The dream is fading, time going disjointed as the scene progresses - to Solin's end, to where Alfred's nightmares had ended before, murky and complicated...but even as everything else disappears, a piece of the scene remains, stubborn. Something that someone wants the real Herbert to see.
Solin's spirit recoils from his body, tugged at the elbow by the dark-clad figure - but he pulls away, fighting his way to stand over young Herbert. Bright green eyes determined, he resists the pull of Death for long enough to take his spindle from the fastener at his waist, pulling from it the end of a long crimson thread.
Stooping down, he ties it around young Herbert's wrist.
"Wait for me, my dear. I will come back to you. No matter how many lives it takes to find you. I swear it on my very blood."
As the dream fades away, Solin is pulled past the real Herbert into the darkness...and just for a moment, he looks up, knowingly, and he smiles.
The red thread. The very one that Alfred described to him, after he was pulled back from the brink of death. After he pulled himself back. The red thread that connects them across lifetimes. It's all true, then. The birthmark, the braid, and now the dream prove that.
Herbert steps back from the dream and nestles against Alfred's chest, finally able to close his eyes and rest easy, knowing that Solin had found him again.
When night falls again, Herbert awakens and pulls Alfred close against him. Peppering his hair and cheeks and forehead and every bit of him he can reach within the confines of the crypt with soft, sweet little kisses.
As Alfred awakens, he blinks with a sleepy smile as he's kissed all over. "Mnh, good evening, Engel," he yawns, wits not quite catching up for a moment or two before he realizes what was said.
"Wait - did something happen? I didn't go anywhere, did I?"
Herbert's brows furrow faintly at that. "Your dream. The nightmare you had last night. I watched it, because you were whimpering and I wanted to see if I could help.
It hits him after another beat or two of wakefulness, expression going bewildered, then contemplative.
"Yes, yes, I - it was the nightmare I've been having, the one that made me think something was wrong. But it was...it was different this time. M-maybe because you were there?"
He chews his lip for a moment, thinking about it, trying to remember.
"I was - I was...sick, I couldn't see, I couldn't get up, and then...you came, you picked me up off the ground, and you...." He pauses. "...Wait...wait, but...but I was...."
Herbert nods excitedly, reaching between them to clasp at Alfred's hands. "Yes I know. You were a young shepherd, weren't you? Well I suppose you couldn't tell if you were a shepherd or not, but -- you know what I mean. You were different. But the same."
Automatically, Alfred grasps back, lacing his fingers with his lover's as he thinks this over. His expression is pensive, but unafraid - no, this feels...right.
"Yes, I - I wasn't myself, but I...it was me, I know it was me." He looks Herbert in the eyes, in awe. "...Was - was that him, Herbert?"
"Yes -- yes. That was him. But it's you, too. You tied that red string to my wrist, my love. You promised me you'd come back. And look at you, here, with me."
The excitement is infectious - the younger vampire smiles his crooked little smile as he's kissed.
"He said...that I'm braver than I think. That we've always been that way when things have gone wrong. And...and he asked me to take good care of you. But to let you take care of me, too. Not to be stubborn."
Leaning forward, he kisses Herbert, softly, sweetly.
"He also said to tell you...that he loves you, and he's sorry he made me scare you. He didn't mean to."
"I forgive you," he says quickly, kissing him soundly. "Of course I forgive you. And I will take care of you, no matter what. And I'll let you take care of me. We'll take care of each other. We have eternity to do so."
Alfred pulls one hand out of Herbert's grip, moving it up to cup his cheek. He's still a little frail from his experiments, but better than he had been.
"Eternity...together. I - this really was always meant to be, wasn't it? You - you really were what I was looking for, this whole time...."
Another kiss - and as he does, a warm, familiar voice, softly laughing from the back of Alfred's mind.
"It was. Across time -- across lifetimes, we were meant to be together." He's crying again, but he's laughing too, kissing Alfred firmly and stroking his hair.
He chokes out a laugh and rests their foreheads together, still petting Alfred. "You know, right? That I love you for you. For all that you are, in this lifetime."
It's funny - as horrifying as the dream had been, as weak as Alfred still feels...he feels elated, content in a way he hasn't quite felt before. He wipes Herbert's tears away, snuggling and sniffling as he beams at his lover.
"I know that, Engel, I do - you didn't know, and you still gave your heart to me. I have...I have never questioned that. It's just...it's like a fairy tale-"
Alfred stops short, eyes widening as he seems to realize something - but stumbles over saying it out loud, years of repression staying his tongue while his mind races.
'Wait - wait, Herbert is - Herbert is The Prince, isn't he?
"The prince?" Herbert asks. Not meaning to listen in, but it's thought so loudly that he can't quite ignore it. "Am I a prince?" He slides a finger over Alfred's jaw and taps his chin.
For a moment, Alfred's jaw works wordlessly - then he laughs, a bit sheepish.
"Well, you see - when I was little, I - I used to dream about a castle. It was big, and it scared me. I was...I was not a daring child."
His expression is thoughtful as he tries to think back.
"And there was always a man there outside the castle, and he would always tell me not to be afraid. That there was a Prince in there, and someday, I could...I could grow up and be his Knight. I told my parents about it, and they...well, they questioned it, said that I must mean a Princess, but...."
Idly, he toys with the end of Herbert's hair.
"...But no, the man definitely said Prince. A lonely Prince who would need me, someday." His brows furrow.
"Come to think of it...the man was...I think he was a shepherd."
"He must have been. He was! I know it was him, now. It - so much makes sense."
The younger vampire beams, bright-eyed. "I'm not much of a Knight. But I'm... I'm so glad. I'm so glad it was real. That I found you. That we found each other."
