alusion (because the world needed it)

* exhaustion

another old one found :ooo sorry, for the lack of updates, ive been studying for finals, whoops- newcontent should come soon ^3^
category: drabble
word count: 793

The Abyss was acting up again. What'd that mean? More demons popping up, more massacred villages, more families killed, more pain, and more work.

The demon hunters were stretched out thin. Once a mission was done, there was another. The pattern repeated continuously, over and over in a vicious cycle of exhaustion.

Now, don't get Alucard wrong, it wasn't that he didn't like his work--he loved it in fact--but it was starting to gnaw at him. It wasn't good for his health to continuously throw himself onto a new mission after the other, fight after fight. He hated to acknowledge it was bad, so he didn't. But, of course, it didn't mean he couldn't avoid the fact forever, because someone would catch onto it. More specifically, Gusion would catch onto it.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Alucard's gaze shot over to Gusion, eyes narrowing. "Do what?"

Gusion crossed his arms. "You're slowly killing yourself-"

"I am not-"

"Yes, you are." Gusion firmly cut him off, voice slightly rising. There was a tense moment of silence before Gusion let out a sigh, his posture slightly deflated. "We've already discussed this, and I'm not letting this go too far again."

"I was fine." Alucard snapped, glaring.

"Fine isn't you barely even being able to fucking walk and collapsing after a couple steps into the house!" Gusion shot back, holding his ground.

Alucard looked away, teeth gritted.

"Please," Gusion pleaded, "Please. Take a break. I know you hate the demons. I know you don't want to stop until they're all gone. But it won't do anybody any good if you're dead except for them."

There was another tense moment of silence that stretched on.

Alucard looked back at Gusion, the exhaustion clear in his eyes as he tried, "Just let me do a few more-"

"No."

It was frustrating, trying to get his way with Gusion, it truly was. Gusion was stubborn--incredibly stubborn. And sometimes it made him mad--especially when he was in a bad mood. Like now.

"You piss me off sometimes, you know that?" When Alucard got no response, he continued on, "You think you know what's best for me, and tell me what to do and when not to do it--who are you my mom? Newsflash, I barely fucking remember her because demons killed her! I've lived by myself for so many years without having anyone what to do and what not to do and I've been fine so who the hell are you to go and change it? Oh, right. Because you care. I've gone without anybody caring about me just the damn same amount time and I've been fine." During his rant he'd moved closer to Gusion, close enough they were almost touching. Gusion hadn't said anything, only keeping his lips shut tightly in an effort not to to worsen the situation and maintained eye contact--Alucard's intense, heated glare against Gusion's silently defiant one.

And, then, Alucard suddenly deflated, breaking eye contact and letting his head drop. "I hate you for caring so much, you know that?" The hunter's voice was weak. "I don't know how to respond to it. I've never had someone--fuck." He sucked in a breath before continuing, "I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you. I'm a horrible, rotten bastard who doesn't deserve anything."

"That's a lie. You deserve me, and every good damned thing in this land." Gusion brought up a hand and placed it underneath Alucard's chin, gently tipping it upwards so their gazes met again. "It's not your fault for being the way you are--and none of those adjectives to describe you would include horrible, rotten, or a bastard." He slide his hand up to Alucard's cheek, gently cupping it. "I love you, Alu, but it hurts me to see you like this. Working yourself to unconsciousness. Punishing yourself for something that you had utterly no control over."

"I'm sorry." Alucard breathed out. "I.. I shouldn't have exploded on you like that. I'm shit. And I'm in a shitty mood. They really don't go together all too well."

"Yeah. I know."

Alucard weakly laughed, staying still for a second before leaning his forehead gently against Gusion's, closing his eyes and letting himself relax. "I think a nap would be nice right now." He said, pausing for a second before opening his eyes and adding on, "You being there with me would also be nice."

A grin appeared on Gusion's face as he joked, "My presence does tend to be nice. Especially in a bed."

Alucard gave Gusion a glare with no heat behind it. "I'm too tired for your shit right now, Gus."

Gusion chuckled. "Fine, fine. Let's just go to sleep, mm?"

"Yeah."