A/N: This is a brand new story! Please review and tell me what you think!

New Beginnings: Chapter One

It had been several months since Dracula's death. The country was warmer, and the birds began to sing happily in the morning, the sharp cold of winter forgotten in their melodious song. Trevor and Sypha had been traversing the country for some time, fighting vampires, cutting off loose ends, and assisting the Speakers. They rode in the covered wagon, usually slept inside it at night, and almost never stopped moving.

During these months the two had fallen into a comfortable rhythm. Sypha had become accustomed to Trevor's little barbs and sarcastic comments and had no hesitation in telling him to shut up if he was being an ass. Trevor had gotten used to this and even welcomed it, albeit secretly. He liked having Sypha around. Their new routine had replaced his old, pathetic one. They would find a place in trouble, travel in the caravan, land in the town, and dispense of the monsters or whatever was the matter. Then the townspeople would, without fail, give them food and drink and supplies before they were off to the next town. Technically people gave them food and drink afterward as gifts, but it began to feel like compensation to Trevor, and so that was how he liked to think of it.

Truly, he never thought he would go back to the life his family had lived. He never thought he would be a monster-hunter again, or a vampire-slayer. He gave up any faith in himself to hold up his family's name. But after Dracula's death, after that intense battle, he no longer doubted his capabilities. And Sypha was completely encouraging, after all, she fought beside him. And ate beside him. And slept beside him. The two of them had fallen into a very companionable friendship, and it was closer than anything Trevor had ever experienced. They fought in the day together, ate their meals around the same fire, and slept side by side in the same wagon. She had, he supposed, become his best friend.

"You fought well this night, Trevor," Sypha encouraged like she usually did. Trevor smiled a bit. He liked fighting death creatures. They cut up so well, he thought.

"You think so? I thought it was all you," he responded while packing up the bundle of dried meats, almonds, and barley bread that had been given to them as thanks for eradicating the town of death creatures. The horses as been fed and groomed as well as thanks. The morning had been going swimmingly.

"Must be so, the mayor told me to give you this," Sypha explained, revealing a silken pouch hidden in her robes and dropping it in Trevor's palm. Trevor heard the clang of coins and gasped in surprise.

"They gave us real money? Not just food?" Trevor asked happily. While he was grateful for the food, it would be nice to get a real drink. Or three. A victory night, perhaps.

"Well, the mayor gave you real money. He said it was for the brave warrior Belmont," she didn't sound too upset about it, but it was clear the sexism was annoying her. She always hated it when the townsfolk encouraged Trevor's efforts more than hers, for obvious reasons. She fought just as much as he did. Trevor opened the pouch and counted out the little coins in his palm. Twenty! That was definitely something. He looked around the town for a bar.

"I'm sorry he hates women, Sypha. I'm not sure what to do about that. Just don't yell at them. There are twenty gold coins in here. That's plenty for a good victory night, with room to spare. I'll buy you a drink. And not any of this watered down mead shit. Real ale and good wine. And some meat, if you want. We can afford it." Sypha sighed.

"Trevor. I don't want you getting drunk. Please. I hate you when you're drunk." Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"What? I'm an excellent drunk. A very funny drunk, or so I've been told," he responded.

"No, you're a violent drunk and a crude one. You always get into fights. And I'll never forget the time you threw up all over me. Ugh," she grumbled in disgust.

"That wasn't all over you, that was just your shoes. And I'm sorry about that. Really am."

"What about the time when you got so drunk you forgot who I was and tried to hit on me?" Sypha quipped. Trevor scowled.

"I don't remember that."

"You did! You tried to 'invite me' back to the wagon as if I didn't already live in it!" She raised her voice, trying to get her point across. She really did hate drunk Trevor. He became too heavy-handed and abrasive. Trevor looked down at his palm and then up at Sypha. Then, he sighed dramatically. He didn't want to upset her further.

"Alright, Sypha. Fine. But what should we use the money on, then?" He asked.

"Supplies. Things we are running out of. And also a needle and thread so I can fix your pants," Sypha responded. Trevor groaned dramatically.

"That's so boring. There's no celebrating at all with you," he moaned. Sypha rolled her eyes.

"Fine, go get a bottle of wine," she conceded, placing several coins in his palm, "A bottle. Singular. We'll take it on the road... I'll go to the market and get our supplies. Meet back at the caravan."

"Trevor, let's stop over there. By the river," Sypha pointed to the clearing in the wood where a river shimmered in the distance. Trevor pulled at the reigns and stopped the horses.

