Nothing should have surprised Alfred by this point in time. It seemed as though every moment of his life at current brought with it secrets and enigmas that had previously remained shrouded in shadows. Alfred's life before had been a bit difficult, but getting by had most definitely been manageable. Now… it was becoming too much to bear. Alfred was the resilient sort of man. He was stubborn and strong and determined. He prided himself on his ability to adverse and overcome all of the punches the cruel being that was life threw his way. But… he was tried. Even the most resolute spirits grew weary at some point. This was Alfred's breaking point
"What is it ?" Steve asked quietly, brows furrowing softly at man staring back at him among the paper. That man staring back at him was himself. There was the familiar hard line of his nose, the grey of his eyes, the gentle swoop of his pale hair.
"It's an IPhone," Mr. Stark replied, "Well sort of an IPhone. I made a few tweaks here and there so I prefer to call it a SPhone." He raised his thick brows, leaning back against the couch and spreading his arms over the top of it like he owned the thing.
"Isn't that illegal?" Dr. Banner inquired with a bit of an amused smile, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward on him
Arthur and Alfred simply lay there on the damp earth; the rain now passed leaving everything glistening in the pale sunlight that had replaced it. Like diamonds shimmering in the rough. Alfred held Arthur close, tracing senseless little circles into his pale shoulder, occasionally pressing in sort kisses, and uttering sweet nothings. Arthur didn't say much, only offered the occasional twitch of a smile or a hum of contentment. It was nice. They didn't need much; just a place to lye together, air to breathe, and each other's arms to cuddle in to. Several minutes passed before either of them uttered a single word.
"We ought to be heading back
The expressions that had written themselves across Reginald's and Francis' faces were obviously ones of disbelief. When Alfred had awoken from his restless slumber that followed the ceremony, he had stumbled down the hall with as much haste as he could manage so he could retell the fantastic dream he had experienced. The young vampire had explained how their previous master had come to him in the dream and conveyed to him the extent of his knowledge on Arthur's mysterious marking and the terror that it held.
"So " Reginald sighed softly, turning his eyes towards the floor as he gave his next phrase a moment of thought. He made sure his