Chapter 26
She stirred a little in his arms. "Eh?" Alucard looked at her still, noticing her awakening, albeit slowly.
"Evening Seras...sleep well?" He said in a low voice. Seras nodded, a little groggy.
"Ya..." She blinked her eyes a few times to focus them as she looked up at him. He bent his head down, resting his forehead against hers.
"...A slow night would do me good tonight..." He said, sort of playfully, and mysterious. Seras stared back at him, unblinking.
"Hai, you shouldn't push yourself, not after how you were last night, master..." She situated herself comfortably, putting a lazy arm around his middle. Alucard winced a little, his eye twitching, as his back was not in good shape either.
But it was bearable, and he managed a grin.
"Hmmm...I know...I have to get my burns looked at...they were deep...haven't fully healed..."
Seras looked at his face, which still looked a little flustered and burned, and despite the paint it must have been giving him, it still made him look a little funny.
"...Oh...gomen..." She saw the look of pain on his face when she put her arm around his middle, and slowly and reluctantly started to slide it away...
Alucard moved his left hand; grabbing the hand she was taking away from him, and placed it back to where it was around his middle. He winced a little, and his eyes flickered a deeper red. The pain soon dulled to a steady roar.
"Hmmm...I don't mind Seras...as long as it is you 'round me..." Seras smiled a little with her fangs as he told her this, putting the other arm that she was lying on around his middle, hooking that hand with her other one, being gentle on his back.
"Master..."
His head moves away a little, looking into her red eyes, grinning as he saw the kindness within, and he thought of the old days...
He rested his head on her right shoulder to get closer, still wincing in pain, but not at all caring.
"Hmmm...yes...Seras...?"
She closed her eyes. "...Master...why do you still want to stay here, when it hurts?"
He caught her eye from the corner as he turned his head to the side, wincing a little from his face. His eyes were in some sort of daze as he tried to concentrate on Seras' eyes, her face.
"Hmmm..." And with a sound of amusement, he continued in a deepening voice, "...I thought you would have figured that out by now, Seras...Victoria..."
Her pupils dilated, her eyes themselves still staying wide. She thought he sounded like he was going to continue saying something, so she questioned him to finish his sentence.
"Master?" She just looked at him, right back in the face...however, nervously. Alucard, trying to sound mysterious, looked her over with small, red eyes. He moved his head back to nuzzling her neck, bringing him closer in the embrace.
He spoke in her ear, slowly at first. "...I..." He lost his voice a little, as it was hard for him to say. He hadn't felt like this for decades until now, and it was hard...hard for him.
"...love you...Seras..." He turned his head away.