The Habits of Monsters

Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to people who are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG

Part: One of Three

Authoress note: This is a reimagining of a short one off I wrote years ago whereby Integra learns that there's more to her monster than his monstrous nature, he is also a bit weird.

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Chapter One

She spent a lot of time watching him.

At first, it had been because he was hers and she knew next to nothing about him. She had wanted to know more, partly as a means of control and partly because she couldn't help but be a little curious. She had, at her disposal, a creature, a monster, of legend. He was something that men told stories about, why they feared the shadows. She had considered reading the book, watching the films but Walter had advised against it.

"Why waste your time when you have him here in front of you?"

So, she watched him and she learned about him. She learned that he was vicious and cruel, that he took inordinate amounts of pleasure in tearing anything and everything apart. He found amusement in tormenting those weaker than him, in frightening those around him both friend and foe alike. She hadn't been that surprised to witness such from him, he was, after all, a monster and she had almost stopped her study of him but once again Walter provided her with some advice.

"He knows you're watching him," Walter had said one afternoon while delivering her tea.

"What?" She looked up from the unfavourable report she had been reading.

"Alucard, he asked me why you were watching him."

"Oh, well it hardly matters, I suppose." She took the offered tea gratefully.

"Really?" Walter smiled. "Only I thought you were trying to learn."

"Walter, it's been a very long afternoon," Integra sipped the tea and set the cup down. "and there are hours of it left to go. Please, if you have something to say can you say it?"

"You sound much like your father," Walter said and held up his hand when she was going to speak, silencing her. "I only mean to bring to your attention that he is aware, and thus if you wish to observe an honest portrayal of the monster at your command then you are not being successful."

"You think I'm seeing fraud?" Integra said, leaning back in her chair.

"I wouldn't go that far," Walter said. "Exaggeration perhaps. Surely you are aware that people portray an aspect of themselves that they want others to see when they know they are being observed. They might hide their less favourable tendencies and habits." Integra nearly snorted the tea she had lifted to sip it.

"You think he's hiding bad habits from me?" she couldn't help but laugh. "Yesterday he tore a vampire in half over his head, covered himself in blood and viscera and laughed the entire time. Three of the soldiers threw up and he just laughed harder."

"Yes but…" Walter started.

"and you think he's hiding bad habits?" Integra interrupted.

"Not as such," Walter said. "I think he's being the monster he's expected to be." Integra stopped at that comment.

"Why?" she said eventually.

"You are aware of the amount of control you have over him yes?" Walter said Integra nodded. "How would you feel if someone had that level of power over you? Vulnerable at the very least I imagine."

"I suppose, yes," Integra said.

"You might take certain steps to distance that person from you for fear they might do you harm? If you scare them away then they might not hurt you?"

"You're saying he's frightened of me?" Integra said. "So, he's acting out to scare me away?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Walter nodded. "But don't tell him that, he'd never admit it anyway."

"But he's a vampire," Integra said. "How can I possibly observe him without him noticing." Walter laughed out loud.

"You truly do not know him at all," he said. "Try giving him some space for a while, then when his guard is down you could walk right past him and he'd probably not notice."

"Your jesting with me," Integra said.

"He's only observant when he wants to be when he relaxes a bit …he's a bit…"

"Unobservant," Integra supplied.

"Putting it charitably, yes," Walter smiled again.

After that conversation, Integra had stopped her observations for a full month and when she noticed her vampire quietening down, she'd started watching him again. She'd been deliberately careful, not taking risks where he might spot, hear or smell her and for a long time, she'd seen nothing at all. But then she'd started noticing things, he wasn't constantly manic, he seemed to enjoy reading and would often do so with music playing quietly. She'd almost given herself away when she'd caught him reading with the radio on and witnessed his disgust at certain elements of modern music. She'd had to flee before she laughed aloud at the sheer vehemence, he displayed over something so trivial.

She'd caught him teasing Walter, not quite tormenting, certainly not the level of torment he'd inflicted when he'd known she was watching. But instead, it was almost friendly, a gentle banter, pointing out Walter's faults and visible flaws in a way an old companion might until Walter had thrown a used teabag at him in petty revenge. I was almost cute.

But the strangest thing she'd witnessed was his eating habits. Prior to her new ninja-like stalking, she'd seen him devour the vampires they hunted, she'd seen him do so as a man and as a beast, she'd watched as he shredded his 'prey' to the point where mortal soldiers vomited. It was gross but expected, what she discovered on her second attempt to watch him was very unexpected.

Walter had made a sandwich and had been called away before he could eat it. She'd stood in silence as she watched her monster investigate what seemed to be an ordinary cheese sandwich. He'd removed the bread, taken the cheese and placed the bread back. At first, Integra assumed this was some odd prank, similar to the teasing she had witnessed days ago, she expected him to hide or throw away the cheese but he ate it.

The vampire ate cheese.

Then raided the fridge for more.

It was the strangest thing she'd ever seen him do and she puzzled over it for hours before finally calling Walter.

"Madam?" Walter answered the phone.

"I want to ask you something a little odd," Integra said. "You're alone yes?"

"Certainly," Walter said, already sounding amused.

"Alucard," she began. "he ate cheese."

"That bastard," Walter's tone changed from amused to irritated. "I thought it was him, he took the entire block from the fridge."

"Um yes," Integra said. She heard Walter cough, as if he suddenly realized he'd sworn on the phone to a child.

"Forgive me," he apologized. "I had been rather looking forward to my lunch and having it stolen was irritating."

"I can imagine," Integra said. "But why cheese?"

"I'm fond of cheese," Walter said.

"Not you," Integra said. "The vampire, does he normally eat cheese? Or is this just some odd prank to try and irritate you?"

"He likes certain foods," Walter said after a moment. "Cheese is one of his more common thefts, but there are others." Integra couldn't help but laugh.

"Then may I request a cheese plate after supper Walter? There's something I'd like to see."

End Chapter One

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