Work Text:
It was a dark December night in Transilvania. The snow was already falling in soft flakes to the castle grounds and piling up in fluffy white clusters. Inside the big castle, each of the inhabitants was spending the night with their own idea of cozy.
The count was sitting in his armchair, reading one of his beloved books, and Sarah was sitting at his foot knitting something that was supposed to be a scarf but looked suspiciously like a very long tube of wool.
In a corner, the professor was snoring quietly on top of one of his books, he had spent all day and night researching some new aspects of blood and its usage in cooking and was now out like a light.
Herbert and Alfred were snuggled up together on the big red velvet sofa and enjoying the night. While Herbert read one of the numerous French poetry books from their extensive library, his Chéri had his head in the viscount’s lap who was idly combing through Alfred’s unruly hair. Alfred let out a content purring, which was the only noticeable sound apart from the crackling of the fire and some quiet snoring from the old professor.
From time to time you could hear Magda and Chagal, who both were spending the night in the kitchen, trying out some new goodies for Christmas, well Magda was. Chagal was dragged into the kitchens under many protests but in the end, he couldn’t say no to his love.
Back in the library, Herbert was getting bored and with a sigh, he closed his book and put it on the little table beside the sofa. Hearing this, Alfred raised his head and looked expectantly at his beloved.
“What is wrong? Is the book not interesting anymore?” Herbert smirked at the naivety of his little angel. “No, it’s perfectly alright, well considering I read it at least 200 times in the last century. It’s just… maybe we could do something a bit more entertaining to enjoy this night.” At that, he smiled suggestively which prompted the young boy to swallow nervously.
“Well Herbert..uhm…it’s so nice and cozy this evening, why don’t we stay here with everyone?” The viscount was smiling openly now at his love. “Oh? Well, what do you have in mind then, my pretty angel?”
Alfred blushed at the sweet words from Herbert and thought for a moment.
What could they do that didn’t involve any indecent activities which went hand in hand when asking Herbert about his favorite activities to pass the time?
“Hmm…oh, I know! Last time, when I went into town I saw some advertisements for something called Disney movies which some children were pretty excited about. Do you, by any chance, know about them ?”
Herbert looked at him as if he totally had lost his mind. “If..if I know them???
Now clearly excited, he fully sat up on the sofa and pulled his darling’s head on his shoulder.
“Chéri, these movies are classics, of course, I know about them! In fact, I think we have almost all of them in our collection.”
Now Alfred looked as if he hadn’t heard correctly. “What collection?” Herbert smirked.
“Our movie collection of course! Father had a whole movie theater installed in one of the several guestrooms, at my suggestion of course… Nothing better than to enjoy some movies and snuggle under blankets, especially during the darker times of the year. So, what do you say? Should we get all cozy and watch some DVD?”
Expectantly, he looked at the former assistant who could only not enthusiastically at that plan. Swiftly he stood and grabbed his chéri and was on his way out of the library. Just before reaching the door, he turned around and looked at his father and Sarah.
“Do the both of you want to join us, watching some Disney movies?”
His father barely looked up from his novel and shook his head.
“No, but thank you for asking. I think we will enjoy the quiet time here and spare the two of you our presence for once.” As if on cue, the professor let out a particularly loud snore at which Breda had to smile.
Nodding his head, Herbert went on his way, Alfred in tow. They were walking along countless hallways, causing the dust on the floor to stir in the air. Even after all these years living in the castle, Alfred was still getting lost easily and was therefore quite thankful that Herbert obviously knew his way around.
They walked into the next corridor when Hebert turned sharply left and opened a heavily ornated door on the right. He made a proud gesture with his hands and showed Alfred into the room. “And this, mon chéri, is our little cinema!” “L..little Herbert? This room is bigger than our bedroom!” Speechless, he let his eyes roam around the big room and eagerly took everything in.
On one end, there was a little bar built directly into the wall. Shelves housed countless cups, goblets and bowls. On the bright red colored countertop stood a few decanters, several wine bottles (only the best ones obviously), and right next to it in a small corner stood a popcorn machine, like the ones one could find in the big cinemas in town.
Alfred's eyes still tried to take everything in and not accidentally miss anything of this.
Right in the middle of the room stood maybe 20 seats made out of the finest red velvet. They looked so plush, that Alfred wondered how many times either Hebert or the count had been nodding off in here.
But perhaps the biggest feature in the whole room was the screen that dominated nearly the complete wall opposite the seats. It stretched from one corner to the other and Alfred's brain already tried to come up with an idea, of how much all this must have cost. In the end, he just trailed after his husband and stood in front of 5 shelves which were already groaning under all the DVDs that rested on shelf upon shelf.
He had never seen so many movies in one place and didn’t even know so many existed.
“This is insane! Herbert, that all must have cost a fortune!” Herbert just smiled at his beloved little angel and made a nonchalant gesture. “Who cares about the price if one can enjoy so many hours of entertainment? It was a good investment, one can only read so many books in eternity…but there will be always a lot of new movies coming out each month.”
Alfred pondered this and came to the conclusion that his Herbert was correct, as so often.
