Hiraeth - [Alucard/Adrian Tepes x Lycan!Reader]

[14] Epilogue: Home

It had to have been at least four hours since you left the castle.

Left Alucard.

You contemplated your departure the entire time while walking. You were starting to feel regret. How could you leave the one thing that made you happy in three years?

Were you stupid?

You clenched your fist.

Back in your hometown, you never felt this way for anyone. Back in your hometown, you had never felt so cared for by someone other than your father. Though, you didn't nearly long for your home as much anymore.

No, you did feel Hiraeth.

But not for where you grew up. But for where you just abandoned.

For the castle.

For Alucard.

And deep down you knew, he felt the same about you. He wanted you to stay, you were just so blinded by your own insecurities. You let out a gasp. Only now had you realized your mistake. He was your home. He was what you've been longing for. He is what you want. With one swift movement your threw off your backpack. You needed to go home. You needed to get there fast. And you knew of one friend that could make that happen. Your closest, dearest friend. The Beast.

"I know you can hear me." You whispered to it. "You've let me down so many times, and you've destroyed almost everything for me. So, please, just give me this." Almost instantly you started to feel the familiar pain that you had gotten used to. You hated the Beast. With all your heart. But in some ways you couldn't help but feel love towards it, for it was you, a different version of you, but you. And you couldn't help but also feel grateful, for without it, you wouldn't have met Trevor. Or Sypha. Or...

Alucard.

You remembered what all this was about. You had to get back home. To him. You dropped down to all fours, giving one last glance to the sack you were about to leave, and darted back in the opposite direction.

Back home.

It was almost a half an hour when you finally caught sight of the castle, causing you to pick up speed a bit. You could even feel the Beast getting excited to see him again. Without stopping, you charged through the front doors, nearly destroying them. That didn't matter as of now, you only had one objective.

You perked your ears up, in order to try and hear anything, to find out where he was. Suddenly you tilted your head like a puppy in confusion.

You heard crying. Your ears flattened back again, letting out a whine. You, without falter, bolted up the stairs, following the sounds of the sobs. Eventually, you started to slow down, changing back slowly. You were close to where he was, you assumed, you could hear him crying in even your human form. Carefully you walked over to the direction of the noise, turning into the doorframe on your right.

There.

There you saw him.

Alucard, sitting in a chair, sobbing. His pitiful figure sent a pang in your chest. Quickly you walked up and kneeled in front of him, placing both hands on his cheeks, lifting his head to where his eyes met with yours. They were filled to the brim with tears, there didn't seem to be an end to the waterfall of emotions.

"There will be none of that." You flashed him your teeth in an attempt to cheer him up. You used the words he said that one day on the back of the caravan, after you started crying while telling him the story of your father. It was a failed attempt, however.

"Y-you..." He tried to speak between his sobs. "Ca-ame..." he let out one last huff. "Bac-ck."

You stroked his cheeks with your thumbs, failing to wipe the tears away. "How could I not?" You smiled.

You let out a quiet gasp when Alucard jumped off his chair and engulfed you into a hug, sobbing into your shoulder. You leaned your head against his, you wrapped your arms around him to hug him back, completely lowering yourself to sit on the ground with him. You ran your hands through his hair in a way to comfort him, like what a mother would do for their child.

"And I always will come back for you." You whispered into his ear.

~~~

After Alucard calmed down a little, you and him walked to find his childhood room, to lay in his bed. Alucard was still sniffing from the tears, but found it much easier to talk now.

"Why did you come back?"

You lifted your head from his chest, to look at him. You and him had been laying silently until now, no words needed to be spoken, you knew why he was crying. He never mourned his mother, and now he was mourning both his parents at the same time, along with the fact you and left him all alone. For that, you will never forgive yourself.

"I realized how stupid I was being." You paused for a moment, then placing your head back on him. "And now I know."

"Know what?" He sniffs.

"That you're my home." You nuzzled his chest a bit, tightening your grip around his torso. He did the same, wrapping his arms around you tighter. Closer. "You're my purpose."

He now smiled for the first time since your left, "And you mine." You looked back up at him, a gleam in your eye.

"So, it's just you and me for a while now." You smile, leaning in closer to him.

"So, I guess it is." He leaned towards you, as well, meeting in the middle for the second time. It felt just the same as the first time you kissed him, in a good way. You still didn't know how to describe it.

After about two minutes you lean back, biting your lip in excitement, "I could get used to that." You leaned back on him. "(L/n) and Tepes. It's got a ring, doesn't it?"

"I think you mean Tepes and (L/n), but yes it does sound nice." Alucard smirked. You blushed as a thought popped into your head. (F/n) Tepes.

You shivered, god you've become one of those girls now?

"What is it?" Alucard asks worriedly at your shiver.

You let out a nervous giggle, not about to tell him what just came to your head, "Just a little cold."

He smiled at you. He had a feeling that you were going to turn out to be pretty damn special, more so than you already were. "Okay, weirdo." He chuckled.

Here in this moment, you both felt tranquility. He was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your lifetime with. And even though your lifespan was so much shorter, he couldn't think of anyone else he would rather spend roughly 70 years with.

You let out a mighty yawn, all that running took a lot out of you. Closing your eyes, you nuzzled into his chest once more, falling asleep almost instantly. He chuckled at your soft snores. Looking down at you, he rubbed circles into your back.

"Goodnight, my love."