#i tag castlevania netflix because thats what i had in mind when i wrote this

[just-castlevania-imagines]

like the lights of our home in the night, my love for you

You feel marble clicking against your soles, and hear the sound of your steps bouncing off the walls in the comfortable silence that's settled between you and Adrian as you walk together through the castle halls. It'd feel normal, if not for the fact that the dhampir had you blindfolded. (Honestly you figured this might possibly come up at some point, but not outside the bedroom.)

"Can I *see* yet, Adrian?" you ask, free hand tugging at the knot tied 'round the back of your head for purchase.

"I'll have you know that I worked very hard on this," he chides through his quiet laughter. "I would very much like for you to actually be surprised by it. Be patient for me, please?" Despite his words sounding like he's teasing, you know he's genuinely looking forward to this surprise--this little game of his began as soon as you came home, after all.

You give his hand a little squeeze. "All right, then. I'll be patient."

Adrian squeezes your hand back. "Thank you," he sighs, sounding placated. "By the way, there are stairs here."

"Huh?" You don't heed his warning fast enough, and when you trip, you stumble forward into a pair of firm, warm arms, to which you cling as you find your footing on the carpeted steps. At least now you know you're still in the castle.

"Watch your step.”

You ball your free hand into a fist and very gently bump his chest, not knowing your vision to know exactly what sort of slightly-smug, very-fond expression he’s making right now. You can’t find it in you to be mad when you hear the sound of affectionate laughter under his breath, so you decide to continue letting him lead you around, righting yourself on the stairs and grasping at air until your palm finds the railing.

After a bit more walking (without any falling over this time), he lets go of you and you bump into his back in the same breath as a door clicks and creaks open. Now you hear the wind gently rustling the trees somewhere in the distance. A little farther off, you think you hear the sound of birds chirping, flapping their wings; the sound of it carried on the breeze that chills your neck.

A shiver runs up your spine, not having prepared for the cold. You note that your footfalls still resound in your ears--though the echo is gone now that you’re outside. Adrian laughs a little more. "Hmm... right here will do."

"Here?" Your eyes widen under the blindfold.

His hum is contemplative as he places his hands on your shoulders, moving you just a step or two to the left. “Okay, yes. Here.”

You pull at the knot, and the cloth comes loose in your hand.

The crescent moon shines brightly and beautifully. The sight of it hung up in the clear night sky, dwarfing the stars twinkling in the distance, takes your breath away for a moment. You wonder if this is the highest balcony in the castle.

You look to your side and catch Adrian staring at you, of all things. "This is exactly the look I wanted to see on you," he says, a little breathless himself. "It's lovely--like all the stars in the world are shining right there in your eyes."

Now you feel warm. "I'm glad I was able to, uh, provide.”

Adrian seats you at a small table set closer to the railing, and as he's taking his own seat beside you, you notice a few other things--like the ornate lanterns that cast the space in a dim, intimate light, and the glass of flowers in the center of the table--"When did even you prepare all this?"

"That's a secret," he replies. "Do you like it, though?"

"I'm really surprised, and honestly it's a little sappy, but of course I do."

"Sappy?" There's a shocked, almost nervous, expression on Adrian's face at this.

"N-Not in a bad way! I really do like it." You hurry to correct. You don't think you've ever seen him look anything even similar to nervous.

He sighs, relieved. “I wasn't sure what to do, myself; and the rest of this might be cheesy, if that was. But I'm happy as long as you are. Hold on..."

The dhampir takes a small, golden bell out of his pocket, and rings it. Suddenly you feel like you're choking on air. At the bell’s dainty chime, Trevor--dear friend, mighty warrior, the last of the prestigious Belmont line--appears in the doorway, and dressed quite respectably at that. This is another first. You glance behind him to see Sypha looking on expectantly, but also trying her best not to laugh.

You're almost too busy gawking at their sudden appearances to notice the discomfort set in Trevor’s expression, or the tray and the drinks he's carrying. Without a word, he walks in, sets the table, and turns around to walk out. Sypha hisses quietly, gesturing towards you and Adrian, and Trevor turns back around to give you a curt bow before he makes himself scarce.

Bewildered, you turn to Adrian for an explanation and see him clutching his sides, barely able to contain his own laughter. "How did you...? I can't even *imagine* how you got him to do that."

"If you don't guess it yourself, I'll tell you all about it some other time."

"Oh, please do!" you giggle in return. "Why not tell me now, though?"

"I told you to be patient, didn't I?"

"Wait, there's more that I have to be patient for...?"

"The night is young, my love." Adrian hums, and fills your glass. "For now, why don't we have dinner, like usual?”

Nothing about this was like usual, you think to yourself. Even tonight's fare is fancier than usual, you note--since when did Adrian know how to cook stuff like this, anyway? You certainly didn’t make it, despite that being the case most nights. Your lover preferred meals that were simple and healthy, made and consumed quickly. As you bite into the crisp-looking bread, served alongside a rich and filling cream soup, you realize that the bread is fresh baked, too.

