Bright crimson eyes opened to take in the darkness of the coffin-bed. Reluctant to move but still wanting to be up and about, Seras rolled over to face her master. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow, soft. He was still asleep. His arms were wrapped around her, and she was being held close against him. She felt comfortable and warm. Bothered by the fact that his bangs were covering one of his eyes, she brushed his hair away from his face. Suddenly, his hand snatched her wrist, hard.

"Ah! A-a-master! Its me!" She winced.

Alucard was awake now. When he saw that it was only Seras, he released her and wrapped his arms around her waist again, holding her against his chest again. Seras rubbed her aching wrist. Ouch.

Note to self: never do that again, she thought.

"That would be advisable, Police Girl. Take this as a lesson. I am a light sleeper," he told her, faintly amused.

He took hold of the wrist he had hurt (gently this time) and smiled at her. She smiled back. He kissed her palm, and held her hand against his chest, burying his nose in her hair. She sighed, closing her eyes. She forgave him, as her wrist no longer hurt, and it had been partly her fault anyway. Then he got up onto his knees, bending over her. She propped herself up onto her elbows. He cupped her face in his hands, a possessive yet tender gesture that stirred up wild emotions in Seras. This flurry of emotion unnerved her.

Is this how you affect me now? One touch and I don't know which way is up, Seras thought.

"And so much more," Alucard replied softly, lips brushing her ear as he leaned over her on his hands and knees.

Seras agreed silently. And so much more, indeed. He curled his fingers around the back of her neck and brought her lips to his, kissing her hard. Her tongue pushed past his lips, into his mouth. He tasted like blood, an intoxicating flavor that made her heart beat faster. Suddenly, the taste of blood became stronger. The blood was hers. She had cut her tongue on one of his long fangs. She knew she had tasted her own blood before; humans thought nothing of sucking on a paper cut. But now, with her vampiric senses, the taste excited her. She moaned softly. He sucked the blood from the cut and slid his own tongue over her small fang, making a deliberate cut to draw blood. Seras noticed the distinct change in the taste as their blood mingled. She almost pulled away, knowing that the blood was his, but didn't. Couldn't. The taste was unlike anything she had experienced, intoxicating and thick with a rich feeling of power and darkness. Another small moan escaped her. Add that to the feel of hands roaming . . . Finally, Alucard pulled away, licking his lips. Seras whimpered, mainly because she had really wanted a longer kiss. But also because she knew she had just drank some of his blood. Didn't that mean . . . ?

"Relax, Seras. It will take much more blood than that to free you of your servitude to me. That was just . . . a taste," he murmured, slightly amused.

She sighed. One less thing to panic about. Alucard kissed her forehead, opening the lid to the coffin. He stood and began dressing. Seras, having fallen asleep in her uniform, simply laid back with her hands behind her head, knees up and one leg crossed over the other.

"Seras, my master is calling us," Alucard said as he donned his coat.

They phased up to the hall outside Sir Integral's office. Alucard motioned for her to enter first.

"Always the gentleman, eh?" Seras teased.

"Hardly," Alucard replied.

Seras grinned and strode through the closed door. Alucard followed directly after. Saluting Integra, Seras awaited orders.

"Yes, Officer Seras?" Integra asked, as though she didn't know why they were there.

"Are there any missions for us tonight, Sir?" Seras asked.

"Yes, actually. One, very easy mission for each of you. Seras, you are to accompany Malakai tonight. And you, Alucard, are going to take a trip out to the countryside. You are dismissed, Seras." Integra said coolly.

Seras nodded and saluted again before exiting. Great. An easy mission? Ha! Keeping track of Malakai was like trying to keep track of a two year old on a sugar rush. Oh, you could do it. But you'd be sore and tired from chasing them around all day. At least Malakai came when he was called.

"Malakaaaaaaaaaiii!" Seras called loudly.

The vampire materialized next to her in a whirl of shadows.

"Yes?"

"It seems I am to spend another night in your company," Seras told him.

"You say that as though it was a bad thing," Malakai grinned.