When he looked up at him, Herbert was already perusing through the many DVD cases.
He stopped from time to time, thought, and skipped whole shelves but then, with a targeted grip, he pulled a brightly colored case from the shelves and held it triumphantly into the air.
“What is it, dear?” Alfred was trying to read the title on the front but Herbert swung it around so vigorously, that he couldn’t make out a single letter.
“We will watch my favorite movie ever, darling, Snow White! Ohhh you will enjoy it! There is a beautiful princess, dwarfs, sooo many cute animals and of course a handsome prince!”
Excited, he threw the case on top of a table that held a giant projector, which Alfred hadn’t noticed till now.
He wanted to sit down on one of the inviting-looking plush seats when Herbert pulled on his arm and dragged him in the direction of the bar.
“We can’t watch a movie without some snacks darling! Be a dear and help me, will you?”
Alfred nodded and went to his beloved who took two cups from the cupboard and poured some wine into each of them. When he took a little bottle from one of the fridges, Alfred looked puzzled at him. “What are you doing?” Smirking, Herbert uncapped the bottle and poured a generous amount of sparkling water into the cups and stirred. “ I make us some bloody sodas, of course! Just a few ice cubes now and some straws and they are ready!”
Alfred had never heard of something called “Bloody sodas” but guessed that if Herbert liked them, they couldn’t be bad at all. Leaving the finished sodas on the countertop, he pulled a big bowl from the top shelves and was about to scoop some popcorn into it.
“Do you like sweet or salty more, chéri?” The former assistant had to think for a bit. When he was still human, he favored anything sweet before salty so he just nodded at the sweet popcorn. “Sweet, please. If..if that’s ok ?”
Herbert smiled tenderly at his beloved. “Well of course that is alright, mon chéri! Anything you want!”
Alfred was still not used to him being constantly asked about what he wanted and liked and even then not being ridiculed for it as the professor did. It was kind of nice to finally be able to choose for himself what he wanted in his life and not have to fear others’ reactions for once.
When Herbert motioned for the sodas, he took the two cups, and together they walked to their seats. They put their snacks down on the little table that stood beside each two-seater and Herbert went and put the DVD into the player.
Coming back with a sleek-looking remote in hand, he sat down next to Alfred and pushed the button to start their movie.
Alfred snuggled into Herbert's side and put his head on his chest. The older vampire lovingly held his husband and carded his delicate hands through the locks of him.
The movie started and Alfred watched with rapped attention as the book was being opened and the story of Snow White was told to the audience. From time to time, he took a swig of his bloody soda and had to agree with Herbert, it was delicious!
Halfway through the movie, Herbert got up to refill their cups and when he came back to the plush seats, Alfred was laying across both of their seats and enjoying his life (or rather eternity).
Smirking, the taller vampire nudged his little angel with his elbow and Alfred begrudgingly left to his own seat again. “Here you go, chéri!” The former assistant thanked him and snuggled back into Herbert's side.
When they neared the scene where the prince was about to kiss Snow White and bring her back to life, Herbert shifted restlessly in his seat. “Ohhh chéri! Look at this!!! This is soooo romantic!” Alfred smiled at the openly displayed enthusiasm of his husband. “Now that is how you kiss in a coffin, mon chéri!”
When the credits rolled down both vampires stood up and stretched their limbs.
“Now what do we do with the rest of this pretty night, my darling?”, Herbert looked at his little angel who was still looking at the screen.
Alfred collected the cups and bowl and disposed of them at the bar. “Well…we could go back to the library and enjoy the fire, could we ?” “That’s a splendid idea mon chéri!”
And with that, the blonde vampire grabbed his partner and dragged him all the way back to the cozy library of the castle.
When they entered the room, there was no sight of Breda or Sarah, only the professor still slept slumped over an opened book in front of him.
They read till the early hours of the morning and a few beams of sunlight were already peaking out from between the clouds. With a sigh, Hebert closed his book about french poetry and stood up.
“Let’s head to the crypt, darling. The first one there gets to choose which side, hehe!”
And with that, he took off towards the aforementioned crypt with inhuman speed.
Alfred could only smile and followed his husband at a normal pace, it didn’t matter which side they took, in the evening they would wake up in a tangle of limbs anyway.
When he reached the moldy-looking room, both Breda and Sarah must be already sleeping for their coffin lid was closed tightly.
Stepping in front of his and Herbert's stone coffin, he had trouble not laughing as Herbert was laying innocently and stock still right in the middle. His hands were folded and rested on his trim stomach, his eyes closed. But what was the funniest was that he had his bordeaux-colored lips puckered and was obviously anticipating a kiss á la Snowwhite.
He couldn’t keep from laughing now and a bubbling sound escaped his lips, no matter how hard he tried. His own little Disney princess only puckered his lips more and made a few kissing sounds toward him.
Obediently, he smacked his lips and kissed him soundly. Promptly, two pale hands rushed forward and grabbed his backside. He landed flat on top of Herbert who caressed his back and kissed him like he hadn’t seen him for years.
Alfred was quick-witted enough to close the lid before Herbert seductively bit into his neck.