"What do you want to go to the river for?" He asked, although he obliged, bringing the caravan to a stop.

"It'll be a great spot to eat dinner. We can watch the sunset," Sypha smiled, hopping off the carriage and looking around at the pleasant scenery. Trevor wanted to make a sarcastic comment about how much of a hopeless romantic she was, but he stopped when he saw the bright smile on her face. He loved it when she smiled like that.

"Alright," he said, going around to the back of the carriage to grab their supplies. Trevor took their weathered mat and crate of food over to the river bank.

"Is this a good spot, Sypha?" He called and she nodded. She was feeding carrots to the horses, rewarding them after their long day of traveling. He came back over to join her.

"You should take the bucket and fill it with water so the horses can drink. It would be easier that way," she explained. Trevor didn't complain. He went around to the back of the carriage again and looked for the bucket. He noticed, for the first time, a new bag filled with goods.

"I never looked at what you got from the market, Sypha," he pointed out, picking up the old bucket. He reached to fish through the new bag but she slapped his hand away.

"That's a surprise," she responded in a sing-song voice. Trevor rolled his eyes. After tending to the horses they both went to sit on the riverbank. Sypha popped the cork in the wine bottle and took a sip before she handed it over. Trevor broke the barley bread loaf and gave Sypha half, at which she smiled. He wasn't always so generous.

"The sunset is beautiful," she commented, watching as the tangerine of the sky bled out from the sun's yellow gleam, casting a warm haze over everything. The river's water shined in the light and the fresh meadow grass was illuminated beautifully. Trevor looked over everything around them, thinking.

"I guess," he responded monotonously, and then he went back to eating. Sypha turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you find anything beautiful?" She asked, annoyed at his apathy.

"I find some things beautiful. But I don't see what's so great about the sun and the river and all that. It's just scenery," he explained.

"Well, what do you find beautiful then?" She wondered.

"Women, mainly." He washed the bread down with some of the wine.

"What kind of women?" Sypha asked. Trevor laughed.

"I don't know, any woman that takes my fancy I suppose."

"Well, name one woman, then. Tell me someone you actually think is beautiful, or I won't believe you," Sypha probed. Trevor looked back at the Speaker he called his best friend. Her orange-blonde hair shined in the light and her bright blue eyes shimmered pretty than any ocean ever could.

"You, definitely," he responded finally. She really was very pretty, he thought, taking time to look over her soft skin and full lips. He expected Sypha to laugh or rebuke him for flirting with her but to all his surprise she sat there in silence and after a few moments, she blushed. Her expression was confused and flattered all at the same time.

"Me?" She asked, and Trevor smiled at the sweet blush rising in her cheeks.

"Of course. Why do seem surprised about that? Surely you know that you're very pretty, Sypha."

"I didn't know you thought that," she responded quietly, almost sheepishly, and Trevor wondered if he had injured her in some way.

"Surely I've mentioned that before?" He asked, thinking back on the last few months.

"No. Never."

"Well, you are. Definitely. I guess I didn't mention it because I guessed you knew it."

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Whenever you go to a pub you get plenty of offers, Sypha. I'd guess most men agree with me based on the way they all go after you." Sypha rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't mean anything. Those bastards would fuck anything that moves. They're like animals," she concluded. Trevor laughed at her crudity and her language.

"That's true. But I think my point still stands. You're very attractive." Sypha blushed again and took a swig of wine.

"Thank you," she responded. Trevor took out some of the dried meat.

"And what about me? Aren't I attractive?" He joked vainly, laying back on the blanket and smirking. He sounded like he was kidding, but Sypha chuckled regardless at his cockiness.

"Ah, no, not really," she answered. Trevor clicked his tongue.

"Why not?" He questioned humorously, and Sypha looked back to her friend.

"You're too greasy. And unshaved. And smelly," she responded truthfully. She dismayed about his failing hygiene sometimes, although it did little to injure him. Trevor laughed heartily.

"You're lucky that's a solvable problem, Trevor."

"Not if you don't have soap, Sypha," he responded. She smiled then, and he didn't know why. She ran up the hill to grab something in the caravan.

"But we do!" She remarked happily, sitting down again with Trevor, this time holding the new bag in her hands, "I got supplies." Trevor laughed again.

"You spent our money on soap?"

"When's the last time you've been to the stews, Trevor? You never go into the public bathhouses. And I didn't only buy soap. I got lots of stuff," Sypha replied, fishing through the bag. She pulled out a little knife then, a bit like a cheese knife.