Seras returned his charming smile and replied, "That's a debatable issue, you know."

"Regardless, we should get changed," Malakai said.

Seras nodded and phased into her room, and started sifting through the wooden crate that stored her clothes.

Hmmmmmm . . . where is it? Thi-nope. Nope. Aha! Seras thought, here it is.

Removing a white top and black jeans from the crate, she quickly changed her clothes. Allowing her mind to wander, she recalled that when addressing her need to change, he had said "we".

"Yeah, that's right . . . Those were the same clothes he wore last night. I guess he had just woken up when I called him," Seras said aloud.

Tying her shoes quickly, she started out the door. Suddenly, a mouse ran over her foot and she screamed.

Down the hall, Malakai came out of his room, saying, "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Seras stammered, "M-mouse!"

Malakai laughed.

"Is that what you were screaming about? A mouse? Is it really that bad?" He said, kneeling and picking up the frightened creature by its tail.

"G-get it away from me!" Seras shrieked.

Malakai laughed again and phased, reappearing empty handed.

"It's gone. Better?" He asked.

She nodded. It struck her that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He wore a pair of loose (not baggy) black jeans and his boots. Her gaze traveled over his pale skin, admiring smooth, defined muscle. A tattoo of a snake eating its own tail adorned each arm, and flames snaked up and around his forearms. Seras's mouth went dry. Why on earth was she reacting this way? It was just . . . a man's naked chest . . . nothing she hadn't seen multiple times when she was a police officer . . . and here at Hellsing too . . . so why couldn't she stop staring? Malakai stepped closer, concern apparent in his eyes.

"Seras?"

Her voice wouldn't work, no matter how hard she tried to answer.

"Victoria, are you all right?"

He lifter her chin to look at her better, gripping her upper arm gently. He studied her face. Damn it, why couldn't she answer him! Just. Say. YES!

"U-uh-huh, I'm fine," she said with difficulty.

He smiled, relieved. She returned it weakly. Her hands trembled, and her stomach tightened in nervousness. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn . . .

"Seras?"

She snapped back to reality instantly.

"Er, yeah?"

"I'll be outside in a minute. Why don't you go outside and take a walk while you're waiting for me?"

She nodded and as Malakai turned to return to his room, she saw a tattoo-a woman chained to a pentacle, which was in turn held aloft by chains that appeared to be coming from under his skin-on his back. Seras phased out into the cool night air. Inhaling deeply her body began to relax. What had just happened in there? How could just the sight of him with out a shirt on have that affect on her? She shivered. She didn't even know him, and she was with Alucard, so . . .

"Still . . ."

There was no way in hell she was attracted to him. No way in hell. But every reaction spoke differently. . . she sat down on the rough concrete of the curb outside the front of the manor. She closed her eyes, envisioning him again . . . smooth, pale skin . . . hard, well-defined muscle . . . a gleaming white gold pentacle dangling from a thin chain around his neck . . . that image struck up a thought. Either he was getting into the "goth vampire" thing, or else he was a true pagan.

"Are you pagan, Malakai?" she said aloud to the empty air.

"Why, yes," a voice murmured in her ear.

She twisted her body to look at the source of the voice. Malakai. Wearing loose black jeans and a loose white dress shirt that was partway unbuttoned, so that the pentacle hung down by her ear. She sighed.

"You see, my mother was pagan. My father . . . was never around, and died when I was six or seven, I think. So she raised me to be pagan . . ." he continued, sitting down cross legged beside her.

"So then . . . how did you meet Master Alucard?"

"My father was his father's ally. They offered my mother friendship after father died. Mother became friends with them. So I saw him all the time as a child," he replied, gazing up at the night sky.

"Oh. . . hey, it's cold out here. Wanna go somewhere else?" Seras asked, shivering.

"Sure."

She led him to the hot, loud building where the hot (as in sweating), loud soldiers trained. He seemed to be familiar with the place, and led her to the corner (which the soldiers began to avoid) where the chin-up bar was located. He perched atop it and held out his hand for her. She dismissed the hand, but swung herself up beside him unaided. She suddenly thought to ask him about earlier. . . about had happened with her master . . . with Alucard. Glancing at him, she nearly reconsidered. It was personal . . . but she needed someone to talk to. Someone who understood Alucard.

