[ sure, he's a little miffed about dinner, but it's been a long day, so whatever. he does it, about ten minutes later, so it doesn't have time to cool, and he's oddly meticulous about it: he's cognizant that anderson likes the water very hot, but that's hard for him to gauge, so he does his best.
he's on the couch when anderson arrives home, and he can smell the blood on him, but it all smells familiar, so he's not particularly worried that the archivist needed murdering after all.
he looks over the back of the couch, expression calm but also vaguely flat. he's still mad about earlier. ]
Yes, but I'm not sure I got the temperature right. I tried.
Anderson shuffles off to his room and retrieves a gown and some pyjamas, then drapes the gown over his shoulders, leaving it untied so to avoid sullying the fine, white fabric. Enough clothes have been ruined today.]
I've deprived us of the opportunity to have dinner, so we can bathe instead.
[Stepping into the lounge, he tilts his head toward the bathroom. There's a fatigue in him that isn't at all physical. The Archivist located a weakness, found a foothold, and dug, but a bath will help drive that all away.]
[ blandly. they both know that's a risk. still, he unfolds himself like a cricket from the sofa, eyes not leaving him, quiet and still and--a little unsettling maybe, for his lack of passion, but, he can manage quiet irritation well enough apparently.
he slips past him into the hall, though his hand does briefly graze the priest's wrist, and he heads toward the bathroom. he's just in a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt by now, and those are easily enough stripped off on the way. ]
[The behaviour is noticed, noted, but he's content to leave it unaddressed, for the time being.]
You can drink. It'll keep you awake.
[And just in case Alucard thinks he's referring to blood bags, he meaningfully folds a hand over his bare chest as he passes the sofa. What's more blood after what he gave last time? It'll be a welcome distraction from the evenings events.
Neither of them seem to be in a particularly passionate mood, but he watches Alucard undress like a normal man, like any of this is normal, and it elicits an ache that compels him to slide his fingers down Alucard's back and over the bobs of his spine until there's no more spine left to trace. There might not be passion, but there's a rawness to him.
Drawing back, he hangs the gown on the door and removes his briefs, then steps over to the bath and slips beneath the water. It's hot, borderline burning, and that's exactly what he needs.]
[ at this, he lofts an eyebrow. he's not opposed, naturally, they both know how much he enjoys the priest's blood, but it feels oddly like an appeasement, and after today-- ]
You already lost a lot of blood today. I could smell it on you from the elevator.
[ but that's the only opposition he'll voice. it's stupidly domestic, because why should he care, but he says it anyway.
he's briefly distracted by the hand at his spine, arching a bit like a spoiled cat into the attention because even angry, he can't resist even the barest amounts of affection. it's one of his weaknesses, but there's little to be done for it. he lets out a low hum too, though he's far from moved toward pleasantries.
still, he waits for anderson to get into the tub before climbing in after him, grip tight to his shoulder to keep his balance. it's tricky, but he manages to settle. it's not as though the tub is made for two men of their stature, but he does nothing to remedy that either, just shortening his hair somewhat so it stays out of the way.
he's practically coiled against him, very quickly becoming lazy and tired, but his hand remains at his shoulder as he looks at him. ]
[The concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. He's had time to recover most of his loss.]
I'm a sturdy man, Alucard.
[The water rapidly turns red once he's in it. He scrubs hard at his bristles with a wash cloth, removing as much of the blood caked there as possible before Alucard joins him in the tub. There's still lingering red as Alucard settles into place, but he can get to that later; for the moment, he places the cloth aside in favour of getting them into a comfortable position, curling his legs on either side of Alucard and sliding further into the bath so to give Alucard greater surface to settle upon.]
The only place I ask you don't bite is the neck. And the obvious, so no wry comments.
[Not that he thinks Alucard would be crude enough to bite someone there.
With that said, he leans back, head tipped up toward the ceiling, and exhales slowly. There's enough steam in the air that it appears to rise up from his mouth, not unlike it has during battle.]
[ he's not bristling, but he's still a little distant. still, it happens that he ends up settled against anderson's chest, and it's such a pleasant feeling, and drowsy, that he almost forgets that he's supposed to be angry. almost.
he sighs, nosing into the side of anderson's neck but naturally not biting there. he's a good boy, at least, though the commentary makes him snort. ]
My favorite place is the thigh, but I'll refrain for today.
[ besides, his thighs are underwater.
he hums a sound, thoughtful, lids lowered and voice a little syrupy. ]
You know, it used to be all about the chest, not the neck. Stoker popularized the neck as the place to bite, and it picked up because honestly it's easier than having to divest someone of clothing before you bite them.
[ he frowns though, because he hasn't bitten anderson before, and while they've been working toward it slowly, the timing of it strikes him through the idle haze he's sinking into. he lifts his head, peering at him quietly, then speaks again. ]
You're not just letting me bite because I'm mad at you?
[ it's not accusatory, he's just making sure. he can just as easily use his nails. ]
[The nosing is nice. He responds by dragging his fingers over Alucard's nape, leaving it damp, but it was probably going to get wet, anyway.]
I'm not sure you'd have any luck reaching my thigh, in this position.
[This bath doesn't accommodate thigh bites. The upper torso, however, is free game.
