Alessandro was thoroughly relaxed. Despite the beating he had just taken the ministrations of the fae, the medicine and the magic had left his back rather cool and refreshed. Yes it was still injured, of course it was but the pain, for now, was gone. So once the fae had moved and started stating his confusion the Prince very gingerly pushed himself up, careful not to undo the good work of the fae but wanting to face the other as they spoke. He left his shirt off just like he had instructed Petre to do and sat with his own legs folded and his hands on his thighs. 

There was no denying some small mirth as the Prince listened to Rei confusedly stumble about the complex emotional structure of affection and compassion. It was still awful to Alessandro that the fae had been denied such simple gestures of affection and love and yet he couldn't deny that it was cute watching the other man stagger through them. In some ways he was a child learning to walk, he even ran his fingers through his hair to illustrate the point that the touch was not the same as Alessandro's. 

The Prince smiled softly, listened intently and said not a word to Rei until he was done. He doubted Rei even knew that the feeling he was describing was the affection he thought he could not master, or that perhaps, it was even a spark of something even more complex. For a moment Alessandro fell into quiet, contemplative thought. How would one broach the subject of emotions with a person who thought himself so thoroughly wretched they'd been locked off to him? Alessandro couldn't just say what he thought the other was feeling, it was something Rei would need to come to understand, for while he'd believe Alessandro to an extent until Rei knew it in his own heart it would not be a fully awakened thing. Rei would find ways to deny it, refute it even.

Once again he felt slight anger rising, that someone who was supposed to care for Rei would make him feel like such an empty shell, like a dog who deserved nothing more than whatever scraps his master threw at him. More than ever Alessandro wanted to gather Rei up and show him the affection and tenderness he was refused but he withheld for now. He didn't want to over load the young fae, even if he desired to see the other male's reaction if Alessandro kissed him for real. 

With a long, slow breath he finally looked at Rei and took things from the beginning, “You have a good eye for affection, yes those are the people I care most for in the world, in different ways. The Meister is like the father I wished for, he's done so much for me. My little sister will forever be one of my best friends, the boy in the book shop has had feelings for me for so long, he's risked a lot though I doubt he knows it, so I care for him. Peter, he had such a rough start to life but I've never seen him without a smile on his face and a good word for people.” He paused, contemplating the next person, “I do care for you.” He stated that bit bluntly, “You tried to kill me yes and many would never see passed that. They would not see the man I see in you.” He unfurled his hands and thought for a brief moment how to explain it best, “When you were to kill me that night, you didn't want to. It was your job and you would do it because you are professional. You didn't want to though, I could see it in your eyes.” He paused a moment, “You could have asked for anything of me but you asked for knowledge, a pure pursuit of greater understanding is an incredibly beautiful thing. You have since been a great source of company, of honest and forthright opinion, you get offended on my behalf, angry for me. That is a noble emotion, one few others in this world share with you, Meister, Peter, the book shop boy and my sister are perhaps the only ones who would agree with you. You are...good to look at as well, pleasing.” 

He paused again, trying to figure it out himself, though moved onto Rei's own emotions, “You thought that you could not heal but you can. Rei, is it so hard for you to think you can care for someone? You are protective? You admire me? You get angry for me? That is affection, or how all affection starts and then grows into different things.” Alessandro reached out slowly, in case Rei didn't want to be touched by him right now, his fingertips ran into the fae's hair, his palm gently against his cheek as his fingers ran across the scalp of the fae. “This relaxes you because you have affection for me. Do you feel like trying a small experiment? Something to help you understand I hope.”

If Rei should any sign of agreement the Prince leaned in, the hand in Rei's hair holding him gently in place, the other hand coming up to cup the other side of his face and the hairline and gently he placed his lips against Rei's. They lingered there for a long count of five before Alessandro leaned away and asked quietly, "Now, did anything happen for you? Did your body feel weird or different? Like a pulse of energy running through you, starting in your belly perhaps?"