Alfred stepped into the house, careful not to make to much noise if the others were sleeping. He walked over to the kitchen counter and set the rabbits on it, turned and peered into the room Rosa still slept in. 'I'm getting worried about her, she's sleeping more than usual.'

Luckily for the demon, Arthur slid under the bedsheets, out of Alfred's sight. He couldn't find his clothing and wanted to keep his bite mark covered at all times. The mysterious vampire that had turned Arthur indulged their fangs into his hip. 'What a peculiar place.' However, he was thankful, he could show his collar and gain credibility as a human since the neck was the popular choice for blood intake. Spreading a sheet around his waist, Arthur neared Alfred from behind as he prepared a freshly killed rabbit. He rubbed his hand on the blonde's back, a kind greeting "A genial welcome home, Alfred."

Alfred lit a fire and began skinning the first rabbit. 'I'll make Rosa stew and find out if Arthur would like some as well or his rabbit prepared differently.' The blue eyed man jumped as a hand touched his back, a light blush covered his cheeks as he turned his head and smiled at him. "Hello Arthur, are you sure you should be out of bed?" 'And why do you just have a sheet around your waist!?'

"I want to repay you for aiding me last night." He told the truth this time, if Alfred hadn't relieved him of the dagger Arthur could have lost his life. Even if he had drained Rosa of all her blood, the blade would have drained him of his. The gentleman inside Arthur wanted to show Alfred appreciation, give him any sign of gratitude even if it was as small as arranging lunch. "I want to know if you acquire any assistance? I suppose those catches weren't easy, you notably took your time."

"I attended a town meeting about the outbreaks after catching the rabbits. I spoke with Dr. Wang and he said you should be resting, so you can either sit in one of the chairs or go back and lay down if you want. Oh, how do you like your rabbit?" Alfred's lips turned up a grin at him and tended back to the rabbit.

'A meeting?' That worried him. Did Alfred already figure him out? He was caring but not daft. Could Alfred be maintaining a nurturing facade to keep watch on Arthur until the villagers arrived and threw him into the blasted sun? No, Impossible, Arthur's blood lust tracks were covered well. The town's people had nothing on him. A day had not passed that he could raised suspicion. "What did I miss at the meeting? I could benefit from it."

"Vash, the recent victim, managed to stab it somehow, so we're all on the look out for hurt and wounded creatures or what we imagine is a person." Alfred knew it wasn't Arthur, since he just arrived to town the previous night and when his guest, maybe new friend, went to sleep, he checked his neck for a bite. 'I feel bad about invading his privacy but I have to be sure. I'm glad he's not bitten. It's a sad life those in the jail must live.' "There was talk of capturing it to find out if there is a way to reverse what has happened to the others. We're told to stay indoors at night except for the night of the traditional dance."

'Damn it.' He saw this coming. Villages were so much safer to hunt in but people became scarce afterwards. On the other edge of the sword, cities had plentiful humans, but ambushing and feeding grew risky. Maybe he had a chance at the dance. "Thank you for the information. I hope it can't smell my blood then." He grinned with a closed mouth, waiting at the table. "I don't mean to be any more of an intrusion but I wanted to find my clothing. Do you mind retrieving them after we eat?"

"I had them dry out on the line, I'm sorry I forgot to give them to you earlier. I don't think it can smell your blood, but I'll stay close to you whenever you go outside just in case." Cheeks pinked at the thought of eating at his table with the Englishman naked. "I-I'll get them now so you can change before dinner." Alfred cleaned his hands free of blood. "Oh, you never answered, how would you like your rabbit?"

He almost whined at the lost of precious blood being wasted away into the sink. Arthur licked his lips, eying the rabbit food. "The same as my steak, please." The vampire stopped himself from smirking at the embarrassed host. 'My tricks work like a charm.' As he left, Arthur concocted a different attack plan on Alfred. 'Enticement.' Playing with someone's heart went against everything Arthur believed in being a refined sir but not every man like him drank the liquid of life. Speaking of it, the hungry beast eagerly soaked up as much blood as he could from the rabbits. It was unlike human blood, he quickly found out but knew he had to wait.

