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Herbert wraps his arms tightly around Alfred, rocking him gently. As much to calm himself down as to calm Alfred down. He'd gladly go after anything, anyone who would dare break his Alfred's heart. Who would make him cry like this.
But there's time for that later. For now, Alfred needs him.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Alfred. And if you want me to remind me every day that you are real, I will do that for you."
But there's time for that later. For now, Alfred needs him.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Alfred. And if you want me to remind me every day that you are real, I will do that for you."
The hand on his thigh makes him shiver - and he leans close, his tone softening at the promise of a kiss.
"Yes, Engel. I...I like when you...take your time."
His own hands slip over Herbert's body - one on his shoulder, another on his knee, threatening to slide upward.
"Yes, Engel. I...I like when you...take your time."
His own hands slip over Herbert's body - one on his shoulder, another on his knee, threatening to slide upward.
"Certainly." Herbert wiggles his fingers eagerly and moves over to where Alfred is sitting at the vanity. He helps Alfred adjust the corset to where it ought to sit on him.
Then, carefully, he starts pulling the laces tight. Making sure that everything is pulled evenly. "Say when, my love."
Then, carefully, he starts pulling the laces tight. Making sure that everything is pulled evenly. "Say when, my love."
Herbert smiles and wraps an arm around Alfred's waist, pulling him a little closer as he leans in to brush their lips together.
"Ah yes," he sighs. "Always wanting me to be patient."
"Ah yes," he sighs. "Always wanting me to be patient."
It may be a little bit surprising, exactly how tight he lets the corset get - and as Herbert pulls the laces, he shuts his eyes, taking in the feeling of it. He doesn't have to breathe, and his muscles and bones are strong, resilient...so there is less pain than there might be, and the pressure is -
Well, he makes a soft groaning sound that shows he enjoys it, anyway.
"...There. That's - that's good, Engel."
Well, he makes a soft groaning sound that shows he enjoys it, anyway.
"...There. That's - that's good, Engel."
"...You would?"
He's starting to calm down, very slowly - there's still an awful drop to his voice, a light momentarily snuffed out that's going to be hard for him to get lit again, but at least he stops wailing, sobs turning lighter by degrees.
"You...you really don't...think I'm just...being...."
He cringes, voice breaking through the next word, because it's one he's been called often, and it still hurts:
"...Stupid?"
He's starting to calm down, very slowly - there's still an awful drop to his voice, a light momentarily snuffed out that's going to be hard for him to get lit again, but at least he stops wailing, sobs turning lighter by degrees.
"You...you really don't...think I'm just...being...."
He cringes, voice breaking through the next word, because it's one he's been called often, and it still hurts:
"...Stupid?"
Oh, how he loves that feeling - he loves being pulled in, smelling Herbert's perfume as their lips meet, oh-so-lightly.
The words make him chuckle a little, a fond, sweet sound. He traces little circles on his knee with a fingertip.
"It just means I get more of you, my moonlight."
The words make him chuckle a little, a fond, sweet sound. He traces little circles on his knee with a fingertip.
"It just means I get more of you, my moonlight."
"... why," he says slowly. "Would I think that you were just being stupid?" He's doing his best not to be upset, not to get angry. Because Alfred doesn't need that right now. Because Alfred needs comfort, and reassurance, and not Herbert gnashing his teeth at invisible enemies.
Maybe if he were just a little bit less upset, he would realize that it's not the time to be letting Herbert in on some of the skeletons in his proverbial closet.
But he's still so shaken, he thinks nothing of admitting:
"...It wouldn't be the first time I was told so. The Professor, my Father, my classmates...they all...thought I was...terribly stupid. B-because I couldn't...I couldn't find...the right words, sometimes...."
But he's still so shaken, he thinks nothing of admitting:
"...It wouldn't be the first time I was told so. The Professor, my Father, my classmates...they all...thought I was...terribly stupid. B-because I couldn't...I couldn't find...the right words, sometimes...."
The corset pulls Alfred in at the waist, giving his figure a faintly feminine curve to it. It suits him, Herbert thinks. It just accentuates his hips and that luscious ass of his. So he ties off the corset where Alfred tells him to, letting his fingers slide over the boning of the corset, following the new curve of his waist.
The groan comes as a surprise, and Herbert raises his eyebrows. "Do you like the way that feels, my love?"
The groan comes as a surprise, and Herbert raises his eyebrows. "Do you like the way that feels, my love?"
"Well, how can I say no to you wanting more of me?" He strokes his fingers over the curve of Alfred's jaw as they trade soft little kisses. "I like being your moonlight. It makes me feel special when you call me that."
The feeling of Herbert's fingers sliding across his waist over the fabric and boning is...good. Different. He bites his lip a little, finally letting his eyes slit back open as he's questioned.
"Yes," he nearly gasps, glancing back, his expression one of a different brand of confusion than normal. "I-I feel...I feel...."
He lightly slides his own hands down the front of the corset, tracing the boning down, down, down. He sounds bemused.
"I don't quite know how to describe it. But I - I like it."
"Yes," he nearly gasps, glancing back, his expression one of a different brand of confusion than normal. "I-I feel...I feel...."
He lightly slides his own hands down the front of the corset, tracing the boning down, down, down. He sounds bemused.
"I don't quite know how to describe it. But I - I like it."
Herbert hisses and holds Alfred that much closer, that much more tightly. "You're not stupid in the least. They're the idiots for not seeing your brilliance."
His voice has dropped into a low growl and he clutches at Alfred, one hand buried in his hair, nose against his neck. "You're so clever, Alfred. So much smarter than they could ever hope to be."
