Spring Forward, Fall Back (Alucard x Chubby! Reader)

Chapter 3 - The First Night Is The Hardest

Reader P.O.V.

I decided to make myself useful and look about for the items I'd need to make tea. I saw the two buckets of water sitting off to the side, so that part was taken care of. Now, to locate the tea leaves. I knew that there were some about, but it was a matter of finding them that became the issue.

"What are you looking for?" I heard Sypha ask from behind me.

"Well," I turned and said, "I am trying to make myself useful. I can tell that your friend there doesn't really appreciate my arrival, so I wanted to do something that would at least attempt to placate the poor guy."

"I see," she said in contemplation. "I can see this means something to you, so tell me what you're looking for. I've been here before, so I should have no problem helping you out."

We both scoured the kitchen and soon found the tea leaves as well as a fairly well kept tea kettle and pot. I put the water on and grabbed a spoon and a chunk of firewood.

"What are you doing?" Sypha asked.

I looked up and smiled. "I'm making a strainer." I then proceeded to grab a nail and held it over the flame of the candle to heat the metal.

"See, where...let me change that. When I come from, we've made these small devices that we put over our teacups that stop the leaves from getting in."

"When? You mean..."

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "I'm fairly certain just by looking around here that I'm not in the same time as I was before. I'd say I'm at least 500 years in the past, and I'd also say I'm in a completely different country."

Sypha and I turned toward the doorway to see Alucard and Trevor standing triumphantly hefting their rabbits. They hadn't heard the conversation between us, but I knew they'd need to. I went back to my busywork while the rest cleaned the rabbits for dinner.

As I continued my efforts, I could feel someone walk behind me and lean closer. I knew from the smell that it was Alucard, but I didn't turn to look at him. Something had truly upset him while his friends were away and he was wary around me, so I didn't want to do something to annoy or aggravate him any more than my presence already had.

"What do you think you're doing with my table wear?" I heard him say way too close to my ear. I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck and hear the anger, as well as curiosity, laced in his voice.

"I-I'm making a strainer for the tea," I said as calmly as I could. 'Damn you, Y/N! Don't stutter! He isn't that damn intimidating!' I screamed at myself internally.

Alucard moved to the seat next to me on my left and watched in both interest and annoyance as after each hole I managed to punch into the spoon I would then place the nail back into the flame until it blackened slightly. When I'd finished making the tiny holes, I turned to make the tea...only to have Alucard follow those actions closely as well.

I was trying so hard to not get nervous with him looming over me like some kind of boogeyman, but it was difficult as his proximity continued to get closer and closer to my body. And I was having a very hard time not paying attention to that part as well.

I put five scoops of the tea leaves into the pot and poured the hot water over them. Alucard had grabbed a tea tray and cups for all of us while I finished the preparations, so he reached over me to grab the pot. It was almost like a dance as he moved fluidly to get the tea to the table while I moved to grab spoons and the small pot of honey that sat on the side table. When we moved from the stove, Sypha and Trevor came up to the oven to check the rabbit. Sypha rubbed them down with roasted garlic while Trevor used some of the juices that gathered round them in the pan to baste them with.