[It's intimate without being overly so, and it allows a modicum of distance. Enough to hopefully ease the discomfort.
Alucard places one hand under Hector's wrist, gently guiding it to his nose. There's no snuffling about like a dog, or even getting his nose right up against the skin. Instead, Alucard holds Hector's wrist about half an inch away, and when he sniffs he tries to keep the noise as muted as possible.
Then he takes another whiff, this one a little louder.]
There's a faint hint of grave dirt here, but the soap and other smells mask it, mostly.
[Hector frowns, not taking his wrist back from Alucard's hold.]
So it really is a part of me...
[He could try to cover it up, but it will always be there, an inevitability. Was there ever any choice for him, or was he always destined to end up what he is now? How deep does the imprint of his power go, he wonders?
The thought takes root, and Hector knows he won't be able to put it aside. He meets Alucard's eyes, making a decision and going all in in the span of a single moment.]
I need you to do another test for me. Tell me what I taste like.
[He moves closer, disrupting all of Alucard's carefully maintained propriety.]
Think about how long you've been around it though. You were young when you first began to explore this ability, yes? It makes sense that the frequency would simply become a part of you. There will always be a sharp undertone of blood for myself for a similar reason.
[It's a calm explanation, all logic and thoughtfulness rather than utterances of destiny or--
--okay. That request takes Alucard by genuine surprise, his hand dropping Hector's wrist by accident. There's a little wide-eyeness to the dhampir.]
I....er.
Did you have a particular method of sampling in mind?
[He leans in, feeling more certain the closer he approaches. He doesn't mind the implications of what he is learning, he just needs to know for sure. Alucard's hesitance reminds him- tasting would mean something very different to a vampire that it would humans.]
You don't drink blood. I wouldn't ask that of you. You have two humans. I assume you have some clue as to other ways we could gather this data.
[In case Alucard is still confused, Hector closes the distance between them until their noses brush, close enough to share a single breath.]
[Alucard doesn't correct Hector's you don't drink blood statement. Alucard does, just non-human blood and with less frequency than what a vampire needs. But as for the rest...
...six weeks. He's been alone and touch starved for six weeks, and that's the worst part of all of this. Alucard's learned how much he loves giving and receiving affection - a by product of watching his parents be so physically close whenever thy could be.
The rest is instinct, although it's still cautious. The press of Alucard's lips against Hector's is gentle. Chaste. Giving the other a chance to withdraw from all of this if he still so chooses.]
[Chaste is nothing. Hector isn't going to back down from something as simple as a kiss. He presses forward, parting his lips so Alucard can get a proper sample.
Hector is not above killing two birds with one stone (not that he would ever kill a bird). He can find out more about his powers and kiss an impossibly handsome man who would normally be out of his reach. To waste this opportunity would be foolhardy.
Hector shifts, bumping his leg against Alucard as he draws in closer. Thorough testing is something every man of science can appreciate.]
[Alucard is very careful as Hector's lips part, because here lies where so many things can go wrong: his fangs. The whole thing is a matter of angles, and while Hector may not react as strong to drawing blood during a kiss as say, Trevor might, it is still a matter Alucard is careful of.
But oh, he deepens the kiss all the same. Moves one hand up to cup Hector's cheek, the other remaining on the sofa and grabbing at the fabric below. The bum of legs? Hell. Alucard moves a little closer, tucking his ankles closer against the edge of the sofa.]
[Hector isn't squeamish. A little blood wouldn't send him running. He was always protected in Dracula's court, but that doesn't mean he wasn't curious about what it would be like to allow someone to feed from him.
He is less cautious that Alucard, exploring with lips and tongue. He encounters fangs, which is a novel experience, and if there is a momentary prick of pain and the faint taste of copper, he barely notices in the onslaught of other sensations. Alucard's hand on his cheek is cooler than he would expect; the hair, when Hector reaches up to stroke back the stray golden strands tickling his face, is just as soft as he imagined it would be.
Drawing near to what he could feasibly write off as a test, Hector draws back. He hopes Alucard can't hear his heart's thumping.]
[It's hard for Alucard to not react to the hand in his hair. The noise of delight is pressed into Hector's mouth, muted and hopefully with Hector not noticing.
