Seras stomped through the halls of the lower level, muttering angrily to herself. Reaching the door she sought, she knocked on the door, none too gently. The sudden rustle of cloth announced the occupant's surprise, and Seras waited as the door slowly opened to reveal Yumiko, leaning on a crutch, and Seras greeted her with a glare.

"Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Why didn't I…why would I…"

Seras jabbed a finger at a brace on Yumiko's right leg that extended from her knee to over her ankle. Not two hours earlier, Seras and Yumiko, or rather Seras and Yumie, had been checking one of the still-ruined sections of London for survivors or ghoul activity. They had run into a small pocket of ghouls, and during what should have been a simple enough fight, a damaged staircase had given out beneath Yumie, injuring her leg and making her an easy target. Seras had gotten to her quickly enough, but then had to carry a screaming, swearing, and downright pissed Yumie back to the mobile HQ for medical attention. After the two had arrived back home, Seras had dropped her off in the medical wing and went to make her report, returning to find that Yumiko had already headed back to her room.

"I told you I would be back to help you in a few minutes. Why didn't you wait?"

"I didn't want to inconvenience you…and I managed getting downstairs on my own…"

"Yumiko…"

"Y-Yes?"

"You're the only friend I've got left in this world. You could never inconvenience me."

"T-Thank you…"

"Can I…come in a moment?"

"Of course. Please…"

Yumiko had been assigned a room of suffocating size in the basement, and like Seras had done with her own, Yumiko had made some effort so make the room more livable, putting up wall-sized curtains to hide the grey stone walls. A tiny chandelier hung in place of the once bare bulb, and what little furniture would fit was bright and inviting.

Seras helped the girl into a chair, and they sat for a short while, making small talk. About the new recruits, compared Alucard and Father Anderson, their views, their beliefs, the things they did so casually and the stranger things that they hated above all else. Seras' voice softened as her mind wandered towards Pip, and Yumiko listened quietly to the bits and pieces Seras allowed herself to tell. Yumiko took over as the fond reminiscing approached it's inevitable, unpleasant end, and after a few minutes, she didn't manage to suppress a yawn in time, Seras noticing and standing to bid her good night. Or good morning. She wasn't sure which.

"C'mon. Off to bed with you."

"No, I'm fine, reall-ahhhhh…"

One final jaw-cracking yawn and a giggle from Seras later, Yumiko was helped to her feet and guided to bed, Seras reaching for the dresser.

"Where do you keep your-"

Sliding out the wrong drawer, Seras saw Yumiko's habit neatly folded inside. The Vatican had very politely and very quietly sent her and the rest of Iscariot notice they had been excommunicated. Seras quickly closed it. Yumiko wasn't technically allowed to wear it, but still kept it, and Seras had spend a lot of time simply being nearby for Yumiko after she found out, after realizing how much it had affected her. Shutting the drawer quickly, she pulled open another and helped a blushing Yumiko undress and get into her nightgown. She reached to pull the covers over the girl, but stopped as Yumiko rested a hand on hers.

"Have you…eaten yet?"

"No…why?"

Seras watched as Yumiko nervously undid a few buttons and ran a hand over her neck. Seras' eyes widened at the sight. Medical plasma was always cold, half congealed and tasted like plastic. It just couldn't compare to fresh, warm blood straight from a living body.

"You…You'd let me…"

"Well…you did save my life tonight…so I…just thought…maybe just a little…"

If she could, Seras would've started to drool. Any thoughts as to Yumiko's strange, withdrawn behavior lately vanished. Locking the door, Seras sat down next to Yumiko on the bed and carefully pulled the fabric away. Brushing the skin with her fingertips, she felt Yumiko shiver under her touch. With a thought, a fingernail lengthened to become scalpel-sharp, and Seras drew a tiny line on the exposed skin, drawing a sharp breath from the shaking girl.

"Sorry, sorry…"

Seras licked her lips before leaning down and gently kissing the cut she had made. Yumiko stifled a moan as Seras began dragging her tongue back and forth along the cut she had made, trying to coax more fluid from the small cut. Yumiko shifted under her, and Seras reflexively grabbed her and pulled her in tightly. Yumiko let out a gasp and Seras paused a moment, relaxing her grip and settling Yumiko into a more comfortable position before she wrapped her lips over the wound and began drinking again. After a minute, she reluctantly stopped, pressing on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Yumiko? I'm…err…done…"

Seras leaned forward just as Yumiko turned her head, and Seras found her face an inch from Yumiko's. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing hard. What shocked Seras, however, was the look that Yumiko was giving her. The kind of look Seras had never expected to see on the young nun's face, much less be on the receiving end. Seras was frozen, held by that look, as Yumiko closed the distance between them. Seras felt Yumiko's lips brush hers for just a moment before she pulled away.

"Would you…like more…of me?"

"Yumi-"

Seras was interrupted by another kiss. Frozen in place, feeling Yumiko's warm lips on hers and a hand rest on a hip before sliding upwards. After a moment, Yumiko fell back onto the bed, unbuttoning the rest of the nightshirt, pulling it open and cupping a breast, the other hand reaching out in invitation.

"Please, Seras…"

Seras stopped, hand outstretched. The sound of her name finally being spoken cutting through the haze in her mind. She looked at the girl's face, and for the first time that night, really looked. And what she saw made her insides knot. A twist at the ends of the smile, a light in the eyes, the way the girl moved…and a slight change in the way her name was spoken that Seras recognized instantly.

"No."

The ruse was over, and they both knew it. The girl sprawled out before Seras dropped the offered hand, sighing loudly.

"Damn! So close…"

"Yumie…what the HELL-

Yumie propped herself up on her elbows, letting her shirt fall open and smirking as human embrassment and base vampiric desire fought for their place against the anger already entrenched on Seras' face.

"Looks like I'm just going to have to do this the hard way…"