"No one. Not ever," he confirms, voice going a little downtrodden. "In fact, just...just a couple minutes before we met, I found Sarah. She...told me to go away."
Maybe he should have taken the hint then, really.
The shift in Herbert's tone catches his attention like a rabbit in a snare, though - his gaze snaps to peer closely at his expression, the hand on the back of his neck rubbing in soothing little circles. "Oh, Herbert," he murmurs, softly, sympathetically. Sarah may not want him, but...here he is, with someone who does. Who did, right away.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that happened to you, and...and I'm not going anywhere, now. I'm staying right here. With you."
He offers a little smile, sad and sweet, and there is just...a glimmer of something More behind the tearful shimmer of his blue eyes.
"Better not," he says, trying and not quite managing to bring his teasing his tone back. "I'm an excellent hunter, as you well know."
But he needn't worry about that, now. Not when Alfred is right beside him, stroking his neck, looking at him with the most sincere expression that Herbert almost can't bear it. "Besides, if you go, who will mend my shirts?"
"When we met," he begins, thinking through his words as he says them, "You were...a lot to take in. And I was so afraid at the ball, when all of you were...were laughing at me."
That one still stings a bit. He had tried to be brave, and...well. Anyway.
"But then when I came back - you were nothing but giving. Sweet. Sensitive. And...and I've gotten to know you a little more, and you're...you're funny, and smart, patient, and strong, and - and-"
He reddens, going a bit tongue-tied and shrinking into himself a little.
"I apologize for the ball. I was wounded. You'd quite broken my heart. And then to see you rushing at Father with a candle stick -- well, fire can't hurt us, not really. I was less laughing at you and more at Father's reaction. He was trying to get a rise out of us, and it worked.
But then -- " It's his turn to comfort Alfred now, taking his hands and kissing his knuckles. "Then you were at my door again, and all that heartache melted away. Because you came back."
That's a revelation that momentarily stuns Alfred.
He had broken Herbert's heart.
His eyes go wide, and they stay wide as he watches Herbert kiss at his hands, being sweet and comforting. He swallows hard, and then....
"Herbert, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I...I didn't know. If I knew then what I know now, I...I might have...." He hesitates for a beat, but he needs to finish the thought.
"I was being so selfish, and I couldn't see that...you and your father both, you were trying to...to show me something. I just wasn't ready to understand it. But I do now."
"We can be... quite a lot to handle, the both of us. Neither of us are terrible subtle, are we? Well -- Father is a little more cryptic than I tend to be, but still.
Either way, you understand yourself better now. And you understand me better, now. And I'm learning about you, as well." Alfred requires a gentler touch. Slow progress, rather than jumping right into things.
"I...am good at listening to people who carry on a little. I'm thankful for that, because it...it's made your father a lot easier to understand." At least that was one thing that he had taken from his time with the Professor that was actually worthwhile.
He smiles again at Herbert's words, squeezing his hands back a little bit.
"...We have time to learn," he finally replies, slowly, reassuring himself just as much as he is reassuring the older vampire.
"Well thank goodness for that, because Father does tend to go on. And on. And on. If you catch him in the right mood. Or wrong mood, I suppose." Herbert makes a face and rolls his eyes, but it's with fondness. Mostly.
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Maybe he should have taken the hint then, really.
The shift in Herbert's tone catches his attention like a rabbit in a snare, though - his gaze snaps to peer closely at his expression, the hand on the back of his neck rubbing in soothing little circles. "Oh, Herbert," he murmurs, softly, sympathetically. Sarah may not want him, but...here he is, with someone who does. Who did, right away.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that happened to you, and...and I'm not going anywhere, now. I'm staying right here. With you."
He offers a little smile, sad and sweet, and there is just...a glimmer of something More behind the tearful shimmer of his blue eyes.
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But he needn't worry about that, now. Not when Alfred is right beside him, stroking his neck, looking at him with the most sincere expression that Herbert almost can't bear it. "Besides, if you go, who will mend my shirts?"
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So instead he just keeps smiling, but -
"You're right. So...I promise. I promise not to leave - even when you master mending seams."
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"Well I doubt I will ever surpass your creativity and your very fine stitching, but I appreciate your faith in me."
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His smile is thoughtful as he strokes the back of the other man's head one more time, soft and...caring. Caring is a step.
"I think you're full of surprises."
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That one still stings a bit. He had tried to be brave, and...well. Anyway.
"But then when I came back - you were nothing but giving. Sweet. Sensitive. And...and I've gotten to know you a little more, and you're...you're funny, and smart, patient, and strong, and - and-"
He reddens, going a bit tongue-tied and shrinking into himself a little.
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But then -- " It's his turn to comfort Alfred now, taking his hands and kissing his knuckles. "Then you were at my door again, and all that heartache melted away. Because you came back."
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He had broken Herbert's heart.
His eyes go wide, and they stay wide as he watches Herbert kiss at his hands, being sweet and comforting. He swallows hard, and then....
"Herbert, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I...I didn't know. If I knew then what I know now, I...I might have...." He hesitates for a beat, but he needs to finish the thought.
"I was being so selfish, and I couldn't see that...you and your father both, you were trying to...to show me something. I just wasn't ready to understand it. But I do now."
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Either way, you understand yourself better now. And you understand me better, now. And I'm learning about you, as well." Alfred requires a gentler touch. Slow progress, rather than jumping right into things.
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He smiles again at Herbert's words, squeezing his hands back a little bit.
"...We have time to learn," he finally replies, slowly, reassuring himself just as much as he is reassuring the older vampire.
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"We do. All the time we could possibly want."
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His heart still aches for what brought him here, it's true. But he's finding that he's glad he came, even if the process had hurt.
Something warm is blooming in him, and he smiles at Herbert. It had taken a long time for the undercurrent of anxiety to leave that smile.
But it's all gone now.