His brow furrows at Alucard's following comment. That sure wasn't something he expected to be informed of tonight- or ever, really, and he's not quite sure what to do with the knowledge that Alucard used to go around biting people on the breast.]
...Thank you for that titbit. Pun intended. I take that to mean you'll be returning to the old methods for my benefit.
[And he waits, watching the steam swirl above him as it's disturbed by his breaths, but the bite doesn't come. Eventually he drops his head just enough to look at Alucard, frowning when he speaks. It's considerate, when Alucard doesn't need to be, when Anderson hasn't done anything to deserve it, so he's quiet for a time before responding.]
Perhaps that should be the reason. But it isn't. I haven't given your anger much consideration, to be frank. It's simply... [His voice drops steadily in volume.] been a long day.
[There's plenty more he could say: that he wants the closeness of it, that he wants a pain more prominent than what he's accustomed to, that he wants to forget, for a time, the things he's heard, but it's hard to admit such things, so he just slips a hand to Alucard's jaw and slides a thumb along his incisors.]
Well, I can't drown, so I could make an effort, but it would be ultimately unsatisfying, I'm sure.
[ he pauses, still leaning into the touch to his nape, then rolls his eyes. ]
Titbit, really. I'm not much of a breast man, honestly, but a solid expanse of chest is always nice.
[ he's quiet when anderson is though, for more than one reason, and by the time the priest finally answers him, he's pretty far gone. still, he's awake, and cognizant, and hums to indicate that he's heard him. while he's not pleased anderson really hasn't considered that alucard is angry at all, he's glad this isn't just something meant to make him complacent.
he just watches him, nodding, and he's about to say something when there's a hand at his jaw, anderson's thumb at his teeth, and he lets out a needy whine despite himself, lids lowered. his tongue flicks out lazily against the pad of his thumb, but he understands, wholly, the need. ]
Alright.
[ he swallows, anticipatory, and when his head dips down again it's to bite. his mouth seals over the curve of his pec just as his teeth sink in--and it's all of them, as requested, so sharp that they slip through even his skin like it's nothing. but the pain will be there, grounding, and he can't help the low groan he lets out when blood starts to pool on his tongue, burning across his mouth and grounding him too.
his hand shifts, slipping to the back of his neck, touch idle. ]
[He presses back briefly against the flick of Alucard's tongue, thumb gliding over the cool, yielding flesh before withdrawing. It's never occurred to him before, but does Alucard like having his teeth touched? A possibility to tuck away for later.
In all his years as a paladin, he's never actually been bitten by a vampire. They've never lived long enough to try. Even Alucard hasn't bitten him prior to this, in battle, so it's a startling pain when it does come, sharp and hot and hard to compare to anything else he's experienced- which is exactly what he wanted. It draws a grating sound from his throat and prompts his fingers to coil involuntarily into Alucard's shoulders, nails drawing vivid, red welts into the bare skin. All the same, he arches into the bite, driving the teeth in as far as they'll go while his mind fuzzes over with the sensation.
For anyone with a weaker pain tolerance, such a bite would have been in the territory of agonising. Not a pleasant way to die in the least.
His eyes lid, gaze vague as he stares at the tiles, and gradually his grip on Alucard's shoulders eases and his hands spread over Alucard's back instead, shifting as he drinks, unable to keep still. Nails scrape on the way back up, but for the most part, he simply spreads them over his shoulder blades, touches the tips of his fingers to the bobs of his spine, and dips into the crevices of each bone.]
[ he does, conveniently. it's an intimate gesture, and it plays to his oral fixation and as a show of restraint both. he could snap down but he doesn't, and a moment of idle exploration never hurt anyone.
it's--satisfying, to finally bite him, though it's with permission and not taken as a trophy. he almost likes that better, honestly. he presses in harder when anderson arches, jaw clamping down, intent and attention wholly on what's happening. he's focused, and needy, and the nails at his shoulders just drag a moan out of him, this time.
he's hungry, as he always is, but this is--good. he shivers minutely when the touches gentle, eyes lidding shut. the water is warm, and soothing, and the feel of anderson's hands on him is distracting. his own free arm shifts, curling somewhat awkwardly behind the priest's back, fingertips pressing in not hard enough to break skin, but definitely to be felt as possessive.
some of the blood isn't caught by his mouth, because biting a flat-ish surface is far different from biting, say, a neck, where the mouth fits around the curve, and it drips slowly into the water surrounding them. he's taking it slow, because he doesn't want the moment to end just yet. ]
[This brings some comprehension to Alucard's tendency to seek pain, because it does make one feel vulnerable and human when subjected to it, particularly by someone they're fond of. He generally doesn't like pain, nor seek it, but this-- is good, and there's no doubt that Alucard's involvement has a lot to do with that.
He lets his jaw slacken, lips working around heavy breaths that sound perhaps a little satisfied if one listens close. The touch of Alucard's fingers to his back, distinctly possessive, make those breaths stutter in his throat, and while there was some interpretation required in finding the gratification in his earlier sounds, the next exhale is undeniably a keen. An unusual sound for him, being that he's more prone to moans and groans and noises identifiably from the chest.