Alfred stood before the line, slowly plucking the clothes and willing the redness to fade from his cheeks. 'I don't know why I'm acting like this. It could be because I haven't lived with someone besides Rosa in such a long time I'm unused to such interactions? Either way I should stop before he notices. I like having someone else in the house, it's less lonely.' He headed back inside, face no longer tinted.

"Thank you." Arthur held his pants and dress shirt close to his body, the sheet coming loose. The first step in his dance of deception was captivation. 'How can my advances be effective if they were unnoticed?' Wooing came instinctive as breathing while growing up in his English home. His accent alone drew a small group near him, but he thought a little more was called for to keep Alfred's attention such as showing interest in the blonde and display his skin sensually. "I'll change. I'm sorry if I had been presented unacceptable."

"It was my fault for not telling you where they were, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm not used to living with someone else except Rosa, who knows where I put things because that's where she places them." 'When she was up and moving anyway.' Alfred simpered sheepishly, focusing back to the rabbits. "Be careful not to strain your muscles while changing. Actually, I'm kinda concerned with your wound and think our doctor should come and double check, I've never treated such injuries before."

Arthur adjusted his hat upon returning, resenting the cook's suggestion but held Alfred's hand affectionately. "You're doing a fine job." He trailed his eyes up to the other's and took in just how blue they were and something else about them he noticed. 'Those...' He batted his eyes, thinking for a moment. 'Have I seen them before?' Another impossibility. 'I must be mistaking them for someone else. Blue isn't that rare of a color.' "It still hurts, yes, but that's to be expected."

He wondered if his new visitor was always so close with other people after first meeting them, then questioned why that idea made him upset. Alfred looked into his eyes and sighed, seeing the determination. "Very well, I won't. Please tell me if it gets worse however." Alfred squeezed his hand and let go, returning to cooking. "Would you like anything else besides the rabbit? We have a few carrots and a loaf of fresh bread."

"I'll enjoy those with you pleasantly." Truthfully his mouth rarely came into contact with actual food, he missed the scent of baked Italian bread with sautéd vegetables. "Forgive me for being the burden in your home. Rest assured I will depart once I'm healed."

Alfred paused and lowered his head slightly to hide his eyes which he knew showed his sadness at the thought. "You're free to stay as long as you like, but I guess you'll want to leave and continue traveling, huh?" He couldn't blame the gentleman for wanting to, he had been fatally lacerated on his first day in the village and probably wanted to venture away when he was healthy enough.

The blonde chef dished out an even amount of food onto each of their plates, cut the bread into thick slices and checked Rosa's soup wasn't over boiling. "Ah, sorry for not asking earlier, what would you like to drink? There's fresh water, cow's milk and I'm sure a bottle of wine somewhere from my last birthday."

Did his ears catch a hint of sorrow? Was that heartache? Arthur shook his head, no. It's not as if this Alfred wanted him to stay. They met just last night, then again, perhaps his tactics were already beginning to take hold. "I love to drink..." 'Your blood.' "whatever you're drinking," he crossed his legs and folded his hands over one knee and made eye contact. "Alfred."

Alfred felt his heart speed up and broke eye contact, turning he reached up for two glasses. "Two waters then. I hope you enjoy the food, I don't normally make something for anyone besides myself." He returned to the table and gently set down the glasses, sitting down across from him.

Arthur happily brought a slice up to his barely parted lips then paused. "This is not garlic bread, is it?" He forgotten the real taste of garlic but, he knew it didn't turn sour and swell his tongue as he ate it. Naturally, he became cautions around bread when he could.

At the word, Alfred shuddered and stuck out his tongue, then blushed at doing such a childish thing and sat up straighter. "It's not. I've disliked garlic since the one time I was in Greece and they put way too much onto their bread and dishes. That's why Heracles is still sore at me when I fed his cats his food."