Adrian himself is a little off, too, is what you think as he ties his long, fair hair back into a ponytail with practice hands (as cute as ever.). He steeples his fingers when they aren’t doing anything on the table. Though usually he’s looking at you or focusing on his food, tonight he eats very slowly, taking bites in-between staring off into the forest below the castle, or stealing glances out of the corner of his eye at the door to the castle interior, where you suppose Trevor and Sypha await.

It’s only when he notices you staring and shoots a small smile at you that you realize you’ve been staring at all.

He refills your glass when it is empty, asks you about your day, how you’ve been feeling, and tells you about his in return, and you’re a little grateful that this, at least, is according to routine. You observe the wrinkles that sometimes take shape at the ends of his eyes; the change in his demeanor; the way he smiles as he hears about the cat you’d watched sneak into the garden earlier this afternoon. There’s genuine delight playing on his features as you describe the tiny paw prints it made in the snow.

“Maybe we should leave a saucer of milk out for it,” you suggest.

“What if the milk freezes over before it gets a chance to drink it?” replies Adrian.

Hmm. “Well, maybe I can just fetch a snack for it when I see it.”

“Careful that you don’t accidentally adopt it.”

When you’ve both finished with your supper, Adrian rings the bell again, and this time both Trevor and Sypha heed its call. Trevor trades grace for speed, and clears the table in record time without a word. You look to your side at Adrian, willing him not to laugh with all your might, as Sypha sets down a tart cut into slices; the glaze on top glistening in the lamplight.

Satisfied, Sypha and Trevor make an immediate exit--the Speaker giving Adrian a quick pat on the shoulder on her way out.

When the double doors close behind them, Adrian turns back to you like it was nothing. “I had one of the bakers in town prepare something I thought you might like.”

Your eyes widen. “Since when were you on good terms with a human that wasn’t Sypha, or even Trevor?”

“Well. To be exact, Sypha picked it up for us on the way here.”

Again, you wonder--how in the world did Adrian rope Trevor into this?

The miracles this man can conjure. You idly take a bite, pausing to savor the crisp, lightly toasted texture of the crust and the sweet, honeyed berries that lay beneath. “Oh, gosh, this is really good.” You raise your hand to cover your mouth.

“It certainly looks like it is,” he laughs fondly, gaze still locked on you. “I’m glad you like it.”

“You won’t have any?”

Adrian swallows. “I think I’m feeling a little full, but thank you.”

Well, all right.

For the sake of whatever other surprises he might have in store for you, you choose to gloss over it. ��The tart is small enough for you to finish by yourself, anyway, and after your friends make a short reappearance to clear the table, Adrian mutters to himself under his breath, clears his throat, turns to you, and takes your hands in his.

It hits you then: he relaxed for a little over dinner,  but he really is nervous, about something or other. “Adrian?”

“You see... my father and mother neglected to leave records of how a unique couple such as they went about this particular process.”

“Process?” It’s rare for him to mention his parents, given everything that’s happened. Also, what process?

“Yes. And, all that aside… I’m just not sure  as to how these things happen, in general. So please bear with me.” He murmurs your name, voice heavy with affection. “In... in the time we’ve spent together I’ve learned many things, but one of the most important things I’ve learned is that I love you more than anything. I want to be there for you always. I want nothing more than to be with you for as long as I can, and to fill your days with the same happiness that being with you brings to me.”

The corners of Adrian’s lips turn up in a small smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling again. His hands in yours tremble, ever so slightly. “I am a man of many faults, but this is what I wish to promise to you--not only as your lover. You might have guessed by now, but the process I was talking about earlier is, well… marriage.”

He lets out a shaky breath, eyes on you. “Will you have me as your husband?”

“...Of course.” You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “Of course I will!”

You throw your arms around Adrian, feeling ten times lighter. Even as he presses his lips to yours, you can feel the smile on his face growing before he pulls away.

You’re almost so caught up in him that you don’t notice the door behind you creaking open. It’s Trevor and Sypha, wearing matching grins that you can't help but giggle at. “You two!” you point playfully at your friends from your position in your now-fiancé's arms.

Trevor raises his hands in mock surrender, a glint of mirth in his eyes. “Hey, now, don’t look at me like that. The vampire made me do it.”

“Oh, yes. How horrible I was, forcing you into the servitude of a vampire, only using Sypha’s gentle prodding and three bottles of wine from the cellar.” Adrian grins, and you finally have your answer.

“My sidekick and I are happy we could assist.” Sypha smiles, every bit the cat that caught the canary.

As the sound of your shared laughter continues to bubble and float into the night air, the happiness you feel is almost dizzying. It feels like you might float away, too, but thankfully Adrian is there to ground you, holding you tight to his chest, right where you want to be.

hello! gosh! i’ve been working on this for like, months or something! i feel like this was for a request, but i can’t find it in the box, so i just, uhh. hope you all enjoy it. //mod faerie