"It would be a little hard to kill me with that, Sypha," he mused, taking another swig of wine.

"It's a shaving knife. For you." She smiled. Trevor smirked.

"Well, that's a nice gesture, Sypha, but unfortunately we lack a mirror, and I'm not about to cut myself trying to shave with my reflection in the water."

"I can shave you," she volunteered, "I know how." Trevor laughed at the thought. She stood up then, which surprised him.

"Come on, let's bathe now before the sun sets," she said, pulling him up.

"You're not serious," he chortled.

"You think I bought this stuff as a joke? No. Come on, Belmont," she said, walking down to the river.

"Wait a second. You're going to bathe. With me. At the same time?" He couldn't believe her. She looked back at Trevor over her shoulder to where he was standing.

"Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable?" She almost laughed because he looked so shy, which she fully doubted he truly was. Trevor was struck speechless for a second. He realized she was serious.

"I- uh, no. I just didn't think you… you would be- both of us at the same time?" He wondered aloud, tripping over his words. His breath caught in his throat when he imagined it. Sypha placed her hands on her hips.

"Yes. Unless you're going to be a child about it. Come on, the sun will set in not too long." She was serious. Trevor cleared his throat.

"Ugh-yeah, right. Okay."

"Go grab the soap the shaving knife," she instructed, taking off her outer robe. Trevor went to grab the stuff before laying it down by the side of the river. By the time he did that her outer robe was already off and she was slipping out of her shoes. She stepped into the water.

"It's not that cold. Come on, then," she ordered, smiling. She was excited at the thought of being clean again. Trevor nodded, peeling off his waist belt and removing his shirt. He kicked off his boots and socks. When he went to remove his pants, he stopped, looking to Sypha to see if this was all a joke of some sort where he'd end up naked for no reason. But when he looked up Sypha was already pulling her white chemise up over her head. She wore nothing underneath. He caught a glimpse of her - the curve of her waist, the golden hair between her thighs, and the softness of her breasts. Immediately he averted his eyes, looking back to his pants as he tugged them off, so he stood only in his undershorts. He expected Sypha to tell him to turn around but she didn't, and when he looked up she was standing in front of him, smiling, completely nude. Now it was Trevor's turn to blush.

"Are you shy, Trevor?" She laughed, stepping into the water. Trevor blushed up to the roots of his hair, laughing as he removed his shorts. He wasn't shy. At least, not usually. They both entered the water, then. Sypha dipped down, allowing the river to wash through her hair. Trevor followed suit, washing his face and scrubbing some of the dirt off. Maybe Sypha was right. He was quite dirty. Sypha swam closer then, only her head above the surface, for which Trevor was grateful. Sypha was so beautiful, and he hadn't seen a naked woman in quite some time, so his imagination was getting away from him. But all too soon Sypha was grabbing the soap and approaching him.

"Come here," she motioned for him to come closer, "I'll wash you."

"Really?" He wondered. It didn't sound at all like a bad, notion, and yet-

"Yes." She was still smiling, soap in hand. He obliged, coming up next to her. He almost immediately regretted it, though, because when she came to wash him her chest was exposed, her plump breasts in full view, pink nipples pert from the cool water. Her smooth skin glimmered with the shine from the water. Trevor almost groaned at the sight of her, and his body couldn't help but react from the sight. But it was even worse when she touched him. She lathered the soap in her palm and soaped up his hair, running her fingers along his scalp as she washed him. She continued, washing his chest and his arms and his back. His groin tightened at the feeling of her touch.

"Doesn't it feel good?" She asked him, and his eyes snapped open. He wondered if she knew what he was thinking. How could she? Was that another one of her magical talents?

"What?" He choked out.

"Getting clean?" She asked, chuckling lightly. Trevor sighed a breath of relief.

"Oh, um, yeah, it does."

"Told you," she said, "wash it out now." He dipped backward, letting the water rinse out his hair. When he rose again he slicked it back. She smirked.

"Better. Now me," she said, passing the soap to him. She turned around. Trevor gulped. His breath was getting shakier. He wondered if she understood that her nakedness was affecting him. He supposed that she had to, maybe she didn't care. Maybe she even liked it, he thought, as he remembered the way she smirked when he looked at her. The thought made him shiver.

Trevor lathered the soap in his palms and washed her carefully, watching that he didn't pull on her hair or get soap in her eyes. She leaned into his touch, and Trevor could swear he heard her almost moan. Maybe their bathing was having as much effect on her as it was on him.