"You're my Knight. You've rescued me from loneliness and boredom. From a lifetime of a broken heart. You've mended me, and I thought that wasn't possible."
Being called a Knight like this, being assured of what he's done for Herbert - it makes his heart swell, eyes welling up.
"I never thought any of this was possible, either. That I could - that I could feel like this. About anyone. You make me feel like...like I could do anything."
"That's how I felt, when I first saw you. That I could and would do anything for you." And now he knows why he felt like that, that love at first sight. But every day that he's with Alfred, his love for him grows deeper and stronger. Beyond just having found Solin again, he loves Alfred for all that Alfred is, and all that he can do.
"My remarkable boy. I will say it as often as you need to hear it, I love you."
For his part, knowing that their souls are intertwined across time this way makes Alfred feel...at peace. The knowledge that he's this important to someone else is something that makes him feel like he has a reason, a purpose beyond just being...useful.
He knows there is no loss of love for him, knowing who he once was. He can feel Herbert worrying about it, but he...just isn't.
"I love you too - my Engel, my Moonlight." He reaches his hand around to caress Herbert's cheek. "You're absolutely amazing. And sometimes you need reminding about that, too."
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Solin's spirit recoils from his body, tugged at the elbow by the dark-clad figure - but he pulls away, fighting his way to stand over young Herbert. Bright green eyes determined, he resists the pull of Death for long enough to take his spindle from the fastener at his waist, pulling from it the end of a long crimson thread.
Stooping down, he ties it around young Herbert's wrist.
"Wait for me, my dear. I will come back to you. No matter how many lives it takes to find you. I swear it on my very blood."
As the dream fades away, Solin is pulled past the real Herbert into the darkness...and just for a moment, he looks up, knowingly, and he smiles.
"I love you, Herbert. And I always will."
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Herbert steps back from the dream and nestles against Alfred's chest, finally able to close his eyes and rest easy, knowing that Solin had found him again.
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Stirring a little, Alfred sniffles just once more, wrapping his arms around Herbert, mumbling low and sweet without opening his eyes.
"...Found you...my dear Engel...."
And just like that, he slips back into peaceful slumber.
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"I'm so happy to have you back, my love."
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"Wait - did something happen? I didn't go anywhere, did I?"
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Do you remember your dream from last night?"
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It hits him after another beat or two of wakefulness, expression going bewildered, then contemplative.
"Yes, yes, I - it was the nightmare I've been having, the one that made me think something was wrong. But it was...it was different this time. M-maybe because you were there?"
He chews his lip for a moment, thinking about it, trying to remember.
"I was - I was...sick, I couldn't see, I couldn't get up, and then...you came, you picked me up off the ground, and you...." He pauses. "...Wait...wait, but...but I was...."
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"Yes, I - I wasn't myself, but I...it was me, I know it was me." He looks Herbert in the eyes, in awe. "...Was - was that him, Herbert?"
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Alfred smiles at this, at Herbert, gaze flicking away for a moment as he thinks. "Just before I woke up, I - he...he talked to me?"
A tear tracks down his cheek - but it's a happy one.
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"What did he say to you?"
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The excitement is infectious - the younger vampire smiles his crooked little smile as he's kissed.
"He said...that I'm braver than I think. That we've always been that way when things have gone wrong. And...and he asked me to take good care of you. But to let you take care of me, too. Not to be stubborn."
Leaning forward, he kisses Herbert, softly, sweetly.
"He also said to tell you...that he loves you, and he's sorry he made me scare you. He didn't mean to."
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"Eternity...together. I - this really was always meant to be, wasn't it? You - you really were what I was looking for, this whole time...."
Another kiss - and as he does, a warm, familiar voice, softly laughing from the back of Alfred's mind.
'It's good to be home, my dear.'
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He chokes out a laugh and rests their foreheads together, still petting Alfred. "You know, right? That I love you for you. For all that you are, in this lifetime."
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"I know that, Engel, I do - you didn't know, and you still gave your heart to me. I have...I have never questioned that. It's just...it's like a fairy tale-"
Alfred stops short, eyes widening as he seems to realize something - but stumbles over saying it out loud, years of repression staying his tongue while his mind races.
'Wait - wait, Herbert is - Herbert is The Prince, isn't he?
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"I like the idea of being your prince."
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"Well, you see - when I was little, I - I used to dream about a castle. It was big, and it scared me. I was...I was not a daring child."
His expression is thoughtful as he tries to think back.
"And there was always a man there outside the castle, and he would always tell me not to be afraid. That there was a Prince in there, and someday, I could...I could grow up and be his Knight. I told my parents about it, and they...well, they questioned it, said that I must mean a Princess, but...."
Idly, he toys with the end of Herbert's hair.
"...But no, the man definitely said Prince. A lonely Prince who would need me, someday." His brows furrow.
"Come to think of it...the man was...I think he was a shepherd."
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That means you were always meant to be here, someday, and to rescue this poor lonely prince."
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The younger vampire beams, bright-eyed. "I'm not much of a Knight. But I'm... I'm so glad. I'm so glad it was real. That I found you. That we found each other."
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"I never thought any of this was possible, either. That I could - that I could feel like this. About anyone. You make me feel like...like I could do anything."
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"My remarkable boy. I will say it as often as you need to hear it, I love you."
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He knows there is no loss of love for him, knowing who he once was. He can feel Herbert worrying about it, but he...just isn't.
"I love you too - my Engel, my Moonlight." He reaches his hand around to caress Herbert's cheek. "You're absolutely amazing. And sometimes you need reminding about that, too."