His hands drift as far down Alucard's back as possible, then drop to his sides as they rove back up, feeling out each rib until there's too little room to continue exploring (and he's explored Alucard plenty, but he never really tires of it). At some point, rather thoughtlessly, he lifts a leg and drapes it over the small of Alucard's back, effectively pinning Alucard in place. Clearly he doesn't want the moment to end just yet either.]
[ he's hyper-focused in this moment, on exactly what's happening, and each sound is nice, but the keen drags a shudder out of him and he presses harder into the bite, a low moan grating out against his skin. it's a lot to take in at once, really, even other aspects aside.
he does pull back a bit to lap at the wound, and though it closes well enough the moment doesn't end there. he bites again in a slightly different spot, just as carefully, just as intently, just as thoroughly. the leg around him isn't ignored--he shifts as close as he can, pressed flat against anderson as much as he can, so that there's no space between them. even without being pinned, he has no intention of going anywhere.
the fingers at his back idle at the bumps of his spine, easily, and he lets out a whine against the skin that sounds almost aching. ]
[When the teeth dislodge, he looks down at Alucard with eyes half-lidded, gaze warm and docile. That mop he calls hair (Anderson still stands by his comparison of Alucard to a raccoon) is in the way, so he raises his hands to Alucard's face, sliding his fingers over the rises of his cheekbones and up his temples, brushing his hair back and pushing it far enough to see the red of Alucard's eyes. His light grip involuntarily curls as Alucard readjusts himself and bites down again, and it draws another, grating sound from him, louder this time.
As before, he presses into the bite, compelling the teeth as deep as they'll go, and Alucard must be a bad influence on him, because he thinks vaguely that he wouldn't really mind if the man took a bite out of him right now. A thought he'll recoil over later, no doubt. But, in the moment, he wants Alucard to stay there, take his fill. Drive away anything from this thoughts but this.]
Alucard. [He practically breathes his name, dragging his fingers through Alucard's hair. His next words come as a faint, absentminded murmur:] Stay close tonight.
[ alucard thinks, hazily, that he shouldn't be indulging him so much. shouldn't be indulging both of them, really. but it's a brief murmur of a thing, and anderson is touching him so gently, and he's still such an affection-starved dog that he leans into it, lids his eyes to peer at anderson through his lashes.
it's a weakness, and a bad one, to be rendered so toothless by simple touch, but before arriving here it had been so long since anyone touched him softly that he can't help it now, always greedy for more.
he hears anderson's request, and at first he doesn't answer, only in part because his mouth is full. (he doesn't actually need his mouth to speak, but still.) finally he pulls away from this second bite, tongue slow and lingering on the wound, and when he speaks it's that slow and syrupy drawl again, a side effect of being submerged even though he's had some blood. ]
I'm still angry with you.
[ he pauses after he says it, and for a moment it sounds like a denial. but he's here, in the tub with him, and he settles against anderson instead of biting again, chin against the priest's sternum, and he just looks at him.
then, at length: ]
Risky. And foolish. [ a beat. ] You're mine. No wanting bucket of eyes has any claim on you.
[ his hand lifts, idly, and he runs his thumb along the other man's jaw. ]
[The slide of his tongue soothes the wound, drawing a hum from Anderson. It's disappointing that he doesn't continue, as he did before, but he can't find it within himself to complain after being indulged so thoroughly, especially when the man isn't in the best of moods.
Alucard doesn't look particularly mad right now, but he is currently submerged in water, sleepy and perhaps more amenable as he'll be outside of it.
He lowers his chin to his clavicle and looks back at Alucard, brows slowly knitting while his mind sluggishly forges a response.]
I don't usually fail. I was certain.
[Yet, for all his belief, he still failed, and rather spectacularly at that. He's determined to try again and succeed this time, but that doesn't make his failure any less frustrating and embittering.]
But I did, and I paid the price for it. I won't be attempting to use the nail on him again.
[He leans into the touch at his jaw, exhaling slowly.]
Thank you. [Since they've stopped, for the moment, he draws Alucard a little closer, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. His next words are mumbled against Alucard's ear.] And I apologise for giving the impression any other multi-eyed eldritch could ever have me.
[ if they stay in the tub much longer he'll have to bite again, honestly, to keep from falling asleep. for now, he's just languid and lazy, and they're talking. ]
Hubris.
[ simply. it's not sharp though, like it would be if he were still out on the couch. he shifts somewhat, leaning into it when anderson draws him near. ]
There are things here beyond the either of us. Don't forget that.
[ not that alucard wouldn't fight the eye, he's just saying. anderson's voice in his ear draws a shiver out of him, in part because it's what he wants to hear. anderson is good at that sometimes, at saying just what he wants to hear, and it's a bit annoying that it always appeases him, honestly, but he's easy to please.
he hums noncommittally but nods, gripping anderson's chin to drag him in for a languid kiss. he should focus more on the 'being angry' part, but--well. ]
They could never have you, even if they tried. My teeth are far too sharp, and my hunger far too vast.
[ he runs his tongue over his teeth pointedly, allowing himself a little grin in the fact of the open possessiveness. ]
[Faith and Hubris can co-exist, of course; case in point: his certainty that the nail would enable him to win. It's a fine line, and evidently he still has some trouble identifying it.
