In the name of love

1. First impressions matter

«Alright, sir, I'll send you the necessary documents in the next two weeks.- The boy looked up from his tablet.- In the meanwhile, I can tell you that the numbers are pretty high, even for such an old house. You should consider doing something about it.»
Adam let out a small laugh. «Don't worry, I don't need to.»

He loved how puzzled the other boy looked, and smiled. «All of the entities in this mansion have been here for longer than me, they would never harm me, other than by embarrassing me by showing everyone that ever comes here my baby pictures.»

«Is that so?»
«I'm afraid it is.- Adam looked at the clock.- From what you told me, there is some time before you have to leave, do you want to drink some coffee, or some tea?»
«I don't know... I should go, I have an important appointment at the Academia.» He looked genuinely sorry.

Adam smiled. «Do you mean the same Academia my great-grandfather founded?» He casually said.
«You- You're Mr. Pleding's great-grandson?» The boy looked awe-struck, Adam loved this kind of reaction.
«I am. If someone ends up giving you a hard time about it, you can always tell whoever it is that you were just too enchanted by my first-hand accounts about some of the most important moments of Vegatia's history.»

Adam hated using his family's reputation for things like this, but he had always been told everything was fair in love and war. Not that he could call that love, for now, it was mere physical attraction. Still, if using some weird power dynamic his family had with the whole country was what it took to convince the boy to stay for a little longer and talk, he was more than willing to do it. «So,- he said,- why don't we go to the main library?»
«The main library...- It took him a while to understand which room Adam meant.- Yes, let's go there, mr. Pleding.» The boy smiled.

«Oh, there's no need to be this formal...» Adam gestured towards the boy.
«Oh, uh, Lometa. Percy Lometa.- He put his hand up between himself and Adam.- And you are...?»
Adam took Percy's hand and shook it. «Adam, nice to meet you.»

While Adam and Percy walked towards the room, Adam's phone buzzed. «Excuse me, I have to check my phone. Why don't you go ahead and ask for Mary Anne? She'll fix you a drink in almost no time!»

Idiot <3

hey, i saw you sweet-talking that boy

James, when will you stop stalking me and any guest we have over?
Also, I'm not sweet-talking him. I'm being polite.

when you stop getting yourself almost killed whenever i let you out of my sight
and yes, you are, i've done my fair share of sweet-talking so i know what i'm talking about

It happened once. Do you actually have to tell me anything that cannot wait until tonight at dinner?
You know what? I'm ignoring you.

all i'm sayin is, he's cute and he looks like he's a fun bloke, shoot your shot!

      James, stop this or I'll make sure to throw a bathtub of holy water at you, you know Oscar and Valerian would help me with that.

With a sigh, he put his phone away, casually giving the finger to the ceiling. He knew James would see it.

«Thank you, Mary Anne.- The girl left a tray with two cups on it on the table. Adam turned to Percy.- What did you get?»
«A coffee. Half coffee, half cream. One sugar. You?»
«Black tea. A bit of milk in it and nothing else.»
«Why did you ask?»

Adam gave him a knowing look from over his tea. «You can correctly assume many things from someone's drink of choice.»
Percy laughed. «Really? What would you assume about me?»
Adam smiled, he hoped, charmingly. «You try to appear tough, but you are a kind-hearted softie, deep down, and only show that side of yourself around people you trust. I'd say you also hope to have a happily ever after with the person you love.- He glanced at his cup and then looked into Percy's hazel eyes.- What would you assume about me?»

«First of all, thanks for the call out! And...- Percy looked at Adam, and after a few seconds, he seemed to have found what he was looking for.- I'd say you're reserved, and tend to seem really snob, but you're actually really chill. You feel lonely, and compensate for that by throwing yourself into whatever project you find.- Percy smiled. Adam's heart may have leapt in his chest.- How did I go? All correct?» Adam simply nodded.

The conversation soon moved onto entirely different, and apparently disconnected, topics. Adam and Percy were really enjoying it and, before either of them knew it, the forty five minutes they could spend together were over. Percy got up from the arm chair he was in. «So... I suppose I'll see you around, then?»
Adam smiled. «Sounds like a plan. Why don't you give me your number? So that we can make sure it happens.»
Percy smiled back at him, at which Adam felt his heart skip a beat a, and handed him his phone. «Here, I'll text you right away so you know it's me. Goodbye, Adam!»

After Percy left the library, a silent figure appeared on the empty armchair. «He seems polite. You did the right thing, socialising will do wonders for you.»
Adam turned to Oscar. «Do you think so? Do you think I may have a chance with him?»
Oscar looked at Adam and smiled sadly. «Is that why you brought him here, so that if anything happened you'd have me and Valerian?- Adam nodded.- I can't tell, the only thing I know for sure is that if he's like us, he does a good job at hiding it. Oh, and before he does anything, tell James to leave the poor boy alone.»

Adam laughed. «I already told him that if he keeps being an idiot, you and Valerian would help me throw a bathtub of holy water at him.»
Oscar looked at Adam with pride in his eyes and smiled. «I see my lessons about how to use your enemy's weaknesses to get the higher ground have been useful. I'm proud of you, Adam.»
Valerian appeared beside them, and signed "What is happening?"

Quickly, Adam updated him on everything that happened, down to the smallest of details. «I wish you the best of luck. It seems like you will need it, with him.»