"Malakai? I . . . want to talk to you about something kind of . . . personal," she said uncertainly.

"Yes?"

She was startled for a moment. She knew him well enough to know that when he did something, he devoted his full attention to what he was doing. But now, his full attention was focused on her. He was leaning forward, eyes gazing intently into hers. It was . . . silly, but . . . it unnerved her.

"E-earlier . . . when I woke up, master and I kind of . . . no, we did . . . we made out, um, kissed. And, uh . . . well, I cut myself on his fang, and uh . . . he-he cut his tongue on purpose, and, well . . . I know it's just silly, but, well . . . what was that about? H-he seemed to . . . dammit, I dunno," Seras attempted to explain in the least graphic way possible.

Malakai smiled. No, he chuckled.

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Well, it isn't exactly bothering me . . ."

He grinned, exposing his own long, elegantly pointed fangs.

"The Transylvanian French Kiss! Alucard, you are a pain in the ass sometimes," Malakai muttered.

"The transylvanian what!"

"It's called the Transylvanian French Kiss. I'm sure I don't have to explain it to you . . . although you can be sure he got more out of it than you did," Malakai replied.

So that was it? No, that was not close to being "it".

"So the Transylvanian kiss thing . . ."

"Alucard's personal favorite. Is that all?"

"W-no. Isn't drinking his blood supposed to. . . ?"

"Yes, but it takes a far larger amount of blood to release you from servitude to a master vampire."

"But just that little bit made me feel all lightheaded and dizzy and stuff! A 'larger amount' would kill me!"

"No it won't. But it gave you a taste of what it would be like to be a true vampire, Seras. You got a taste of his power and his darkness in that small amount of blood, as I'm sure he intended. In addition to the sheer pleasure of the kiss, and the taste of blood, of course. He wants you to drink his blood so badly. . ."

Seras stared.

"He-he does?"

"More than you'll ever know," Malakai moved closer, breathing softly.

"How do you know?"

"I have spoken to him many a time since my coming here. He and I do not sleep as much as you may think."

"Oh-oh no?"

"No. Sleep is not really a big necessity for the two of us. Not anymore . . ."

She nodded. He fingered the pentacle that hung from his neck as he leaned back against the wall behind him, gazing at her with his crimson eyes. His beautiful crimson eyes. Somehow, that description seemed to suit him . . . the large window behind him gave her access to an amazing view of the night sky. The moon was full . . . and a deep blood red color. The pale red light bathed his skin in crimson. His skin seemed to glow with it. The night was lit up in a red haze.

"It's beautiful out there . . ." she murmured.

He glanced out the window, a small smile curving his lips.

"Yes. . ."

"I just wish . . ."

"Do you miss being human, Seras?"

The suddenness of the question was abnormally appropriate for the moment. She nodded.

"I do. A lot. I don't know why," she told him, "I was all alone then . . ."

"You miss . . . the simplicity of it? Or perhaps . . . you miss the idea of being with someone who can openly return your emotions?"

She had never thought of it that way, but . . .

"I just wish he'd say it once. Just one time," she said sadly, "I love you. Is that too much to ask?"

Malakai shook his head, "You have so much to learn Seras. Love is a concept. Vampires . . . 'love' in a different way than humans do."

He was probably right. He knew more about it than she did.

"Did you . . . love Trinity?"

" . . . Yes. More than you'll ever know. That's why I . . . never you mind that," he said.

A deep sadness permeated the crimson of his irises. A sadness that was incomprehensible to her.

"Malakai?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Seras said softly, "I should be ashamed."

"For what?"

"I've only thought of myself, lately. I forget that there is more to it than I know. I forget that . . . others are suffering too. I'm sorry. And sorry I bugged you about . . . the transy-whatsit thing. It's stupid . . ."

He smiled. With a sweeping motion, he leapt down from the bar.

"Come, Seras. Why don't we take a walk?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Let's."