He stood a meter or two away from her, his stance loose, in civilian clothes and an awkward smile on his lips.
She rarely saw him like this, in a calm atmosphere, without order or instruction. This was a meeting between coworkers, she reminded herself. A causal midnight stroll, was all. Nothing romantic. Definitely not.
His smile grew a bit more as she moved closer to him, his hands shifting a bit in his pockets.
"I'm surprised you wanted to meet me like this. I figured you would reject the invitation for the hundredth time." She almost lost the words with his accent and the cigarette he put between his lips.
"It's... a nice night. It would be a shame to waste it locked away in my room." She wouldn't admit that she really did want to spend a pleasant evening with him. She knew that there was a high chance that he would do something sleazy to ruin everything, but she took the risk, hoping he would prove her wrong.
He offered his arm, which she took a bit hesitantly, as they started their walk around the outskirts of the Hellsing manor.
"What made you agree this time, anyway? It couldn't just be the weather, huh?"
She shrugged, "Perhaps not."
He laughed at this. "Oh yeah? What are the other reasons, hmm?"
"Maybe I was lonely." She tried to be coy, though the comment came out a little defeated.
"I'm glad to know I'm good company." she studied his profile from the corner of her eye, admiring the shape of his face. He was quite the attractive man, even if he was a smug pervert.
They walked quietly for a few moments, finding themselves in the darkness as they moved further from the manor itself.
Maybe out of habit, she moved closer to him as the night surrounded them. He laughed again at this.
"Oh, the creature of the night cowers in the dark. I'll protect you, no matter." He wraps his arm around her, and she takes in his scent. The mix of sweat, tobacco, and the blood coursing through his veins was nearly unbearable, but she didn't want to pull away.
"I don't need you to protect me." She mumbled, a bit muffled by the coat he was wearing.
He stops suddenly, turning to her. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close. She was a little disappointed that he made a move so quickly in their little walk. She figured he would wait at least a beat or two.
"No? I'll protect you from the big bad wolves or the creatures that hide in the shadows." His face was close to hers now, and she figured he would try to kiss her.
Before he did, she pulled away playfully, backing away a bit. He didn't seem too surprised, and even in the dark she could see him smirk.
"I guess I'll have to try a little harder than that."
...
Seras woke to the dark of her room, seeing her bedside clock flash 1:00 pm. She woke with an emptiness in her chest.
He wasn't there with her all the time. He wasn't there a majority of the time. Only when she need him in time of adrenaline and anger. He wasn't with her when she was alone in the middle of the day, aching for him.
She should have let him kiss her that time on their walk. She could only imagine how many kisses they could have shared. How intimate they could have become in the short time they had together.
She had been so stubborn with him, why? She could have enjoyed their time, spent their free nights together, flirting and falling in love.
Now, though, she lost the opportunity, and the emptiness that caused was nearly unbearable.