise dressed no differently. Simple white shirt. Black trousers. Sturdy boots. Hair very much still down, and now sword unsheathed.
It is a fair replica of the one from home, although this one rather pointedly does not float.]
And if we put it off now, it'll be put off perpetually.
[ He almost makes a lighthearted comment about not giving up that easily but… no. That would be a lie. He’s a master of strategic retreat when things start turning too serious or too uncomfortable or maybe just too outright risky.
Even that night, he’d slipped away before she could catch on to who he was beneath his own mask. Hadn’t been willing to face the consequences of the anger or rejection he’d been expecting from her, or to ruin the rest of their nights. Better to leave it a hopefully-pleasant mystery to remember instead.
He could give her a pretty answer or he could divert her onto a different topic, probably. But instead he just gives her a simple truth, turning his head just enough that he can rest his cheek atop her head. ]
Yes. I don’t think that feeling is going anywhere.
Even that night, he’d slipped away before she could catch on to who he was beneath his own mask. Hadn’t been willing to face the consequences of the anger or rejection he’d been expecting from her, or to ruin the rest of their nights. Better to leave it a hopefully-pleasant mystery to remember instead.
He could give her a pretty answer or he could divert her onto a different topic, probably. But instead he just gives her a simple truth, turning his head just enough that he can rest his cheek atop her head. ]
Yes. I don’t think that feeling is going anywhere.
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