But. Verdict. Yes, that, the thing that's important, not the loud noise of Alucard's heartbeat or Hector's.]
Human, mostly. [That sharp, wonderful bit of copper doesn't count.] Nothing of the grave. Just...a little bit of herbs.
[Hector has no chance with Alucard, he knows. But Alucard hasn't stopped him yet, so he's emboldened. Whatever consequences he faces for this, it will be worth it.]
Is that conclusive?
[His tone, the fact that his leg is still pressed against Alucard's, the fingers twirling through golden hair...it should be pretty hard for Alucard to miss the implication that Hector is more than willing to go through some rigorous trials to be sure.]
It's a surprising result that deserves another look.
[Why didn't he taste like spanikopita
He leans back in, and this time the muted hesitation, the idea that Hector might need an out isn't there. Alucard's far faster, far more forthright, his hand no longer going to Hector's cheek but to his waist, gripping the fabric of the robe.
Still, he's cautious of fangs as he opens his own mouth against Hector's, angling everything just so.]
[Because no one in Wallachia is willing to invest the time in making some damned phyllo, that's why!
Hector hums with delight as Alucard responds this time; it is not like the dhampir to tiptoe around so delicately. He leans his body back into the couch and hooks a finger in Alucard's collar to drag him along with Hector. He's not strong enough to actually move Alucard anywhere he doesn't want to be, but he can give him a suggestion of where he'd like him to be.
It would probably be smart to avoid the fangs, but when has Hector ever done the smart thing? He's curious, and curiosity is the driving force in his life. He wants to map out the length and width, to understand all the ways Alucard's bone structure differs from his own. He would very much like to keep kissing him for as long as he's allowed, but he can't help himself, like a moth drawn to candle light.]
[So Alucard is dragged along by a necromancer. He can't say that he expected such a thing to happen, but he's not expected a lot of things to happen in life. This is a lesser surprise.
But he licks his way into Hector's mouth with a composed steadiness, plenty aware of his own fangs and where Trevor falls in relation to them. It's not unpleasant at all, but the sudden grab has thrown the vampire off balance. His palm rests just on the outside of Hector's thigh in order to support himself at the current angle, the other hand just behind Hector's head and dangling off the back of the couch.
Hector's hell bent on going for the fangs though. Alucard, if he could think right now, would glom onto why but that isn't happening. Thinking he means, because the only thing that's taking up his vision is Hector and--
--oh, that's definitely blood in Alucard's mouth.]
[There are moments of dawning awareness in Hector's life, when he looks around and realizes that he's in the midst of danger of his own doing. He invited Dracula into his home, he followed Carmilla into her trap, and now he's currently dragging a dhampir down on top of him and giving him a taste of Hector's blood.
Does it taste normal, he wonders?
The pain of the bleeding nick on his tongue gives him no pause, but the strengthening taste of copper finally does. He is forcing blood on one who prefers not to drink from humans. Hector is many things- careless, rude, impulsive- but he is not inclined to be cruel.
He lets out a sigh and turns his face away from Alucard's.]
...sorry....[He murmurs somewhere near Alucard's ear.]
[Alucard won't lie that he is relieved when Hector pulls away. It's only because the taste of blood is overwhelming, and he at least needs a moment's worth of air to swallow it. So he does so, but the rest of him stays where he is.]
['Slowly' isn't the word Hector would use. He presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth and swallows the blood, trying to staunch the flow with pressure.]
Where's the fun in that?
[Here they both are, trying to catch their breath, neither backing down but both uncertain how to move forward.
Hector brushes Alucard's hair back behind his ear.]
[Hector draws further back, lets his wet hair form a veil around his face. Here it begins, the rejection that was inevitable from the first tentative press of lips. Alucard is an ethereal, radiant being, and Hector smells of grave dirt. He is a dark, flawed thing. Who would want to kiss that?
Alucard is being gentle with it, at least. That is something.]
You know me too well. It was worth a shot, at least.
[He shrugs, putting on a show of nonchalance he doesn't feel.]
[Alucard's not sure how this goes. Just that the way Hector is holding himself is a sign of something far deeper inside, and Alucard knows that he's already caused harm.]
Do we follow the joke that started all of this, or actually talk, Hector?
