Catch All

[cryptsleeper]

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[miraclewhip]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Not like we told you. I think- I think right now she wants to pretend it didn't happen anyway.

[ Picking up a tea towel, he holds out his hands to take the dish Alucard's washing. ]

Part of me just- thought the world would be different, you know? It felt different, with her.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard sighs, passing the dish over to Trevor. His arms return immediately into the soapy water, still hiding the bandages.]

She makes it so easy to think it's a possibility, doesn't she?

[miraclewhip]

She does. She just-

[ Makes everything seem brighter. Even now. Like he has to be wrong about the world, because otherwise she could never be in it.

He dries the dish off, putting it away. ]

-I should know better. But it's so easy to get caught up in her- her everything. She does this smile. And this laugh and-

[ Like. An. Egg. ]

[cryptsleeper]

You're in love with her Belmont. [He's gonna just call it like he sees it.] That's what happens. You're allowed to have that happen.

[miraclewhip]

I- shit. Maybe I am.

[ It's easier to admit than he thought it would be. He stares into the dish cupboard for far longer than he really needs to. ]

But- you do that smile, too.

[cryptsleeper]

[...]

Wait, what?

[miraclewhip]

The kind that makes it easy to get caught up.

[ He's not drunk. But he's tired and it's been a long few days and the revelation that he must love Sypha has floored him enough that he has no filter. ]

The kind I just want to follow to the ends of the earth, just in case I might see it again. You- both of you do it.

[cryptsleeper]

[The dhampir goes so still. His eyes stare down at the dish water, where the soap has cleared away. Where he can see the criss crossing bandages and want to sob at the shame they fill him with.]

You should have been here earlier.

[He whispers it, shaking just a little.]

I could have said all those things back without any problem, I could have....

[Loved you so much easier.]

[miraclewhip]

I should have. I didn't think-

[ He doesn't touch Alucard, but he takes the dish from his hands to dry it. ]

-Even if you don't feel the same. Even if you can't. Even if you need us to leave, need us to never came back.

[ He doesn't know what that 'even' means, but- he knows it means something. ]

-If I love her, then I think I must love you. It's the same. And it won't change. And I won't hate you, for whatever you need to do.

[cryptsleeper]

[He all but collapses at that. All of the dhampir slumps forward. Threatens to fall into the dish water. The shake in his arms spreads now, and the half of a fritter in Alucard's stomach churns with far too much anger.]

I want to. I could have--

[A horrible strangled noise escapes from his throat, but no more.]

[miraclewhip]

[ He puts the plate down. Turns to actually face Alucard, to put an arm between him and the sink. There for him to sink into if he needs it. ]

We're here now. Whatever that ends up meaning- we're here.

We won't let you be hurt again

[cryptsleeper]

[He leans against Trevor.

It's an awful terrible angle. Alucard feels both too heavy and too light doing it. But he does it all the same, knowing, trusting Trevor in this moment.

Trusting one of them.]

[miraclewhip]

[ He pulls Alucard close, and it's easier than it feels like it should be. Maybe because he technically already did this last night. Maybe it was just always thus easy, and he just never tried hard enough because he was afraid. The way it was with Sypha. ]

We love you. I love you.

[ That's easier than it ought to be, too. And though he agreed that touching was to be off-limits, he presses a delicate kiss to Alucard's forehead. ]

We're here. We'll make it stop hurting.

[cryptsleeper]

[Touching is off limits. Alucard can't account for his reaction if they touch him, it's a risk it's--

--he's slack in Trevor's arms. Trying to find some sort of location to just cling and keep clinging, and he finds it. Trevor's forearms are the hold, Alucard's arms wet and soapy in spite of everything.]

I don't know if you can. I want that but I don't know--

[miraclewhip]

We'll find a way.

[ He doesn't make promises he can't keep. He usually doesn't make promises, in general. But now seems like a time for exceptions. He'll just do his best, and try to trust himself. ]

We won't stop trying until we find a way. And in the meantime, we'll be here.

[ A short pause. ]

And I hope you know that I'm not letting go until one of us needs the bathroom.

[cryptsleeper]

[There's no way. Alucard knows that, he's certain. Maybe before imitating his father he might have been convinced otherwise but now? The very notion seems the height of madness. It must be. How the hell does anything get better from here?

He sniffles loudly. Aware of how it sounds.]

That seems overkill--

[miraclewhip]

You think?

[ He tries to sound casual about it, but he’s holding on to Alucard like he might slip away and be lost forever if he let go. ]

I’ll let go once, then. Just to let you get comfortable.

[cryptsleeper]

[It isn't a wrong instinct. Alucard's too fragile right now. He knows that in the back of his head. Knows how hard he's teetering.]

Where should--?

[It'll be the floor in a minute.]

[miraclewhip]

Can you make it back upstairs? If not-

[ The room they took him to initially, the one that he and Sypha were using, isn’t far. And she’ll know to look there if she wakes up alone. ]

-the two of us weren’t sleeping far from here. Come on, dishes’ll still be there in the morning.

[cryptsleeper]

No.

[He's confident in that much.]

---Floor.

[Which is where he goes. Trying to be controlled but it's a little bit of a fall.]

[miraclewhip]

[ He can take Alucard’s weight, but slowly lowers the both of them to the ground anyway. He leans back against the counter, keeping Alucard pulled close to him. ]

We’ll make it stop hurting. [ He repeats it, and this time he sounds a little more confident. ] And until then, we’ll bear it with you.

[cryptsleeper]

[There's a mess of vampire that burrows into Trevor, all limbs and grief and wanting to be freed from whatever horrible thing this is. A thing marked by grief. A thing clawing for light yet terrified of it. That it too might betray him.

The mess is made of silent tears and less silent sniffles, certain of one thing:]

I can't ask that. Not when she's-- and you're---

[He tries again.]

It isn't fair.

[miraclewhip]

You can’t ask it. But we can give.

[ He reaches under Alucard’s chin, tilting his head up so they can actually look at each other. ]

We want to give.

[cryptsleeper]

[He can't meet Trevor's eyes, try as Alucard might.]

I'm afraid of accepting.

[miraclewhip]

When have we ever let being afraid stop us?

[ His voice is soft. Quiet. It’s only because they’re so close than Alucard can pick it up, vampire hearing or not. ]

Look at me. I want- I need you to know this is me. Not someone else. Not someone who’d hurt you. Me.