His voice has dropped into a low growl and he clutches at Alfred, one hand buried in his hair, nose against his neck. "You're so clever, Alfred. So much smarter than they could ever hope to be."
Alfred purrs against Herbert's lips at the stroke, slowly gravitating towards the blonde the more they touch, kiss, whisper to each other.
As much as he chides Herbert for his pace sometimes, Alfred has an eagerness all his own that he's never quite had a handle on.
"You ARE special, Engel. You're so special to me. There's no one else like you."
As much as he chides Herbert for his pace sometimes, Alfred has an eagerness all his own that he's never quite had a handle on.
"You ARE special, Engel. You're so special to me. There's no one else like you."
"Well it suits you wonderfully. I think you look marvelous." He hums and kisses at Alfred's shoulder, spidering his fingers over Alfred's stomach, covering Alfred's hands with his own. "Shall I try a little makeup on you? A little eyeliner, a little lipstick perhaps?"
In his panic, the hiss almost makes him jump a little - but it's for him, it's for his sake. The grip around him tightens and he leans into it, desperate for the comfort being offered, the security.
He had really never...had anyone in his life like Herbert, before. Anyone to dispute the years and years of degradation, name-calling, gaslighting.
So he just clings back to the hissing, growling vampire, holding tight to him like a frightened child.
"...B-brilliance? You...think I'm...brilliant?"
He had really never...had anyone in his life like Herbert, before. Anyone to dispute the years and years of degradation, name-calling, gaslighting.
So he just clings back to the hissing, growling vampire, holding tight to him like a frightened child.
"...B-brilliance? You...think I'm...brilliant?"
"Of course you are," he says, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. As though it doesn't even need to be said. "You're so bright, so clever. You can do so much and you shine so brightly. I -- " he huffs and shoves his face against Alfred's neck.
"It just makes me so angry, to think that there have been people who have convinced you otherwise."
"It just makes me so angry, to think that there have been people who have convinced you otherwise."
Alfred purrs, relishing the attention, the cool touch of Herbert's hands on his own.
"...Yes, please," he murmurs, blue eyes still glittering with that Something Else. There is a Feeling radiating off the young man, a sort of...tension, anticipation, but also...sensuality. Something catlike and languid, waking up inside him, stretching long-still muscles.
He's not saying very much, but this time, it may not just be because he's tongue-tied.
"...Yes, please," he murmurs, blue eyes still glittering with that Something Else. There is a Feeling radiating off the young man, a sort of...tension, anticipation, but also...sensuality. Something catlike and languid, waking up inside him, stretching long-still muscles.
He's not saying very much, but this time, it may not just be because he's tongue-tied.
Herbert is ANGRY, angry enough that Alfred could almost swear he can feel it somehow - but not angry at him. It's almost like he's being angry FOR Alfred, to make up for all those times when he couldn't be, when he buried it or let it melt down into demure sadness.
"...Thank you," he whimpers, muffled against the older vampire. "You're - you're the first. To say that. It...helps me feel...not so...lost."
"...Thank you," he whimpers, muffled against the older vampire. "You're - you're the first. To say that. It...helps me feel...not so...lost."
It takes him a long moment before he speaks, and when he does it's slow. Measured. Clearly trying to fight back a lot of emotion.
"Whenever you feel lost, I will help you find yourself again. And whenever you feel forgotten, or alone, I will remind you how real you are to me. Because you are one of the single best things to happen to me, Alfred. And I will hunt down anyone whoever dares to make you feel like you might disappear."
"Whenever you feel lost, I will help you find yourself again. And whenever you feel forgotten, or alone, I will remind you how real you are to me. Because you are one of the single best things to happen to me, Alfred. And I will hunt down anyone whoever dares to make you feel like you might disappear."
The conviction in all these words, the way he's being held... it's soothing, it's grounding, but it's also...new. So new, in a life like his.
Tilting his head just enough to look up at Herbert, eyes and cheeks damp and pale, he sniffles...looking grateful, looking like he believes every bit, even though the only word he can find is:
"...Why? Why would - why would you do that for me?"
It isn't that he can't believe Herbert, because he does.
It's himself he doesn't believe in.
Tilting his head just enough to look up at Herbert, eyes and cheeks damp and pale, he sniffles...looking grateful, looking like he believes every bit, even though the only word he can find is:
"...Why? Why would - why would you do that for me?"
It isn't that he can't believe Herbert, because he does.
It's himself he doesn't believe in.
"Because I love you," he says, as though it's as simple as all that, and he reaches out to thumb away a few tears. "Because you mean everything in the world to me, Alfred. Because you are worth everything in the world. And if I have to prove that every day we're together, somehow I swear I will."
"Delightful." He sits next to Alfred on the bench and looks over the few pieces of makeup he'd given him to toy with, if he so chose. He selects a lipstick that very nearly matches the shade of red of his corset, holding Alfred's chin carefully as he applies it to his lips.
This - whatever it is he has with Herbert is new, it's a bit alarming.
But it's also...warm, and comfortable in a way he's never been. A little of that light in him that went out looking in the mirror rekindles in his eyes, a little awe in his face as he stares at the other vampire.
"...I believe you," he whispers, to Herbert but also to himself. Accepting it. Letting it calm him.
But it's also...warm, and comfortable in a way he's never been. A little of that light in him that went out looking in the mirror rekindles in his eyes, a little awe in his face as he stares at the other vampire.
"...I believe you," he whispers, to Herbert but also to himself. Accepting it. Letting it calm him.
"Good, because I meant it. Every single word." He sighs and rests his forehead against Alfred's. Thinking back to when he was first turned.
"Would it help if we covered them? The mirrors, I mean."
"Would it help if we covered them? The mirrors, I mean."
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