[Hector sighs. He would love to keep joking, but he doesn't think that will actually work.]
I have no expectations for this. You need have no worry of that.
[He knows that Alucard is attached to his two humans. There is no competing with that. He doesn't want Alucard to think he has any illusions about where he ranks in all of this.]
[Hector flinches at the word ‘feelings’. He doesn’t.... It’s not....
Look, anyone who has seen Alucard is at least a little infatuated with him. Hector is not alone in that. It isn’t a big deal, and Hector tries not to dwell on it.]
You don’t need to treat me gently. I’m not some besotted maiden. This doesn’t have to mean anything. It could just be kissing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Don't question his devotion to science, Alucard! Hector is already
nervousdistractedawkward as it is.He raises his hand and offers it, wrist turned upward, for Alucard.]
I feel like one of the ladies of the court, with perfume dabbed on my pulse points.
[He watches Alucard's face for a reaction.]
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[It's intimate without being overly so, and it allows a modicum of distance. Enough to hopefully ease the discomfort.
Alucard places one hand under Hector's wrist, gently guiding it to his nose. There's no snuffling about like a dog, or even getting his nose right up against the skin. Instead, Alucard holds Hector's wrist about half an inch away, and when he sniffs he tries to keep the noise as muted as possible.
Then he takes another whiff, this one a little louder.]
There's a faint hint of grave dirt here, but the soap and other smells mask it, mostly.
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So it really is a part of me...
[He could try to cover it up, but it will always be there, an inevitability. Was there ever any choice for him, or was he always destined to end up what he is now? How deep does the imprint of his power go, he wonders?
The thought takes root, and Hector knows he won't be able to put it aside. He meets Alucard's eyes, making a decision and going all in in the span of a single moment.]
I need you to do another test for me. Tell me what I taste like.
[He moves closer, disrupting all of Alucard's carefully maintained propriety.]
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[It's a calm explanation, all logic and thoughtfulness rather than utterances of destiny or--
--okay. That request takes Alucard by genuine surprise, his hand dropping Hector's wrist by accident. There's a little wide-eyeness to the dhampir.]
I....er.
Did you have a particular method of sampling in mind?
[Taste can be many things, including blood.]
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[He leans in, feeling more certain the closer he approaches. He doesn't mind the implications of what he is learning, he just needs to know for sure. Alucard's hesitance reminds him- tasting would mean something very different to a vampire that it would humans.]
You don't drink blood. I wouldn't ask that of you. You have two humans. I assume you have some clue as to other ways we could gather this data.
[In case Alucard is still confused, Hector closes the distance between them until their noses brush, close enough to share a single breath.]
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[Alucard doesn't correct Hector's you don't drink blood statement. Alucard does, just non-human blood and with less frequency than what a vampire needs. But as for the rest...
...six weeks. He's been alone and touch starved for six weeks, and that's the worst part of all of this. Alucard's learned how much he loves giving and receiving affection - a by product of watching his parents be so physically close whenever thy could be.
The rest is instinct, although it's still cautious. The press of Alucard's lips against Hector's is gentle. Chaste. Giving the other a chance to withdraw from all of this if he still so chooses.]
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Hector is not above killing two birds with one stone (not that he would ever kill a bird). He can find out more about his powers and kiss an impossibly handsome man who would normally be out of his reach. To waste this opportunity would be foolhardy.
Hector shifts, bumping his leg against Alucard as he draws in closer. Thorough testing is something every man of science can appreciate.]
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But oh, he deepens the kiss all the same. Moves one hand up to cup Hector's cheek, the other remaining on the sofa and grabbing at the fabric below. The bum of legs? Hell. Alucard moves a little closer, tucking his ankles closer against the edge of the sofa.]
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He is less cautious that Alucard, exploring with lips and tongue. He encounters fangs, which is a novel experience, and if there is a momentary prick of pain and the faint taste of copper, he barely notices in the onslaught of other sensations. Alucard's hand on his cheek is cooler than he would expect; the hair, when Hector reaches up to stroke back the stray golden strands tickling his face, is just as soft as he imagined it would be.
Drawing near to what he could feasibly write off as a test, Hector draws back. He hopes Alucard can't hear his heart's thumping.]