He nods to the reminder, though. He will be more cautious in the future, after such a failure.
But Alucard kisses him shortly and he's more than happy to move on from the topic, pressing back with an equal languidness, his palms shifting absently to Alucard's arms to steady him.]
You would find a means of cannibalising the other eldritch's, would you? Well, I'll take your word for it.
[He presses another kiss to his lips, slow and lazy, and retrieves a block of honeycomb scented soap after, lathering up his hands so he can apply the suds to Alucard's back. It's a needless, but pleasant thing, though he suspects if he takes too long Alucard will end up falling asleep on him.]
Faith in something you were warned against is just repackaged hubris.
[ of which he is aware, yes. honestly, he's going to be mad that anderson tries again at all, but if he doesn't use the nail, he probably won't blow up about it. it's a big sticking point, that nail.
the kiss is nice, and when anderson retorts to his claim he actually huffs out a laugh, giving his jaw a lazy nip-- ]
You're lucky I don't devour anyone that touches you at all.
[ r/selfawarewolves, babey. almost. this kiss is nice too, and he presses into it, needy, and honestly being washed is intimate enough that he lets out a little keening whine in response to it. it's a dangerous path to tread, since he's, yes, very likely to fall asleep if this goes on too long, but he's enjoying it. ]
I need you.
[ it's said quietly, apropos of nothing: he doesn't mean sexually, though that would be nice. he just means... generally. he's wanting, and selfish, and--
[That's fair; last time he used the nail, he did end up turning into a plant horrorbeast that Alucard had to put down, after all. It's the kind of thing that would leave anyone with reservations. Now that he knows how much it warped him, he's definitely less inclined to use it in any capacity without considerable forethought and planning. He doesn't respond to the remark, though, instead grunting in faint recognition: he's not especially fond of admitting such things.
Exaggerated or not, Alucard's following comment prompts him to arch an eyebrow, his hands idling on Alucard's shoulder blades. Probably not the effect Alucard wanted it to have, but it's a rather thought provoking thing to say- and the announcement that he needs Anderson even more so. Quite the combination. Perhaps a few months ago, he would have been repelled by the idea; now, however, he finds the possessiveness and need satisfying, pleasing, and perhaps a little reassuring, considering the depths of his own need.]
You already have me. [He doesn't even hesitate to say it. Of course he doesn't. They have each other.
His soapy fingers drift to Alucard's nape, drawing him up enough for Anderson to murmur into his ear again.]
You can still say it, that you need me. [It's not something he's about to discourage Alucard from saying.] But is that ever in doubt?
[ it's nice to not be rebuffed, really: and that soothes him a little more without even trying, for anderson to just accept it, knowing that alucard needs him and that the depths of his possession, his obsession, are... vast.
logically, to an outside party, it's probably alarming at best that anderson plays into it, by giving in to it, by so much as saying that alucard 'has' him. but it is what it is, and it's not like they're sitting in front of anyone having this conversation. not even the dog is around to potentially judge them. ]
And you're stuck with me.
[ it's idle, almost teasing, and with the usual self-depreciation. that'll never fully go away, but at least anderson's not opposed to being stuck with him.
his hand drops to his shoulder though, at the murmur, and alucard tips his head with a soft sound, eyes lidding almost fully shut. he nods, not to confirm that it's in doubt, but that he's listening, that he's going to keep saying it.
finally, at length, he mumbles: ]
I don't--I'm not used to having things, anymore, much less people.
[ hence why he's intent on sleeping in an empty basement, and why he's so sure that people will get sick of him, or leave him, or toss him away once he's outlived his usefulness. so saying that he needs anderson periodically is just--a reminder, that he wants to keep him. ]
[To an outside party, there are few aspects of their relationship, and their lives overall that wouldn't have been alarming. They're obsessive, possessive men who're warped in irrevocable ways, and it's inevitable that they should be like this, so wholly consumed. But it is abnormal, Anderson knows; it's why he's had little pleasant to say of their capacity for love and romance, but they're both that way so it's not something he's particularly self-conscious about. Not in regard to them being compatible in this way, anyway.
Being stuck with Alucard is perfectly agreeable. Here, in Duplicity; in Hell, on their own world; he never intended to part from Alucard permanently. He would have clawed his way through Armageddon to resume their battle.
He nods lazily in recognition of Alucard's mumble, his cheek brushing Alucard's jaw.]
I- mnmmm... need you too. [A pause while he collects his thoughts.] You're an important figure in my life. You fill something, some need, and you did prior to Duplicity. Needs, now, I suppose. Don't ask me to specify, because I'll just stumble for a straight ten minutes. [Oh, he's not very good at this.] What I'm saying is, it's a mutual, everything, and that's how having someone should be.
[He looks mildly flustered. God, how he tries, and he never gets any better at verbalising these things.]
I don't especially know if that helps, but there it is.
[ 'we're both that way so it's fine' is probably even worse, all things considered, since they act as a positive feedback loop for each other's awful tendencies instead of encouraging each other into something more ... permissible, less all-consuming.
but they manage, even if it means that anyone that comes between them is in for a rude awakening.
he's quiet as anderson speaks, almost owlish, because he honestly didn't expect to hear the sentiment in return. he knows he's needy. he's a difficult man to fluster, but he honestly doesn't know what to say. it doesn't help that his already-questionable brain is a sluggish mire right now, either.
but he smiles, and he urges a kiss to anderson's mouth. it's slow, and lingers-- ]
--It helps. It does.
