"Good," Alfred said, looking over at her with a silly smile. The situation had gone from serious to ridiculous in a matter of seconds, and his legitimate concerns regarding her judgement when it came to games of the heart was dislodged by the realization that they were essentially cuddling in an empty bedroom and discussing, of all things, the possibility of her ending up in a similar situation with someone else.

Maybe there wouldn't be anyone else. Maybe her affection for him ran deeper than a superficial schoolgirl crush — or maybe it would at least prove to have a bit more staying power in light of everything that had happened tonight. That idea should have put him on edge, since it was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid last time they'd spoken, and something he'd been dancing around the idea of since seeing her tonight. He'd lost that train of thought, however, and in the moment it just seemed... sweet. He hadn't done anything to win her over (at least, not that he'd been conscious of doing), but here she was all the same. She could have just had a mild infatuation with the idea of a whirlwind romance, but maybe she actually cared. He had the sudden idea that she was probably the only person in England he might be able to explain the meaning behind all of his tattoos to without feeling self conscious.

He might regret it in the morning, but right now, he was glad she was here. Without really thinking, he moved in and kissed her again.