Alfred has been gently washed off, cleaned of all the sweat and -- everything else from his earlier ordeal with Georg. He's shirtless, because Georg had insisted on him being restrained at least at the wrists, but Herbert had slipped his pyjama pants onto him. Bad enough Alfred has to wake up restrained, at least he can have his modesty.
Herbert is sitting next to him on the bed. There's a wine bottle of blood, as well as a bowl and a spoon so that Herbert can help Alfred eat something.
"I ought to be furious with you," he sulks, taking up a basin of warm water and a washcloth and dabbing at Alfred's forehead, stroking the damp washcloth over his cheeks. "Mostly I'm just worried. You frightened me."
Herbert is sitting next to him on the bed. There's a wine bottle of blood, as well as a bowl and a spoon so that Herbert can help Alfred eat something.
"I ought to be furious with you," he sulks, taking up a basin of warm water and a washcloth and dabbing at Alfred's forehead, stroking the damp washcloth over his cheeks. "Mostly I'm just worried. You frightened me."
"You were like some -- wild animal. You weren't yourself at all. Father said he could barely find you, in your own mind. Like you were -- gone.
He said he'd seen it before. When someone hasn't been feeding regularly." There's a pointed look at Alfred there, as he pours some of the blood into the soup bowl. "Have you not been eating, Alfred? You haven't been quite yourself for a few days now, but I -- I'd never seen you like this."
He said he'd seen it before. When someone hasn't been feeding regularly." There's a pointed look at Alfred there, as he pours some of the blood into the soup bowl. "Have you not been eating, Alfred? You haven't been quite yourself for a few days now, but I -- I'd never seen you like this."
"Oh, Alfred, my love." Herbert sighs and sets the bowl aside for the time being, tucking himself up against his love's side and wrapping his arms around Alfred's waist. "Didn't mean for what to go this far? Were you not eating on purpose? Why would you hurt yourself like that?"
"Experiments?" He pulls back to stare at Alfred in confusion. "What sort of experiments? Isn't that horribly dangerous? Well clearly it was, since you -- you changed like that.
What sort of nightmare did you have, my love?" He'll have to start watching over Alfred's dreams more closely, clearly.
What sort of nightmare did you have, my love?" He'll have to start watching over Alfred's dreams more closely, clearly.
"I'm so sorry you had those nightmares." He looks -- distraught. At the idea of his Alfred being in pain. Of something fatal happening to him. And even worse, that he had been starving himself. Or doing other things that could hurt him.
But -- oh now he's forgetting his duties, and he helps Alfred sit up a little, offering up a spoonful of blood. "Well I'm here now. And I'm not leaving your side until I have successfully nursed you back to health."
But -- oh now he's forgetting his duties, and he helps Alfred sit up a little, offering up a spoonful of blood. "Well I'm here now. And I'm not leaving your side until I have successfully nursed you back to health."
"And what is that?" he asks, gesturing at the burn with the spoon. "Please don't tell me you were playing with sunlight. Oh, Alfred, you must be so careful with things like that. You could really do some damage to yourself. Imagine how I would feel if I came to your room only to find a pile of -- of dust."
He wipes at his eyes, staining the lace of his sleeve with blood without noticing or caring. "Here, have some more of this," he sighs, offering Alfred another spoonful.
He wipes at his eyes, staining the lace of his sleeve with blood without noticing or caring. "Here, have some more of this," he sighs, offering Alfred another spoonful.
"You didn't hurt me. What you need now is to rest. When you're more up to it, we'll get you some blood. For now..."
He calls Herbert in and sends him for some rope. When Herbert returns with the rope, he helps Georg to tie Alfred's wrists to the bed posts. Just to hold him there, for the time being. While he recovers.
"Try to sleep, now."
He calls Herbert in and sends him for some rope. When Herbert returns with the rope, he helps Georg to tie Alfred's wrists to the bed posts. Just to hold him there, for the time being. While he recovers.
"Try to sleep, now."
"No, no I would have hated it. I would have forbidden it, absolutely. Completely. I'd have tied you down like you are now to keep you from doing it."
He sighs and sets the bowl down, running a cool hand over Alfred's forehead, stroking his cheek. "No, you didn't attack him. He pinned you down before you were able to do anything. Don't worry about Father, he can handle himself."
He sighs and sets the bowl down, running a cool hand over Alfred's forehead, stroking his cheek. "No, you didn't attack him. He pinned you down before you were able to do anything. Don't worry about Father, he can handle himself."
"I'm not mad about that part, cheri. Neither of us are. You were out of your head, you didn't know who or what you were. Father thought it was best to just let you wear yourself out so he could get you into bed more easily."
He pushes Alfred's hair back off his face and leans down to kiss his cheek. "You should have some more blood. I'm not leaving your side until you're fully back in good health, I hope you know." Which brings up uncomfortable memories he has to push down and away. He can be sad about Solin later. Right now, he needs to care for the wonderful boy in front of him.
He pushes Alfred's hair back off his face and leans down to kiss his cheek. "You should have some more blood. I'm not leaving your side until you're fully back in good health, I hope you know." Which brings up uncomfortable memories he has to push down and away. He can be sad about Solin later. Right now, he needs to care for the wonderful boy in front of him.
"My dear..." Alfred never uses endearments like that. Not like Solin did. The mark on the back of his calf, the way he just called him my dear like Solin used to, and it tugs at Herbert's heart in a painful way.
He sighs and blinks hard, trying to ignore the comparison between his past lover and his current one. It's not fair to Alfred. "I don't know if I'm allowed to untie you, yet. But I can loosen the ropes a little if they're hurting you at all."
He sighs and blinks hard, trying to ignore the comparison between his past lover and his current one. It's not fair to Alfred. "I don't know if I'm allowed to untie you, yet. But I can loosen the ropes a little if they're hurting you at all."
"Engel, that's more like it." He sighs and smiles, though it feels forced and awkward as he reaches up to loosen the rope a little, to give Alfred more leeway to move his arms.
He can feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and he wipes them away quickly. "Fine, just fine, mon cheri. Just worried, that's all." Herbert pecks Alfred on the lips before he takes up the bowl again and offers Alfred another spoonful. "But I'll have you back to full health in no time."
He can feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and he wipes them away quickly. "Fine, just fine, mon cheri. Just worried, that's all." Herbert pecks Alfred on the lips before he takes up the bowl again and offers Alfred another spoonful. "But I'll have you back to full health in no time."
"No more experiments," Hebert fusses. "And if you must, then let us be there with you in case something happens. All right?"
There's blood speckling Alfred's lips and he looks so tired, so pale. Herbert's chest clenches and he reaches up to pat Alfred's hand where it sits on his shoulder. "You're not okay yet, but you will be. I'll make sure of it."
There's blood speckling Alfred's lips and he looks so tired, so pale. Herbert's chest clenches and he reaches up to pat Alfred's hand where it sits on his shoulder. "You're not okay yet, but you will be. I'll make sure of it."
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