[ emotion is overwhelming, but it's easier when he's warm, and gentle, and tired, and he's very clearly struggling to keep his eyes open at all at the moment, doubly evidenced when his forehead thunks against anderson's shoulder. he's awake, but barely. ]
[The wide-eyed silence initially has Anderson wondering if he'd misspoken, completely missed the mark on being helpful, and he's trying to think of an amendment he could make when Alucard smiles and kisses him.
Oh.
He returns the kiss, and he would have been happy to maintain it following the words Alucard speaks into his mouth, but-
The man collapses against his shoulder, which clearly indicates he's in no state to be kissing.]
You can't stay much of anything, right now.
[Sliding a hand under Alucard's chin, he lifts it enough to press a few fingers past his lips, grazing briefly over his fangs before pressing down hard enough to send a splash of crimson onto Alucard's tongue. Something to revitalise him, just for a little while. Anderson needs to get that soap off his back.]
[ it's so easy for both of them to take those sorts of silences the wrong way, isn't it? especially because they're both chatty in their own ways. but no, he's pleased, certainly as pleased as he's going to get right now.
he's practically dormant as anderson manhandles him, and it actually takes a moment for him to register the blood, to come back to life thusly. but he does, and the sensation makes him groan, tongue lapping at the punctures before they can close.
his eyes flutter open and he looks at him, muffled when he answers. ]
Mmm--I'm awake.
[ mostly. he gets what blood he can, then nips at the tips of his fingers although he doesn't attempt to break the skin, just pulls back slightly after. he shifts, sitting up a bit, still bleary but at least conscious. ]
I'm not the best bathing companion, I'm well aware.
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[ sure, he's a little miffed about dinner, but it's been a long day, so whatever. he does it, about ten minutes later, so it doesn't have time to cool, and he's oddly meticulous about it: he's cognizant that anderson likes the water very hot, but that's hard for him to gauge, so he does his best.
he's on the couch when anderson arrives home, and he can smell the blood on him, but it all smells familiar, so he's not particularly worried that the archivist needed murdering after all.
he looks over the back of the couch, expression calm but also vaguely flat. he's still mad about earlier. ]
Yes, but I'm not sure I got the temperature right. I tried.
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Anderson shuffles off to his room and retrieves a gown and some pyjamas, then drapes the gown over his shoulders, leaving it untied so to avoid sullying the fine, white fabric. Enough clothes have been ruined today.]
I've deprived us of the opportunity to have dinner, so we can bathe instead.
[Stepping into the lounge, he tilts his head toward the bathroom. There's a fatigue in him that isn't at all physical. The Archivist located a weakness, found a foothold, and dug, but a bath will help drive that all away.]
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[ blandly. they both know that's a risk. still, he unfolds himself like a cricket from the sofa, eyes not leaving him, quiet and still and--a little unsettling maybe, for his lack of passion, but, he can manage quiet irritation well enough apparently.
he slips past him into the hall, though his hand does briefly graze the priest's wrist, and he heads toward the bathroom. he's just in a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt by now, and those are easily enough stripped off on the way. ]
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You can drink. It'll keep you awake.
[And just in case Alucard thinks he's referring to blood bags, he meaningfully folds a hand over his bare chest as he passes the sofa. What's more blood after what he gave last time? It'll be a welcome distraction from the evenings events.
Neither of them seem to be in a particularly passionate mood, but he watches Alucard undress like a normal man, like any of this is normal, and it elicits an ache that compels him to slide his fingers down Alucard's back and over the bobs of his spine until there's no more spine left to trace. There might not be passion, but there's a rawness to him.
Drawing back, he hangs the gown on the door and removes his briefs, then steps over to the bath and slips beneath the water. It's hot, borderline burning, and that's exactly what he needs.]
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You already lost a lot of blood today. I could smell it on you from the elevator.
[ but that's the only opposition he'll voice. it's stupidly domestic, because why should he care, but he says it anyway.
he's briefly distracted by the hand at his spine, arching a bit like a spoiled cat into the attention because even angry, he can't resist even the barest amounts of affection. it's one of his weaknesses, but there's little to be done for it. he lets out a low hum too, though he's far from moved toward pleasantries.
still, he waits for anderson to get into the tub before climbing in after him, grip tight to his shoulder to keep his balance. it's tricky, but he manages to settle. it's not as though the tub is made for two men of their stature, but he does nothing to remedy that either, just shortening his hair somewhat so it stays out of the way.
he's practically coiled against him, very quickly becoming lazy and tired, but his hand remains at his shoulder as he looks at him. ]
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I'm a sturdy man, Alucard.
[The water rapidly turns red once he's in it. He scrubs hard at his bristles with a wash cloth, removing as much of the blood caked there as possible before Alucard joins him in the tub. There's still lingering red as Alucard settles into place, but he can get to that later; for the moment, he places the cloth aside in favour of getting them into a comfortable position, curling his legs on either side of Alucard and sliding further into the bath so to give Alucard greater surface to settle upon.]
