Of course I did. Even when I knew I'd see you the next evening.

[His own voice is soft. There's no embarrassment in admitting the thing he just said, but it feels like the kind of truth best whispered. His hands are still holding onto hers, and she's still looking down at him, all warmth and loveliness and sun in her hair.

In the future, Alucard will realize that this is the moment he realized he could lay in this spot forever, looking up, and be content for lifetimes.]

...I am still learning. The curve is steep, and I have not had a lifetime of practice.