"Keep going," she muttered when he was done with her hair. Trevor's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Can you wash my back, too?" She asked. Trevor let out a shaky breath.

"Uh, yeah, of course." He moved the sweet-smelling soap across her elegant shoulders and down her back, and then he set it down and worked the lather into her skin with his own hands. He traversed her back and she moved upwards even more so he could wash all of her back. He looked down for a moment and noticed how high she was in the water. He could see all the way down to the upper part of her backside. That was too much. Too much. Way too much. He flushed all over.

He decided to change the subject to anything other than bathing and her skin on his.

"This is girly soap, isn't it?" He asked, trying to capture his usual complaining sarcasm. Sypha huffed.

"It's lavender. I love lavender."

"You do?" He asked. Anything to keep his focus off her beautiful backside.

"Yes. The speakers always make their soap out of it because they always have it around. For spells and such. Magic. It's a very magical plant," she explained.

"I didn't know that," Trevor responded. But then she was pulling away and went back into the water, probably to wash off.

"Okay, I'll give you a shave now." She reached for the knife and approached him.

"Really?" He asked, not sure if he could contain himself if she came that close to him.

"Of course. You washed me, I'll shave you. Favor for a favor, friend," she remarked happily. Trevor swallowed visibly when she approached him again, and then he almost died when she pressed herself against him. He let out an audible gasp when he felt her wet skin slide against his. She ran her hands up his arms and through his hair.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his breath shaky and his eyes closed. There was no way he could look at her naked form up this close. Sypha scowled.

"You don't like it when I touch you?" She asked, her voice quiet and sad. Trevor's eyes snapped open again.

"What? No, I do, I just-" he moved back an inch, finally understanding something, "Do you want me to like it?" He asked, his cheeks flush and his eyes wide. He didn't know what she was doing. Sypha smirked a bit when she saw his gaze on her breasts.

"Maybe," she responded, and Trevor at first thought she was being difficult, but then he realized she was flirting. Oh. Oh god. She was flirting. And it looked like he was rejecting her. Shit. He had to correct his, and fast.

"Good. I do like it." He responded, trying to summon his courage back. Sypha smiled again, sliding against him completely until their chests were pressed together and he could feel her breasts and her smooth stomach. Oh, how hard it was not to groan at that.

"Let me shave you. Then I can actually see your face, Belmont," she said, and Trevor was in no way going to stop her when her breasts were literally pressed against him. She moved his chin to one side and started shaving with the little knife.

"Mm, I should lather you up first," she noted. She reached for the soap and lathered his face up. He chuckled.

"What?" She asked.

"It feels funny," he giggled.

"Do not laugh, Belmont. Or I will cut you."

"Is that a threat?" He joked.

"No, just a precaution." She shaved him, then, and they waded in the water in companionable silence.

"Do you want a mustache?" She asked when she reached his upper lip. Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"Do girls like mustaches?" He asked humorously.

"Mm, not this one," she responded. Trevor smiled.

"Then off it goes." She obliged, shaving him, very careful not to cut his skin. When she was finished she told him to rinse off and he did, dipping his entire head under the water. When he came back up he slicked his hair back again.

"There. Now I can finally see your handsome face." She smiled appreciatively, smoothing her hands along his jawline.

"Handsome?" He jested, referencing her previous comment about attraction. Sypha smiled sincerely. She sweetly traced the faint scar line down his cheek.

"Very handsome." She traced her thumb across his lower lip. Trevor couldn't breathe. His heart was racing. Was she really-?

"And witty. And charming, when you want to be. You're my very own night in shining armor," she thought aloud, tracing her fingers over his soft lips. He almost made some sarcastic barb at that, but then he realized she wasn't joking. He hadn't expected this. Not at all. Four months of friendship, and just now she wants something more? When he didn't say anything she scowled at him, running her hands through his dark hair. She peeled back a little bit so he could get a full view of her pretty, scowling face.

"How much more am I going to have to touch you before you kiss me, Trevor?" She asked, preferring bluntness to flirtation now that she realized he was too dumb to catch on. Ah, men. His eyes went wide, and then he looked down at her plump lips expectantly. His eyes narrowed a bit as he pulled her against his body completely, wrapping his arms around her.

"No more," he answered, cupping her face before he leaned in and captured her lips with his.

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! Alucard will be featured heavily in future chapters. Please be patient!