The only place I ask you don't bite is the neck. And the obvious, so no wry comments.
[Not that he thinks Alucard would be crude enough to bite someone there.
With that said, he leans back, head tipped up toward the ceiling, and exhales slowly. There's enough steam in the air that it appears to rise up from his mouth, not unlike it has during battle.]
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[ he's not bristling, but he's still a little distant. still, it happens that he ends up settled against anderson's chest, and it's such a pleasant feeling, and drowsy, that he almost forgets that he's supposed to be angry. almost.
he sighs, nosing into the side of anderson's neck but naturally not biting there. he's a good boy, at least, though the commentary makes him snort. ]
My favorite place is the thigh, but I'll refrain for today.
[ besides, his thighs are underwater.
he hums a sound, thoughtful, lids lowered and voice a little syrupy. ]
You know, it used to be all about the chest, not the neck. Stoker popularized the neck as the place to bite, and it picked up because honestly it's easier than having to divest someone of clothing before you bite them.
[ he frowns though, because he hasn't bitten anderson before, and while they've been working toward it slowly, the timing of it strikes him through the idle haze he's sinking into. he lifts his head, peering at him quietly, then speaks again. ]
You're not just letting me bite because I'm mad at you?
[ it's not accusatory, he's just making sure. he can just as easily use his nails. ]
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I'm not sure you'd have any luck reaching my thigh, in this position.
[This bath doesn't accommodate thigh bites. The upper torso, however, is free game.
His brow furrows at Alucard's following comment. That sure wasn't something he expected to be informed of tonight- or ever, really, and he's not quite sure what to do with the knowledge that Alucard used to go around biting people on the breast.]
...Thank you for that titbit. Pun intended. I take that to mean you'll be returning to the old methods for my benefit.
[And he waits, watching the steam swirl above him as it's disturbed by his breaths, but the bite doesn't come. Eventually he drops his head just enough to look at Alucard, frowning when he speaks. It's considerate, when Alucard doesn't need to be, when Anderson hasn't done anything to deserve it, so he's quiet for a time before responding.]
Perhaps that should be the reason. But it isn't. I haven't given your anger much consideration, to be frank. It's simply... [His voice drops steadily in volume.] been a long day.
[There's plenty more he could say: that he wants the closeness of it, that he wants a pain more prominent than what he's accustomed to, that he wants to forget, for a time, the things he's heard, but it's hard to admit such things, so he just slips a hand to Alucard's jaw and slides a thumb along his incisors.]
Don't use the blunt ones.
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[ he pauses, still leaning into the touch to his nape, then rolls his eyes. ]
Titbit, really. I'm not much of a breast man, honestly, but a solid expanse of chest is always nice.
[ he's quiet when anderson is though, for more than one reason, and by the time the priest finally answers him, he's pretty far gone. still, he's awake, and cognizant, and hums to indicate that he's heard him. while he's not pleased anderson really hasn't considered that alucard is angry at all, he's glad this isn't just something meant to make him complacent.
he just watches him, nodding, and he's about to say something when there's a hand at his jaw, anderson's thumb at his teeth, and he lets out a needy whine despite himself, lids lowered. his tongue flicks out lazily against the pad of his thumb, but he understands, wholly, the need. ]
Alright.
[ he swallows, anticipatory, and when his head dips down again it's to bite. his mouth seals over the curve of his pec just as his teeth sink in--and it's all of them, as requested, so sharp that they slip through even his skin like it's nothing. but the pain will be there, grounding, and he can't help the low groan he lets out when blood starts to pool on his tongue, burning across his mouth and grounding him too.
his hand shifts, slipping to the back of his neck, touch idle. ]
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In all his years as a paladin, he's never actually been bitten by a vampire. They've never lived long enough to try. Even Alucard hasn't bitten him prior to this, in battle, so it's a startling pain when it does come, sharp and hot and hard to compare to anything else he's experienced- which is exactly what he wanted. It draws a grating sound from his throat and prompts his fingers to coil involuntarily into Alucard's shoulders, nails drawing vivid, red welts into the bare skin. All the same, he arches into the bite, driving the teeth in as far as they'll go while his mind fuzzes over with the sensation.
For anyone with a weaker pain tolerance, such a bite would have been in the territory of agonising. Not a pleasant way to die in the least.
His eyes lid, gaze vague as he stares at the tiles, and gradually his grip on Alucard's shoulders eases and his hands spread over Alucard's back instead, shifting as he drinks, unable to keep still. Nails scrape on the way back up, but for the most part, he simply spreads them over his shoulder blades, touches the tips of his fingers to the bobs of his spine, and dips into the crevices of each bone.]
