The excitement is encouraging, but - Alfred is still bashful as he continues.
"Well... it's - I've always wanted a...a workroom. A whole space to...to sew, not in a corner of my bedroom. Space for fabrics, a-and mannequins, and...just...."
He sighs, a little. "I've barely been given any space, in my life, for the things I like to do. So I think if I would dream of anything...that would be it."
It seems like such a simple request. And yet, if that is what Alfred wants, Georg will hardly deny him it.
"Choose a room to your liking, that you feel will suit your purposes, and we'll move your sewing things into it. Whatever you need to make the room yours can be moved in. A table and some chairs, at the very least. If we haven't any mannequins already, we'll find some for you.
"All for you." He turns his head to press a kiss to Alfred's cheek. "I'll start setting things up tomorrow night. It may take a little, to gather everything necessary -- and no peeking, you understand?" He chucks Alfred's chin affectionately.
"I don't want you to see it until it's completely finished. I want it to be a surprise for you."
The kiss and touch nets Georg a boyish giggle - his expression is pure childlike excitement. The boy, for all his studious nature, wears his emotions so very on his sleeve, happy or sad.
Right now - he feels happy. Loved.
"I promise, I do - oh, thank you, Georg. You have no idea what it means to me."
Pressing a kiss of his own to the other man's forehead, he pulls back behind, reasserting his grip on the brush so he can prepare to braid.
"I know it must - it must sound like a silly thing to ask for, out of anything. But...well, even back in Königsberg, I didn't even have a desk in the Professor's office. I had a chair in the corner. And it was broken."
Georg can't quite help the sneer that crosses his face at the mention of Alfred's set-up in Königsberg. He clears his throat and straightens his posture to let Alfred brush his hair.
"I'm glad, at least, that you have a desk in your room here. And soon you'll have a space for your hobbies."
Not for the first time, he thinks of hunting down and eating Professor Abronsious.
Oop - there's that needle of anger that tends to come up when he mentions the Professor to either Herbert or Georg. He tries to avoid it, but also... maybe a little bit, he secretly likes the anger on his behalf.
Oblivious to what Georg is considering, he parts the hair for braiding, gently and carefully.
"...Do you have any hobbies other than gardening, Georg?" Gentle, curious. There's still so much he doesn't know.
"Very few, surprisingly. I read through my library. Sometimes by theme, sometimes by author. Sometimes at random. I do add to it, from time to time.
And I have taught myself the art of horology. As I'm sure you've been able to tell, we have many, many clocks in the castle. Someone must take care of them all."
He starts in on the braid, movements even, calm, gentle. Occasionally he pauses to collect more oil to help the process along.
"You really take care of the clocks? That's - that's amazing! Clockwork is fascinating, but it's completely beyond me." There is awe in his voice - there are so many KINDS of clocks, here, too.
"I do, yes. We started collecting more of them after I was turned. When I always needed to know the time, to know when sunrise was.
Because I was the one with the need for the clocks, I took it upon myself to learn how to keep up with them. I have dozens of manuals for all sorts of clocks, just in case. I find the process quite soothing, really."
OH, THAT'S WHY THERE ARE SO MANY CLOCKS. Alfred had gotten used to them by now, but had never asked, chalking it up to one of Georg's eccentricities. Knowing the reason, it all makes perfect sense.
So much of what Georg is is like a mystery he's unraveling, bit by bit. Enticing. Fascinating.
"That's remarkable - you must have such a delicate touch."
"It took a few decades and some broken clocks before I was able to properly care for them. But I do like to think I have a delicate touch with them, now."
He glances down with a slight smirk. "Perhaps you can tell me how delicate my touch is."
It takes Alfred's everything not to fumble the braid at that little comment. Grateful that he's standing behind Georg, he flushes quite red, voice turning just a little bashful.
"Ah, w-well, it's-" His voice cracks, and mentally, he curses himself a little. He clears his throat.
"It can be...very delicate, when you want it to be."
"I only tease, my marvelous boy, because I think you turn the most fetching shade of red when you're flustered. It's quite flattering."
What he won't say, is that he and Herbert have spoken extensively on the subject of Alfred's blush. How it trails down his chest in the most alluring way and makes them both want to follow it with fingers and mouths.
No, he'll concentrate instead on the gentle way Alfred's fingers work through his hair.
Yes, he's that shade of red now, he expects. And he's feeling a bit hot under the collar, as it were. Alfred tries to focus on the braid, keeping the twists smooth and sleek before tying it off at the end.
"...There! All done." He smiles, leaning a little over Georg's shoulder. "How does it feel?"
Georg reaches up to touch his hair. It feels... nice, for once. Clean. Cared for. Not merely quickly and carelessly brushed through as he does most evenings but well maintained.
"I feel... handsome." He sounds surprised, but pleasantly so.