Knowing it was safe to eat, Arthur took a bite, holding back a groan of delight as he consumed his rabbit meal. "It's delicious." He patted away any crumbs with a napkin, then sipped a refreshing swill of water. The vampire gazed at his host fondly, trying to attract Alfred close emotionally. "You've traveled far and wide like myself?"

"It was a dream of mine to travel when I was a child. When I became old enough I began traveling to many different places, it's how I know where many of the people in this village came from. There are so many different cultures and sites, I knew no description could ever satisfy my desire to see them with my own eyes. I imagine it's much the same for yourself?" Alfred's hands moved as he spoke with bright eyes, head tilting slightly at the end.

"In a way, yes, you're right." Arthur reasons to travel were to keep himself alive, it wasn't his choice he could survive in one place for a month. 'I wish I could settle somewhere. That's my current dream. I yearn to live back in my homeland but I fear to drink the blood of my fellow people.' It was the only thing that held him back from returning home. Before sinking his fangs, Arthur made sure his food source wasn't descended from England.

"What part of England are you from, if you don't mind me asking? I stayed in the northern part for a few months, during the late summer. It was beautiful there." The blonde got the feeling his dinner companion did not want to talk about why he traveled, so maybe talking about his home would be easier.

Arthur's eyes widen. "I have retained enough of my culture for you to recognize my English roots?" The blue demon smiled, pleased he hadn't lost anything of his birthplace from hunting across Europe. He grinned again.

"You don't have as strong of an accent as if you had just come from England, but it's still very strong." 'It suits him, English but with hints of other languages, makes him even more mysterious.' Alfred smiled back, thrilled he had found something the Englishman was delighted about.

XXXX

Later that night, while sitting near the small lake, the vampire watched the stars, hoping to see one fall and make a wish, just to relive a childhood memory. However, the wish had changed since his youth, not that he wasn't still young due to his vampiric state. 'A home to call my own.'

Alfred stared out the window, resting his chin on his hand. 'Rosa's getting worse. I may need to have someone around her all the time who can help, anything to see if she will get better.' He stood up and walked to the door, stepping outside and breathing deeply. 'I should find Arthur, make sure he's ok.' He turned and started heading towards the lake, staring up into the sky.

With closed eyes, Arthur inhale deeply, relaxing on the grassy ground, the brisk air turning cold as he exhaled. The closer footsteps did not disturbed him, he knew who they belonged to. 'Alfred.'

He slowed down as he drew near, looking at the form laying on the ground. "Arthur?" He whispered, in case the man was sleeping or in deep thought. 'He looks very relaxed laying there, not worried about the attacks at all.'

"Yes?" Arthur sat up, catching Alfred's gaze, noticing the black, twinkling canvas complemented him.

"Wanted to make sure you're well. May I sit down?" Alfred glanced down at the space next to Arthur, then back into his eyes. 'His eyes seem brighter in the moonlight.'

He smoothed out a patch of grass next to him. "Of course you may."

"Thank you." He sat next to him, looking up at stars. "This is one of the best places to see the stars, the dance is either held here or up on the hill."

Arthur faced him, curious. "Why do you hold a dance outside? I've only attended grand balls inside."

"It's called the Starlight Dance. Originally it was a celebration about the creation of the village. It's said that the village was founded by the couple who were lead here by the stars on their brightest night, which will be in three days. The whole town attends, mostly in couples and dance and celebrate. As someone told me, it's a day for romance to bloom or be realized. Men sometimes wait all year to ask for hands in marriage on this day." Alfred sighed lowly.

'Aw, how I have missed dancing and courting.' He listen contently, taken back by the romance. "That's a wonderful tradition to keep. Who have you dance with?" He asked, finding interest in the history and Alfred's voice.

"Ah, a friend of mine, Elizaveth, will try to include me in the dance before she gets taken away by two men who both like her, even if one of them denies it. Then there's the local baker who dances with everyone who is not with someone." Then Alfred whispered as if sharing a best kept secret. "Don't tell him but I've purposely stepped on his toes before so he would leave me alone."

"Has she grown into more than a friend?" If Alfred's heart already belonged to another, then Arthur had no hope in tangling him into his web of false desire.

