A/N: So, it looks like this story is going to end up as just a bunch of scenes from the time Alfred spends in vK's employ, as they try to get comfortable with each other. For now it seems like vK making all the concessions, but I think before long Alfred will be induced to meet him in the middle.
"No – no!" Alfred yelped. He tried to flinch away, but the vampire was far too strong. "Stop it, you promised," he hissed. "You swore you wouldn't bite me without permission! And I don't give permission!"
Von Krolock laughed against his neck so that the terrible fangs actually scraped over his skin. "Have I bitten you yet, Alfred?"
Alfred swallowed. He couldn't answer, couldn't breathe, as he felt the wet cool pressure of the count's tongue move over him.
"Have I?" Licking, hard, over his vein.
"No," he gasped at last.
"No. Exactly. Then what's the problem?"
The problem was there were lips and teeth oh God teeth exploring his neck, sucking. "Stop that," he choked out. He remembered Sarah describing this very act… only according to her there was some kind of ecstacy in it, some dark pleasure in allowing a vampire to contemplate what he planned to do to you. Alfred for one was not experiencing any pleasure. He was terrified, plain and simple. His knees were about to give out on him. "Count, what are you doing?"
Von Krolock re-gripped his shoulders and nudged his head aside to whisper into his ear. "Just the other day you were advising me to find pleasure in resisting temptation," he breathed. He held Alfred's shoulder and temple, spreading to bare the neck. "And so I am taking your advice. I am enjoying this."
"I didn't mean- ah!"
Von Krolock was mocking a bite, closing his jaws until his fangs dug in, chuckling.
"Ow! I said resist the temptation to hurt people, not start torturing me on purpose!"
The painful suction ceased a moment as von Krolock unsealed his lips to speak. "I am resisting," he said, barely intelligible because he still had his mouth full of neck.
And also because a growl had entered his voice that Alfred Did. Not. Like.
He forced himself not to panic. "I'm a little worried, sir, because sometimes you complain about how you can't resist," he said as calmly as he could. "So, please: enough. Let go."
"Mm-nn."
Alfred stopped clutching at the arms of his chair, and reached up instead to von Krolock's hands. He couldn't pry them loose. "Mm-nn why?" he asked, dreading it. "You mean you won't, or you can't?"
Von Krolock at last pulled back a few inches. "I don't know," he admitted, before bending to play with a spot just a bit to the left. "Your pulse is racing."
Alfred shuddered as the count's fingernails rasped over his skin. A puff of air was blown against him, and he was wet there and it made him shudder again. "You gave your word you wouldn't do this."
"I gave my word I wouldn't bite you. Not that I wouldn't think about biting you… or make you think about it too."
He was being pinched now – teeth, nails, he wasn't sure – hard enough to hurt. To bruise. And that would bring blood to the surface and make it even harder for the vampire to play by the rules. "If you think about it any more right now you're going to lose control," he said, wishing his voice didn't shake. "So on the count of three you're going to let go of me. I'm going to step away and take out my crucifix. You're not going to come near me again until you've calmed down. Is that clear, sir?"
A growl.
"Ready? One… Two… Three."
Von Krolock opened his hands and turned his face away a moment, and that was enough. Alfred lunged out of his grasp, took his cross out and held it in front of him, still backing away. "Stay away from me."
The count slid down to the floor behind the chair, hissing.
Once he was out of sight of the cross he grew silent, and then for a while there was no sound at all except for Alfred's panting. Then: "Count?"
"Wait."
Alfred found himself creeping closer. "Are you… all right?"
"I will be. Are you?"
"Yeah – I mean, I will be."
"Good." He sighed, long and slow. "Put that thing away," he said after a bit. "I'm coming out now."
"Wait! Um-…"
"I can't sit here forever, Alfred."
Alfred took a deep breath. "Right… all right."
When the count stood up he seemed calmer, but rather exhausted. He looked Alfred over and smiled a little. "You handled that well. You should be proud of yourself."
The smile drew attention to those awful, lethal fangs… which today had stopped shy of drawing any blood. "Yes, um… you too."