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it's--satisfying, to finally bite him, though it's with permission and not taken as a trophy. he almost likes that better, honestly. he presses in harder when anderson arches, jaw clamping down, intent and attention wholly on what's happening. he's focused, and needy, and the nails at his shoulders just drag a moan out of him, this time.
he's hungry, as he always is, but this is--good. he shivers minutely when the touches gentle, eyes lidding shut. the water is warm, and soothing, and the feel of anderson's hands on him is distracting. his own free arm shifts, curling somewhat awkwardly behind the priest's back, fingertips pressing in not hard enough to break skin, but definitely to be felt as possessive.
some of the blood isn't caught by his mouth, because biting a flat-ish surface is far different from biting, say, a neck, where the mouth fits around the curve, and it drips slowly into the water surrounding them. he's taking it slow, because he doesn't want the moment to end just yet. ]
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He lets his jaw slacken, lips working around heavy breaths that sound perhaps a little satisfied if one listens close. The touch of Alucard's fingers to his back, distinctly possessive, make those breaths stutter in his throat, and while there was some interpretation required in finding the gratification in his earlier sounds, the next exhale is undeniably a keen. An unusual sound for him, being that he's more prone to moans and groans and noises identifiably from the chest.
His hands drift as far down Alucard's back as possible, then drop to his sides as they rove back up, feeling out each rib until there's too little room to continue exploring (and he's explored Alucard plenty, but he never really tires of it). At some point, rather thoughtlessly, he lifts a leg and drapes it over the small of Alucard's back, effectively pinning Alucard in place. Clearly he doesn't want the moment to end just yet either.]
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he does pull back a bit to lap at the wound, and though it closes well enough the moment doesn't end there. he bites again in a slightly different spot, just as carefully, just as intently, just as thoroughly. the leg around him isn't ignored--he shifts as close as he can, pressed flat against anderson as much as he can, so that there's no space between them. even without being pinned, he has no intention of going anywhere.
the fingers at his back idle at the bumps of his spine, easily, and he lets out a whine against the skin that sounds almost aching. ]
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As before, he presses into the bite, compelling the teeth as deep as they'll go, and Alucard must be a bad influence on him, because he thinks vaguely that he wouldn't really mind if the man took a bite out of him right now. A thought he'll recoil over later, no doubt. But, in the moment, he wants Alucard to stay there, take his fill. Drive away anything from this thoughts but this.]
Alucard. [He practically breathes his name, dragging his fingers through Alucard's hair. His next words come as a faint, absentminded murmur:] Stay close tonight.
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it's a weakness, and a bad one, to be rendered so toothless by simple touch, but before arriving here it had been so long since anyone touched him softly that he can't help it now, always greedy for more.
he hears anderson's request, and at first he doesn't answer, only in part because his mouth is full. (he doesn't actually need his mouth to speak, but still.) finally he pulls away from this second bite, tongue slow and lingering on the wound, and when he speaks it's that slow and syrupy drawl again, a side effect of being submerged even though he's had some blood. ]
I'm still angry with you.
[ he pauses after he says it, and for a moment it sounds like a denial. but he's here, in the tub with him, and he settles against anderson instead of biting again, chin against the priest's sternum, and he just looks at him.
then, at length: ]
Risky. And foolish. [ a beat. ] You're mine. No wanting bucket of eyes has any claim on you.
[ his hand lifts, idly, and he runs his thumb along the other man's jaw. ]
I'll stay.
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Alucard doesn't look particularly mad right now, but he is currently submerged in water, sleepy and perhaps more amenable as he'll be outside of it.
He lowers his chin to his clavicle and looks back at Alucard, brows slowly knitting while his mind sluggishly forges a response.]
I don't usually fail. I was certain.
[Yet, for all his belief, he still failed, and rather spectacularly at that. He's determined to try again and succeed this time, but that doesn't make his failure any less frustrating and embittering.]
But I did, and I paid the price for it. I won't be attempting to use the nail on him again.
[He leans into the touch at his jaw, exhaling slowly.]
Thank you. [Since they've stopped, for the moment, he draws Alucard a little closer, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. His next words are mumbled against Alucard's ear.] And I apologise for giving the impression any other multi-eyed eldritch could ever have me.
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Hubris.
[ simply. it's not sharp though, like it would be if he were still out on the couch. he shifts somewhat, leaning into it when anderson draws him near. ]
There are things here beyond the either of us. Don't forget that.
[ not that alucard wouldn't fight the eye, he's just saying. anderson's voice in his ear draws a shiver out of him, in part because it's what he wants to hear. anderson is good at that sometimes, at saying just what he wants to hear, and it's a bit annoying that it always appeases him, honestly, but he's easy to please.
he hums noncommittally but nods, gripping anderson's chin to drag him in for a languid kiss. he should focus more on the 'being angry' part, but--well. ]
They could never have you, even if they tried. My teeth are far too sharp, and my hunger far too vast.
[ he runs his tongue over his teeth pointedly, allowing himself a little grin in the fact of the open possessiveness. ]
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Faith.
[Faith and Hubris can co-exist, of course; case in point: his certainty that the nail would enable him to win. It's a fine line, and evidently he still has some trouble identifying it.
He nods to the reminder, though. He will be more cautious in the future, after such a failure.
But Alucard kisses him shortly and he's more than happy to move on from the topic, pressing back with an equal languidness, his palms shifting absently to Alucard's arms to steady him.]
You would find a means of cannibalising the other eldritch's, would you? Well, I'll take your word for it.
[He presses another kiss to his lips, slow and lazy, and retrieves a block of honeycomb scented soap after, lathering up his hands so he can apply the suds to Alucard's back. It's a needless, but pleasant thing, though he suspects if he takes too long Alucard will end up falling asleep on him.]
