Hue of Ochre (Alucard/Adrian Tepes x Reader)

VII. Aftermath?

VII. You were woken up by the excruciating pain coming from your right calf. You pulled the linen sheets to the side with a sudden movement to check up on your aching injury. He warned you to be careful and not ruin his stitches. The hairs of your naked body rising at the sudden contact with the cold-or maybe from fear of the consequences -, you found your leg perfectly bandaged up, no blood staining it. However, you could distinguish certain dark blots at various places at the bottom of the bed. Nothing crossed your mind other than the possibility that it happened the day before, when he first tended to your- then-fresh wound. He. That dream… 

You couldn't recall what it was you saw. But he was there. And he… No, there was no way. It was a dream after all and dreams misguide you from reality. That's all. You had no reason to even be thinking about it. Instead you got dressed with the same clothes he had provided you with. Whose could they have been? He claims to have been alone for 3 months and his current state definitely confirms that. Were they his mother's? No, there was no way. From the way he talks about her, he wouldn't just give them away to the first wretched stranger begging to stay under his roof. He treasures them. All of her belongings in this life… 

It was the castle that housed Dracula's army and all of his generals after all… They must have been left behind while their previous owner was rushed to the battlefield to soon meet their death. So pretty too… 

A black loose blouse, coming to a deep V that was laced with black ribbon in a crossing pattern. You tucked it in a long skirt that came to your ankles. It must have been expensive since it was made from a thick purple material with intricate designs in a darker shade of the same color. Underneath, it was lined with a white underskirt, warm and soft to the touch. Simple yet elegant. The first time you had ever felt that way… 

You grabbed your cane and tried to find your way back to the bathroom to wash your face and fix your hair. You had to do something about your leg; it hurt more than ever before, especially when walking. You crossed the same hallway with the same rooms on either side, secretly hoping to find him in one of them. He'd give you something to numb the pain. But alas there was no sight of him until you reached the bright washroom. You brushed your messy hair with your fingers, your reflection confessing to a disturbed sleep. Damn, how were you supposed to get water? You were willing to bet that the castle - big as it might have been - didn't have an interior well. Did you have to… call out to him? How were you even supposed to call him? He had given you two names. The first, Alucard; that was the name he initially gave himself, a name of prestige. Of authority. Then, Adrian Tepes. The name of his family. The one he bitterly spit out when opening up to you. And the name that made the blood in your veins run colder. You couldn't mutter that name… with all the history it had behind it. 

'Um… Alucard?', you said quietly, uncertainly, embarrassed, doubting if he would even hear you. A few minutes passed without response. Of course, this place is massive and you'd already checked the rooms close by. He wasn't there. Deciding that your purpose there was done, you approached the exit. You hit something hard. 

When you opened your eyes you saw a well-defined chest just millimeters away from you. You looked up to see who it belonged to and - unsurprisingly - there he was, half striped again. 

'Oh I'm so sorry… I didn't see you there', you rushed. 

'No, that's alright. The fault is all mine. I heard you calling for me and got here quite… Suddenly.', he said shyly. 'What was it that you wanted?', he said while staring at your wide shocked  eyes looking at him from below. He was still incredibly close to you. So much so that you could smell a light perfume on his skin. 

'I was wondering how to… wash my face… I'm sorry I bothered you but I found no way to get to a… well… ', you laughed awkwardly. A well? In a castle? Oh, how stupid must he think you are…