"No, but she is a very good friend, one of the first I made here. I've never asked someone to go to the dance before." The blond glanced over at him, then back up at the stars. 'For the first time I want to however. I don't know how to ask though.'

Placing a gloved hand on Alfred's shoulder, he softly gave him a smile. "I wish you well in asking then. Maybe you'll ask for matrimony too?"

He smiled back shyly. "I don't think I will, but thank you very much." He watched the other man, holding back his cheek's attempts at blushing. 'Wonder if he would still think that if he knew the person I want to ask out was him?'

"I want to give you thanks for cleaning my clothes." He scooted near Alfred until their hips and shoulders touched.

He flushed lightly and shook his head. "I-It was no problem at all, I didn't want such fine clothes to be dirtied. I'm still sorry I forgot to give them back right away though."

"I made them myself, I'm glad to hear you think they're very fine." During his carefree days, tailoring his own style stirred up small business that his family were grateful of. His started with children hats and gloves then expanded his needlework to fully completed costumes for theatres and suits for local men. It sparked his ambition to open his own shop of original clothing, all of his design and custom work. He could no longer achieve that now.

"Wow, really? That's very neat. I wish I was able to make things like that. I tried stitching my initials into a handkerchief and it doesn't look anywhere as good as what I'm sure you could create." Alfred stared at him in amazement.

A thick brow rose, a memory struck him. "I was going to do the same to one of mine... but I lost it." 'Or, actually, stolen.' The week leading up to his life changing infinitely, Arthur found much interest in courtly love and favor tokens. He thought of embroidering his name in a hand made handkerchief then reward it to whom earned his heart.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Did you ever make another?"

"No." Searching for his next dinner or temporary home didn't provide much leisure time. He barely manged to created his dark blue attire.

"You're probably going to be here for a few more days at least resting, right? Would you like me to ask around so you can maybe get some material to make one?" Alfred hesitantly asked him, knowing there was probably a reason why he had never mad a new one and unsure if Arthur would be angry or not with the offer.

'There's no purpose to.' The vampire looked into the sky. "As I said, I don't want to trouble you."

"It would be no trouble at all!" Alfred joined in star gazing and traced a few. "If I'm honest, I worry you may find yourself so bored you'll strain yourself more trying to do activities your body is not ready for yet."

"You must the favorite of this village, with your appealing face and kindness to a stranger like yours truly." Arthur glanced at Alfred's hand, then held it, stroking softly. "You're cold." Not that he could provide any warmth but, it served as comforting.

A shade of red made it's debut on Alfred's cheeks. "I-It is a little cold tonight, that's probably why. Favorite? Not really. Sure everyone knows me and no one's ever said they dislike me but a lot of them have their childhood crushes to date and marry, so in that regard, I've never been anyone's favorite." Alfred was ok with that, however, he wasn't sure how he would have handled a new lover in his life after what had happened last time he fell in love.

He inhaled again, catching Alfred's scent of pine, he spent much time in the woods. He seemed like the hunter type. "Well then, allow me to be the first to say you're mine."

Blue eyes widened and snapped over to gawk at the Englishman next to him, cheeks redder and mouth slightly open in surprise. "I-You-wha?" Alfred faced away and took a deep breath, cheeks still bright. "Th-thank you. E-even if you mean it just because I'm the only person here you've really met. It still means something to me."

"You're welcome, dear." Arthur knew he took two steps forward, he felt he could drink him tonight. They were both far from the rest of the residents and he had no problem hiding Alfred's body if needed. Yet, Arthur paced himself, not tonight, he would wait.

Alfred glanced at him, cheeks light pink. "We should probably go back, it's getting so late the moon is setting!" The blond stood up and held out his hand, no longer blushing.

The demon instead held Alfred around the waist, leading him back home. "We should do this again."

Alfred blushed faintly at the arm holding him, then stared straight ahead. 'I'm positive the Englishmen I was around weren't so touchy last time I was there. Maybe it's just him? Either way I kinda like it, feels welcoming.'