A Diamond Covered Carriage

A set of shined up, chestnut shoes, overlaid with a pair of classic, white spats paced the wooden floor with conviction, as the owner of them pulled out his pocket watch for the hundredth time.

"Nine thirty-six," he said with a twitch of an eye, "He's late."

The pacing continued, as Simon Hart's mind spiraled into a deep, dark place. What if Alabaster had only invited him to the gala, out of the kindness of his heart? What if he hadn't really meant to extend an invitation and he had simply misunderstood? What if Alabaster wasn't coming at all? What if.. What if..! Simon sighed as he let his forehead rest against one of the beams supporting The Ode to Maria, as his mind overheated with all of the miserably possibilities, before settling on one that seemed to fit just right.

"What if I'm just a big fool?"

However, just then, the sound of wooden wheels rolling to a stop just outside made his eyes widen. He flung open the door, right before the footman had the opportunity to knock, startling the poor man and the tailor, alike.

"Excuse me," Simon said, not wanting to forget his manners.

"No, no, the fault is mine, sir."

Both men took the time to straighten their now ruffled coats. Which the tailor was ever so glad about. Because if he had looked up just a second sooner, he might have forgotten to even DO something that simple! Not to mention that his apology never would have made it passed his lips! The very air would have been stolen from his lungs by the gravitas of scene that lay before him!

The wooden wheels looked like something out of a high-end artisan's shop with how ornate the spokes were curved. They were so much more than mere support; they were works of art, in and of themselves. The grandeur didn't stop there. The steps leading up into the carriage were overlaid in a thick velvet to remove any trace of dirt from the bottom of an aristocrat's shoes. There was also something embedded in the sides of the vehicle that glittered like stars in the moonlight.

'Are.. Are those really.. diamonds?'

He didn't have more time to ponder that intricate detail. Because even if he had made the suit himself and had seen it before, there was nothing to describe the glorious sight of the footman opening the door to reveal none other than Alabaster Stone. A section of his normally loose hair was held back with a moonstone clip, revealing a set of long, dangled earrings, consisting of aquamarine and much to his shock, silver. His hands bore a set of white gloves that complimented the barely there blue of his outfit, perfectly. He was.. He was..

'A vision.'

But, even if he thought that the other man was the true beauty amongst the two of them, the vampire's eyes lit up as they surveyed him from head to toe.

"My dear tailor, forgive me for being so forward, but.. You do clean up well. Very well, indeed."

The tailor felt color rising to his cheekbones, prompting him to clear his throat in a futile attempt to shake off some of these nonsensical feelings.

'I'm just going to network, I'm just going to network, I'm just going to network-!'

Pulling him out of his pestering thoughts played on loop was Alabaster, who stepped right in front of the startled man. Simon made a noise of irritation; he damned himself for not paying closer attention to his surroundings. The noble took one of the tailor's hands in his own, as he continued to look over his attire for the evening. It was no where near as grand as Alabaster's, of course.

It was just a plain, white, linen suit, finely tailored and sprinkled with bronze here or there to make his beloved hat tie in. But, the pin on his chest, shaped like an owl, made of fine gold with a single ruby prominently placed in the center didn't escape Alabaster's attention, at all. The tailor was such a tight-fisted man; frugal down to the very last Aster. So, that begged the question of where had he gotten this?

"Vampires have superior senses to their human counterparts, Mr. Stone," Simon said with a roll of his eyes, "I don't believe that you need a closer look at my suit. Although, a man such as myself, who scrounged this together in merely a week's time, must imagine that it looks unfit for a gala."

"On the contrary, Mr. Hart," the vampire said with sparkling, sapphire eyes as he gave the tailor a look that the shorter man feared might melt his ice cold heart into a puddle of its former self, "Your imaginings are only just that. In fact, I fear that I'll have no choice, but to stay close enough to you to beat them all off with a stick."

The tailor withdrew his hands, flushing and glancing off to the side.

"S-Surely you jest."

Suddenly, a gloved hand gently seized his chin. It turned his face to look back at the vampire's warm expression.

"Hardly. I speak only the truth, Simon. All of the men and women at the gala will surely be attracted to a beauty such as yours; like a moth to a flame."

The tailor's heart was beating so loudly that he could hear it thundering in his ears. And if he could hear it, he KNEW that the vampire surely could! He hadn't been joking about these creatures having superior senses, after all. In the end, he knew that he had to choose between two undesirable solutions; he could just admit that he was flustered and wished to be turned loose or he could be as stubborn as possible and deny everything both of them already knew.