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[ of which he is aware, yes. honestly, he's going to be mad that anderson tries again at all, but if he doesn't use the nail, he probably won't blow up about it. it's a big sticking point, that nail.
the kiss is nice, and when anderson retorts to his claim he actually huffs out a laugh, giving his jaw a lazy nip-- ]
You're lucky I don't devour anyone that touches you at all.
[ r/selfawarewolves, babey. almost. this kiss is nice too, and he presses into it, needy, and honestly being washed is intimate enough that he lets out a little keening whine in response to it. it's a dangerous path to tread, since he's, yes, very likely to fall asleep if this goes on too long, but he's enjoying it. ]
I need you.
[ it's said quietly, apropos of nothing: he doesn't mean sexually, though that would be nice. he just means... generally. he's wanting, and selfish, and--
--they do belong to one another, after all. ]
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Exaggerated or not, Alucard's following comment prompts him to arch an eyebrow, his hands idling on Alucard's shoulder blades. Probably not the effect Alucard wanted it to have, but it's a rather thought provoking thing to say- and the announcement that he needs Anderson even more so. Quite the combination. Perhaps a few months ago, he would have been repelled by the idea; now, however, he finds the possessiveness and need satisfying, pleasing, and perhaps a little reassuring, considering the depths of his own need.]
You already have me. [He doesn't even hesitate to say it. Of course he doesn't. They have each other.
His soapy fingers drift to Alucard's nape, drawing him up enough for Anderson to murmur into his ear again.]
You can still say it, that you need me. [It's not something he's about to discourage Alucard from saying.] But is that ever in doubt?
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logically, to an outside party, it's probably alarming at best that anderson plays into it, by giving in to it, by so much as saying that alucard 'has' him. but it is what it is, and it's not like they're sitting in front of anyone having this conversation. not even the dog is around to potentially judge them. ]
And you're stuck with me.
[ it's idle, almost teasing, and with the usual self-depreciation. that'll never fully go away, but at least anderson's not opposed to being stuck with him.
his hand drops to his shoulder though, at the murmur, and alucard tips his head with a soft sound, eyes lidding almost fully shut. he nods, not to confirm that it's in doubt, but that he's listening, that he's going to keep saying it.
finally, at length, he mumbles: ]
I don't--I'm not used to having things, anymore, much less people.
[ hence why he's intent on sleeping in an empty basement, and why he's so sure that people will get sick of him, or leave him, or toss him away once he's outlived his usefulness. so saying that he needs anderson periodically is just--a reminder, that he wants to keep him. ]
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Being stuck with Alucard is perfectly agreeable. Here, in Duplicity; in Hell, on their own world; he never intended to part from Alucard permanently. He would have clawed his way through Armageddon to resume their battle.
He nods lazily in recognition of Alucard's mumble, his cheek brushing Alucard's jaw.]
I- mnmmm... need you too. [A pause while he collects his thoughts.] You're an important figure in my life. You fill something, some need, and you did prior to Duplicity. Needs, now, I suppose. Don't ask me to specify, because I'll just stumble for a straight ten minutes. [Oh, he's not very good at this.] What I'm saying is, it's a mutual, everything, and that's how having someone should be.
[He looks mildly flustered. God, how he tries, and he never gets any better at verbalising these things.]
I don't especially know if that helps, but there it is.
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but they manage, even if it means that anyone that comes between them is in for a rude awakening.
he's quiet as anderson speaks, almost owlish, because he honestly didn't expect to hear the sentiment in return. he knows he's needy. he's a difficult man to fluster, but he honestly doesn't know what to say. it doesn't help that his already-questionable brain is a sluggish mire right now, either.
but he smiles, and he urges a kiss to anderson's mouth. it's slow, and lingers-- ]
--It helps. It does.
[ emotion is overwhelming, but it's easier when he's warm, and gentle, and tired, and he's very clearly struggling to keep his eyes open at all at the moment, doubly evidenced when his forehead thunks against anderson's shoulder. he's awake, but barely. ]
Now I'm mad I can't stay mad.
[ he's not, actually, it's just a rumbled joke. ]
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Oh.
He returns the kiss, and he would have been happy to maintain it following the words Alucard speaks into his mouth, but-
The man collapses against his shoulder, which clearly indicates he's in no state to be kissing.]
You can't stay much of anything, right now.
[Sliding a hand under Alucard's chin, he lifts it enough to press a few fingers past his lips, grazing briefly over his fangs before pressing down hard enough to send a splash of crimson onto Alucard's tongue. Something to revitalise him, just for a little while. Anderson needs to get that soap off his back.]
Better?
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he's practically dormant as anderson manhandles him, and it actually takes a moment for him to register the blood, to come back to life thusly. but he does, and the sensation makes him groan, tongue lapping at the punctures before they can close.
his eyes flutter open and he looks at him, muffled when he answers. ]
Mmm--I'm awake.
[ mostly. he gets what blood he can, then nips at the tips of his fingers although he doesn't attempt to break the skin, just pulls back slightly after. he shifts, sitting up a bit, still bleary but at least conscious. ]
I'm not the best bathing companion, I'm well aware.
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