"Is it? Why?"

"Because I am vain and self centered and enjoy validation."

He laughs. "Then validation you shall have, my love."

"Only when I earn it! No telling me what I want to hear just because I want to hear it, otherwise it misses the point."

"I am completely aware of this and wouldn't dream on cheating this system."

"Good," she says, primly.

The tour can continue! ... Perhaps while holding his hand?

.......eeeeeeeeeeeee!

Goodness, that's adorable. She sees no reason to stop holding his hand during the tour, because he is terribly cute and his delight is a wonder to behold.

After the conclusion of the tour, she asks, "Can humans kiss vampires safely?"

...he takes a couple of seconds to process that then goes on to tilt her down and kiss her deeply like they're in a movie.

She makes a surprised mphf sound, but... Yes, okay, this is admittedly rather cute and romantic. And... oh wow that is some kissing, she'd expected kissing something comparable to a mobile statue to be less fun. She is very pleased to be proven wrong, there. She supposes, vaguely, that he has practice.

Many, many years of practice.

Eventually he straightens her up and pulls away because he expects she might have opinions or the position might be comfortable or something.

She... actually needs a minute to blink very quickly and catch her breath and put her brain back together. Um. That. That was. Sure a first kiss. Yep. Wow. Um.

"Um," she says, because she vaguely feels like she should be clever and say something. "Good. Good job? At the kissing??"

He laughs. "Thank you," he says, because why not. "And you, too."

She lets out a little self-conscious giggle. "Thanks," she snorts. Then she makes a face. "Hey, warn a girl before you, you." She waves a hand vaguely, lacking vocabulary. "Turn her brain to mush with, with incredibly... That. Thatness."

Truly, she is a marvel of eloquence and self expression.

"I'm afraid I did not understand enough of that to be able to properly warn girls in the future before I do whatever it is that I did."

"Liar," she accuses affectionately. "You know precisely what you were doing, you have practice."

... Then she pauses and makes a face and looks away. "... Damn, I suppose that means you were right. I am easy."

"Oh, my dear, it's okay," he says, moving to hug her. "I'm your soulmate, I'm sure that cannot help."

... Yeah, okay, fine, hugs.

"You say that, but your evidence is the mind control. And mine is that a vampire over a hundred years old with a lot of practice is good at making me like him."

"My evidence is also all the other vampire couples who seem to universally work out to both parties' delight and satisfaction."

"All of which happens after both parties are subject to mind control, because no one wants to tolerate their subject to be flimsy and squishy."

"Admittedly," he nods. "But I'm mind-controlled to love you, not to become a different person. Two people loving each other is not sufficient to create relationships that universally work out."

"I... No, I suppose not." Sigh. Lean. "I really wish I could have gotten to know you without the mind control. But then, I suppose you wouldn't have gone after my brother, or. Or been inclined to take me off to illegally tour a castle."

"I... would eventually have done both things. I'm not doing anything I would not have done for someone I loved regardless of how I got to love them. Or so I think."

"Right, but as comfortable and pleasant as it is to be the subject of a super strong, super fast, very pretty vampire, I still would really prefer demonstrations of love to be caused by love that I - earned? This is what I meant when I said the thing I wanted was already stolen. We can probably manage to have some kind of happily ever after, but I don't get to, to. To woo you back."

"...yeah. I'm sorry I couldn't give you that."