There's a little giggle at that - he's glad the joke got a laugh. It's relatively recent that he's gotten comfortable enough with his own sexuality to start saying things like that out loud.

"Well, I'm sure those good things will be worth the wait." Once the tangles are suitably worked through, Alfred sets the brush down...then, automatically, he reaches out and starts to section the hair.

He's braided Herbert's hair before, but a French braid is about as elaborate as he has managed - but impulse makes him do things a little differently this time.

There's that burning in his chest again. He tries to ignore it.