At this, Alfred beams - hearing Georg say something nice about himself? Worth every bit of effort.
"You look handsome, Georg. I've never seen your hair back before, and you have such graceful features-"
Absently, he runs a long finger over the contour of his ear, moving down his jaw a bit before he seems to Realize and he gently pulls back with a little laugh. "Ah - sorry. Got a little carried away. But - but you look lovely. And I know Sarah will think so, too."
Georg laughs softly, slightly self conscious, and takes Alfred's hand to kiss the palm. "You can touch, if you'd like. I don't mind. I like it. The way you appreciate me."
Sarah's touches are always greedy, wanting, needing. Alfred touches simply to touch. It's refreshing.
"Does having my hair back show off my graceful features, then?"
Moving around the bench, he straddles it, turning so that he can beckon for Georg to face him. Gently, he reaches out, gently starting again to trace the lines of the other man's face, his jaw, his cheekbones, even the line of his neck over his collar.
He doesn't touch the edge of the scars, peeking out on pale skin. He's seen them, when Georg has had his shirt open or off, but...something about them, about focusing on them makes Alfred uneasy. Disjointed little images, sounds. A strange clicking. A dark laugh. The scent of earth.
Georg will tell him, someday, he's sure, when he is ready.
For now, Alfred just smiles, voice thoughtful. "...It does. You have such nice bone structure, and - your skin is pale, yes, but...but smooth, and soft. I think you're beautiful."
Georg turns to straddle the bench as well, his thighs bracketing Alfred's so he can sit closely. To let Alfred touch him as he pleases. He holds very still as the boy does so, stiffening ever so slightly when Alfred's fingers near his collar and relaxing when they move away again.
"I suppose I never truly let myself think about how I look very often. Or how I feel, to that point. I don't... care for myself. Not like Herbert does. Perhaps I ought to." Though his tone is still tentative. Unsure of whether or not he's worth such things. Deserving of them.
When first they had met, the older vampire had seemed so...untouchable, really. Aloof. But now here they are, fine features and poised stillness just under Alfred's gentle, searching fingertips. The anxiety around the collar doesn't go unnoticed. He doesn't press.
"I think you should," he murmurs, leaning a little closer, eyes bright as he looks up into Georg's. "I would - I would like it, if you did. It doesn't have to be a lot, at first, just...little steps."
He reaches out to take his hands, regarding the unkempt nails with a soft, understanding little smile.
"Like your hair, and...maybe these, just a little, if you'll let me."
He jerks his hands away at first, out of instinct. Out of embarrassment, knowing that Alfred is looking at his nails. Those terrible claws of his. His hands can bring pleasure, yes, but also so much pain. And they aren't neatly kept. Not like Herbert's are. He doesn't file them, has never bothered trying to paint them or cover up what they truly are.
Weapons, meant for hunting prey.
But, slowly, he offers his hands to Alfred again. His voice quiet, barely above a whisper. "I would let you."
When Georg pulls away, Alfred just watches him, gentle and patient - he feels that moment of anxiety lance through the other man, that want to recede. It had been a risky thing for him to do.
...But then he offers them again, and the boy's heart leaps a little, eyes misting at the whisper. A tiny thing, it would appear to someone else.
But for Georg? For Georg he knows what kind of trust this requires. How hard it must be.
Smiling softly, he lifts both hands up, placing little kisses at the knuckles.
"Thank you for trusting me," he whispers, trying not to sniffle.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2022-03-18 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-18 11:27 pm (UTC)"Well... it's - I've always wanted a...a workroom. A whole space to...to sew, not in a corner of my bedroom. Space for fabrics, a-and mannequins, and...just...."
He sighs, a little. "I've barely been given any space, in my life, for the things I like to do. So I think if I would dream of anything...that would be it."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-18 11:39 pm (UTC)"Choose a room to your liking, that you feel will suit your purposes, and we'll move your sewing things into it. Whatever you need to make the room yours can be moved in. A table and some chairs, at the very least. If we haven't any mannequins already, we'll find some for you.
It will be a room just for you."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-18 11:55 pm (UTC)He doesn't ask for much...but he's also easy to please. Excitement rattles his tone, and he leans around the older vampire's shoulder, grin bright.
"Oh Georg - really? Really? Just for me?"
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:01 am (UTC)"I don't want you to see it until it's completely finished. I want it to be a surprise for you."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:12 am (UTC)Right now - he feels happy. Loved.
"I promise, I do - oh, thank you, Georg. You have no idea what it means to me."
Pressing a kiss of his own to the other man's forehead, he pulls back behind, reasserting his grip on the brush so he can prepare to braid.
"I know it must - it must sound like a silly thing to ask for, out of anything. But...well, even back in Königsberg, I didn't even have a desk in the Professor's office. I had a chair in the corner. And it was broken."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:18 am (UTC)"I'm glad, at least, that you have a desk in your room here. And soon you'll have a space for your hobbies."
