DISCLAIMER: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano.

~ Empty Lungs ~

Seras and Pip were watching a movie together. It was (kind of) a date... she guessed. It wasn't like they'd actually gone out anywhere, but the two of them were finally able to get some time alone with each other, thanks to Integra doing something (Seras wasn't sure what exactly) to keep Alucard from bothering them.

It was nice to not have to worry about being interrupted by an overprotective vampire dad, for once.

As the movie played, Seras gradually shifted closer to Pip on the couch. It took nearly twenty minutes for her to finally gather up the courage to close the last few millimeters of space that separated their bodies. She leaned against his side, laying her head on his shoulder.

Although Pip had been very aware of what she was doing this whole time, only once she initiated physical contact did he dare react. He wrapped his arm around her, and she responded by snuggling closer.

A moment later, when there was a lull in the movie's dialogue, Pip said quietly, "I'm surprised Alucard hasn't popped in to bother us yet."

"He's not going to," Seras replied.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I asked Sir Integra if she could order him not to bother us for one night, and she said she'd keep him busy..."

"Oh? I didn't know those two were like that."

"Like what?" Seras asked, frowning up at him. "Master and servant? I would have thought it was obvious, even if no one properly explained it to you."

Well, yes, he knew that. Pip chuckled. It was cute that she had no idea what he'd meant.

A conveniently-timed burst of gunfire redirected their attention to the television screen, and any further conversation was abandoned in favor of continuing to watch the movie.

Seras had to admit that she wasn't really a huge fan of action movies, and she was enjoying the cuddling a lot more than the movie itself. And, well, she didn't really have to keep watching it, she reassured herself as she allowed her eyes to slide closed.

Just relaxing and snuggling with her boyfriend was the best.

...at least it was, until a few minutes later when Pip suddenly freaked out for no apparent reason, shouting her name and shaking her. If not for the level of panic in his reaction, she would have thought that he thought she'd fallen asleep and was trying to wake her up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, nonplussed.

"You stopped breathing!"

"Oh. I... yes?" Seras stammered. "I don't need to breathe, you know."

"You don't need to breathe?"

"Vampire, remember?" she said, pointing at herself. "I don't need air in my lungs unless I'm using it for something, like talking."

Pip just stared at her for a few long moments, then sighed and leaned back against the couch.

"I'm sorry," Seras said softly, and started to get up.

"No, it's okay, come here," he said, gently tugging her back down beside him.

Her vampire strength could have easily prevented this, but she let him. She settled against him but her posture was stiff and awkward.

Pip leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against the top of her head.

"Hey, you got nothing to be sorry about, alright? You scared me for a minute there, but I guess some things about vampires just take more getting used to than others."

~end~