A Study in Music Theory (Wesper AU)

Five: The Deal

Jesper nearly ran off the Van Eck porch the next morning. He by no means wanted to be there, but he had a financial obligation. Jesper may have been a shitty person, but he'd still like to keep good on his promises. Besides, some part of him still secretly hoped he could resolve whatever happened between him and Wylan so they could just go on with their lives.

As he contemplated jumping the fence into the neighbor's yard and running away, a servant opened the front door for him. Jesper thanked them kindly and found his way up to the study. His nerves were on a vindictive tizzy today, begging him to pay attention to his materialki powers. They always got jittery when he was nervous. He would never understand why anyone would call them a "gift".

He stepped into the study, and an immediate pang of worry hit him. Wylan wasn't at his usual table. Jesper found his way over to the piano, and there was still no sign of the mercher's boy. In fact, Wylan wasn't even in the room. He began to panic, walking in circles, trying to figure out if it was a trap. Wylan was smart. He could have purposely left Jesper waiting here while he pulled his dad away from the office to interrogate Jesper.

"Are you looking for Master Van Eck?" A woman called from the hall.

Jesper nearly jumped. He grabbed onto the table to keep himself up and he gave her a shaky smile. "Yes, actually. Do you know where he is?"

"I believe he's still in his room. Do you want me to show you there?"

So this wasn't a trap. Jesper nodded and followed the woman out into the hall. She led him further into the house, a place somehow more depressing than the rest of the damn mansion. It didn't need sheets of dust for Jesper to know the portraits were old and the decorations were often left untouched. This was not a home. It was a museum of capitalistic misery.

The maid stopped at the end of the hall and knocked on the white door to her right.

"You have a visitor," she called out. The woman turned to Jesper, nodded with a smile, and left.

There was no looking back from here. He slowly opened the door and stepped into the little Van Eck's room. Wylan sat in the corner upon a bed made up of silk sheets and woolen throw blankets. He was in the middle of a flute performance when Jesper walked in. He stopped abruptly, shoving the flute behind his pillow.

"What are you doing here?"

"No hello for your favorite fake tutor?" Jesper asked. "As far as I'm aware, I still have lessons with you. You know, saying you haven't..."

"No." Wylan tried to look angry, but instead he just looked tired. He pulled his legs up from the floor, sitting cross legged on the bed. "I should have. You could go to prison for forging documents like that, Jesper. Saying that's even your real name."

"This may surprise you, but my name is also Wylan Van Eck. What a coincidence, eh?"

No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, Wylan couldn't help but smile at the dumb joke. It made Jesper feel slightly better, like maybe he didn't ruin everything. He let himself lean against the door.

"So I'll take it you're actually named Jesper," Wylan said. "Is Fahey your real name, too?"

"Look, I didn't want everything to be a lie," Jesper said with a sigh. "And I did go to Ketterdam University for a bit — not for music, mind you — and I left on my own accord."

"And what accord is that?"

"What? Like you can't piece it together yourself, Detective Van Eck?"

Wylan sighed and hid his face in his hands. He was doing this to guilt trip Jesper, he just knew it. But no, Jesper was going to stand his ground. He stayed where he was, watching Wylan look absolutely miserable.