Not for the first time, he thinks of hunting down and eating Professor Abronsious.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:27 am (UTC)Oblivious to what Georg is considering, he parts the hair for braiding, gently and carefully.
"...Do you have any hobbies other than gardening, Georg?" Gentle, curious. There's still so much he doesn't know.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:39 am (UTC)And I have taught myself the art of horology. As I'm sure you've been able to tell, we have many, many clocks in the castle. Someone must take care of them all."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:44 am (UTC)He starts in on the braid, movements even, calm, gentle. Occasionally he pauses to collect more oil to help the process along.
"You really take care of the clocks? That's - that's amazing! Clockwork is fascinating, but it's completely beyond me." There is awe in his voice - there are so many KINDS of clocks, here, too.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 12:52 am (UTC)Because I was the one with the need for the clocks, I took it upon myself to learn how to keep up with them. I have dozens of manuals for all sorts of clocks, just in case. I find the process quite soothing, really."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 01:06 am (UTC)So much of what Georg is is like a mystery he's unraveling, bit by bit. Enticing. Fascinating.
"That's remarkable - you must have such a delicate touch."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-19 01:22 am (UTC)He glances down with a slight smirk. "Perhaps you can tell me how delicate my touch is."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-20 07:08 am (UTC)"Ah, w-well, it's-" His voice cracks, and mentally, he curses himself a little. He clears his throat.
"It can be...very delicate, when you want it to be."
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 02:00 am (UTC)What he won't say, is that he and Herbert have spoken extensively on the subject of Alfred's blush. How it trails down his chest in the most alluring way and makes them both want to follow it with fingers and mouths.
No, he'll concentrate instead on the gentle way Alfred's fingers work through his hair.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 04:16 am (UTC)Yes, he's that shade of red now, he expects. And he's feeling a bit hot under the collar, as it were. Alfred tries to focus on the braid, keeping the twists smooth and sleek before tying it off at the end.
"...There! All done." He smiles, leaning a little over Georg's shoulder. "How does it feel?"
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 04:21 am (UTC)"I feel... handsome." He sounds surprised, but pleasantly so.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 04:29 am (UTC)"You look handsome, Georg. I've never seen your hair back before, and you have such graceful features-"
Absently, he runs a long finger over the contour of his ear, moving down his jaw a bit before he seems to Realize and he gently pulls back with a little laugh. "Ah - sorry. Got a little carried away. But - but you look lovely. And I know Sarah will think so, too."
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 04:42 am (UTC)Sarah's touches are always greedy, wanting, needing. Alfred touches simply to touch. It's refreshing.
"Does having my hair back show off my graceful features, then?"
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 04:56 am (UTC)Moving around the bench, he straddles it, turning so that he can beckon for Georg to face him. Gently, he reaches out, gently starting again to trace the lines of the other man's face, his jaw, his cheekbones, even the line of his neck over his collar.
He doesn't touch the edge of the scars, peeking out on pale skin. He's seen them, when Georg has had his shirt open or off, but...something about them, about focusing on them makes Alfred uneasy. Disjointed little images, sounds. A strange clicking. A dark laugh. The scent of earth.
Georg will tell him, someday, he's sure, when he is ready.
For now, Alfred just smiles, voice thoughtful. "...It does. You have such nice bone structure, and - your skin is pale, yes, but...but smooth, and soft. I think you're beautiful."
no subject
Date: 2022-04-07 12:39 am (UTC)"I suppose I never truly let myself think about how I look very often. Or how I feel, to that point. I don't... care for myself. Not like Herbert does. Perhaps I ought to." Though his tone is still tentative. Unsure of whether or not he's worth such things. Deserving of them.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-07 04:54 am (UTC)"I think you should," he murmurs, leaning a little closer, eyes bright as he looks up into Georg's. "I would - I would like it, if you did. It doesn't have to be a lot, at first, just...little steps."
He reaches out to take his hands, regarding the unkempt nails with a soft, understanding little smile.
"Like your hair, and...maybe these, just a little, if you'll let me."
no subject
Date: 2022-04-07 10:22 am (UTC)Weapons, meant for hunting prey.
But, slowly, he offers his hands to Alfred again. His voice quiet, barely above a whisper. "I would let you."
no subject
Date: 2022-04-08 08:16 am (UTC)...But then he offers them again, and the boy's heart leaps a little, eyes misting at the whisper. A tiny thing, it would appear to someone else.
But for Georg? For Georg he knows what kind of trust this requires. How hard it must be.
Smiling softly, he lifts both hands up, placing little kisses at the knuckles.
"Thank you for trusting me," he whispers, trying not to sniffle.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-08 08:25 am (UTC)"You make me feel," Georg says, voice choked with emotion. "Just for a little while. As though I am not a monster."
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