The vampire leaned a little closer, making the tailor's pulse jump! Stubborn it was. Suddenly, he threw up his arms, knocking the other's out of the way, before spinning around him and giving his coat a tug to straighten it.

"Right, then. Shall we?"

Alabaster blinked in surprise. Those weren't the moves of a gentleman. The other man's added flare, though elegant and soothe, wasn't enough to cover up where those motions might have come from; the streets. Now it was his turn to have more questions than answers about the man he was admittedly pinning after. Just who WAS Simon Hart, anyways?

But, there were more pressing matters. Like helping the other man up those steps. Humans were fragile, after all and clumsy. He needed to make sure that the other man didn't trip! So, Alabaster strode forward, quickly, claiming one of Simon's hand, before he could even brace it against the side of the door.

"May I?"

The human flushed and looked away, but nodded. And just like that, Alabaster helped his fair gentleman into the carriage, before following after. The tailor shook his head at him, before looking out the window, in spite of there being nothing of interest to see, currently. He just couldn't look the other man in the face; specifically when the vampire looked oh so pleased with himself.

"Where to, sir?" the driver with the crisp voice asked, as if he really didn't know where they were headed.

It was an act, though. One that Simon Hart had to appreciate. That kind of professionalism would surely get the man a tip.

"To the castle, James. No need to hurry, though."

"Ah, I see. Sir wishes to be fashionably late!"

"Something like that," he said, as he scooted a little closer to Simon, fondly.

"Well then, let's be off!"

The driver did a quick check to make sure that the footman was on board, before firmly snapping the reigns, causing the four, glorious, white horses to take off at a gentle trot. Suddenly, the vampire felt two hands clasping his arm as the carriage jolted to life.

"Hm? Is something a miss, dear tailor?"

"It's.. It's just that.. I've never been for a carriage ride, before."

The vampire couldn't keep the smile from his face at how cute the other man looked, as he tried to keep his center of gravity by clinging to him. He leaned a little closer, offering a shoulder. The tailor stared at him for a moment, before leaning up against it. He seemed grateful, even if he was a bit grudging about it.

"Simon, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Who are you, really?"

The other man was quiet for a moment, as snatches of memory rushed through his head. The streets, the begging, the crying, the bodies, the blood, the rags, the kindly old man, learning how to sew, the opening of The Ode to Maria, the vampires. So many life experiences. But, Simon was not as naive as the man beside him; everyone had a story.

"Just a man. Nothing less, nothing more."

"Surely there must be something."

"I'm afraid if you're looking for someone to regale you with stories of slaying dragons or rescuing a princess or two, you won't find that here. Nothing is very interesting about Simon Hart. Which is why I honestly have no idea why someone like you seeks out my favor," he muttered, as he shifted his eyes to look at the other man in a mildly accusatory manner, "And my company."

The vampire shook his head, before gently petting some of those endearing brown locks out of his face.

"I'm never interested in people who are not interesting, in and of themselves."

"So, do you think I'm hiding something?"

"No. I believe you think that everything you went through was uninteresting to one such as myself. Everything you had to go through to make you who you are, today. Which is a real pity."

At that response, Simon honestly didn't know whether to be offended or flattered. So, he decided to go for broke with a very simple request.

"Alabaster?"

"Yes?"

"May I speak plainly?"

"Of course."

"Shut up."

That brought a rich laugh out of the vampire.

"Y-You certainly have a way with words, Simon Hart!"

Slowly, a hint of a smile appeared on the tailor's lips, in spite of himself. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence, before the driver made an announcement that had the tailor sticking his head out of the window, motion sickness be damned.

"The castle is on the horizon, sirs!"

Unlike how the stately building usually looked, so cold and distant, slumbering as if it waited for spring, it had now come alive with colorful banners hanging from almost every conceivable spot, lights everywhere and so many people all dressed in finery, strolling along its sprawling grounds.

"This is your first carriage ride. So, I presume this is your first gala, as well?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"Well? What do you think of it, so far, dear tailor?"

The carriage stopped and the footman rushed to open the door, letting the sights and sounds rush in. Simon stared in awe, making no fuss as he took the vampire's hand when it was offered. Walking down those velvet steps and coming to stand amongst the crowds of people, where someone like him surely didn't belong, with all the lovely music, beautiful dresses and smiling faces, the usually prim and proper man could only breathe in awe and reverence,

"It's.. It's magnificent."