So...what's the verdict?
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But. Verdict. Yes, that, the thing that's important, not the loud noise of Alucard's heartbeat or Hector's.]
Human, mostly. [That sharp, wonderful bit of copper doesn't count.] Nothing of the grave. Just...a little bit of herbs.
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Is that conclusive?
[His tone, the fact that his leg is still pressed against Alucard's, the fingers twirling through golden hair...it should be pretty hard for Alucard to miss the implication that Hector is more than willing to go through some rigorous trials to be sure.]
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[
Why didn't he taste like spanikopitaHe leans back in, and this time the muted hesitation, the idea that Hector might need an out isn't there. Alucard's far faster, far more forthright, his hand no longer going to Hector's cheek but to his waist, gripping the fabric of the robe.
Still, he's cautious of fangs as he opens his own mouth against Hector's, angling everything just so.]
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Because no one in Wallachia is willing to invest the time in making some damned phyllo, that's why!Hector hums with delight as Alucard responds this time; it is not like the dhampir to tiptoe around so delicately. He leans his body back into the couch and hooks a finger in Alucard's collar to drag him along with Hector. He's not strong enough to actually move Alucard anywhere he doesn't want to be, but he can give him a suggestion of where he'd like him to be.
It would probably be smart to avoid the fangs, but when has Hector ever done the smart thing? He's curious, and curiosity is the driving force in his life. He wants to map out the length and width, to understand all the ways Alucard's bone structure differs from his own. He would very much like to keep kissing him for as long as he's allowed, but he can't help himself, like a moth drawn to candle light.]
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But he licks his way into Hector's mouth with a composed steadiness, plenty aware of his own fangs and where Trevor falls in relation to them. It's not unpleasant at all, but the sudden grab has thrown the vampire off balance. His palm rests just on the outside of Hector's thigh in order to support himself at the current angle, the other hand just behind Hector's head and dangling off the back of the couch.
Hector's hell bent on going for the fangs though. Alucard, if he could think right now, would glom onto why but that isn't happening. Thinking he means, because the only thing that's taking up his vision is Hector and--
--oh, that's definitely blood in Alucard's mouth.]
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Does it taste normal, he wonders?
The pain of the bleeding nick on his tongue gives him no pause, but the strengthening taste of copper finally does. He is forcing blood on one who prefers not to drink from humans. Hector is many things- careless, rude, impulsive- but he is not inclined to be cruel.
He lets out a sigh and turns his face away from Alucard's.]
...sorry....[He murmurs somewhere near Alucard's ear.]
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That's why I was moving slowly.
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Where's the fun in that?
[Here they both are, trying to catch their breath, neither backing down but both uncertain how to move forward.
Hector brushes Alucard's hair back behind his ear.]
Are you...are we finished gathering data?
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Alucard knows that he should back up at this point. The blood's ruined the mood, that much is clear, but fuck. He's far too touch starved right now.]
How deep is the cut?
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[Maybe if he goes and gargles the offending blood away, Alucard will let him have another trial....
...he has already put their friendship at risk. Why stop here?]
When it stops...I could be more careful.
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[Reckless tends to be Hector's trademark, after all. Besides, it's a little easier to joke at the moment, rather than try and be serious about this.
This, of course, being everything including the fact he's absolutely kissed someone who isn't Trevor or Sypha.]
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Alucard is being gentle with it, at least. That is something.]
You know me too well. It was worth a shot, at least.
[He shrugs, putting on a show of nonchalance he doesn't feel.]
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[Alucard's not sure how this goes. Just that the way Hector is holding himself is a sign of something far deeper inside, and Alucard knows that he's already caused harm.]
Do we follow the joke that started all of this, or actually talk, Hector?
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I have no expectations for this. You need have no worry of that.
[He knows that Alucard is attached to his two humans. There is no competing with that. He doesn't want Alucard to think he has any illusions about where he ranks in all of this.]
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Look, anyone who has seen Alucard is at least a little infatuated with him. Hector is not alone in that. It isn’t a big deal, and Hector tries not to dwell on it.]
You don’t need to treat me gently. I’m not some besotted maiden. This doesn’t have to mean anything. It could just be kissing.
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