Truebonds (Larry Stylinson)

Trust

The crisp morning air bites at Harry's face as he steps out of the airport terminal and he flips up the collar of his jacket to ward off the chill. He easily spots the black suburban idling across the way in the designated pick-up zone, steam rising up into the air from the exhaust pipe at the rear, and a sign with his name tucked under the visor which is clearly visible through the windscreen.

Hiking his shoulder bag a bit higher he wheels his suitcase along the pavement to the cross walk and strides to the other side of the road, boots crunching the grit beneath their leather soles.

It's still early, having been up well before the sun so as to arrive in New Hampshire just before 9am. He's used to it though as his work takes him all over the country and at least this trip didn't require him to traverse any time zones.

He'd dressed the part as always, carefully considering the environment he would be entering, not overtly country, but enough to blend in without drawing too much attention; brown leather boots, dark blue jeans cinched at the waist with a brown belt, white undershirt with a forest green button down over the top, and a mid-thigh length black coat. He'd dispensed with the usual flare of jewelry he wears during his personal time, just a few of his less garish rings and his cross necklace tucked under his shirt.

The look he goes for with each client is different, wanting to set the mood with his appearance from the outset and ensuring that the client feels comfortable with him. Louis is wealthy, and while he lives in a rural area now, his background bio, which included his principal profession as the owner of a trading firm, indicated that he's relatively new to this way of life. Harry's attire recognises that blend of country and city which he hopes will allow him to assimilate more rapidly, putting Louis at ease in his presence.

Making his client feel comfortable is an important part of what makes Harry so good at his job as a Scenter. Comfort is something that needs to be achieved in a short time period in order to make the omegas he works with feel safe. There's only one day allocated to settling in before the scenting cycle commences, so there is precious little time for the getting-to-know-you phase.

Harry's always prided himself on being able to quickly work out what makes someone tick and his complementary studies outside of his primary scenting qualification—psychology and anthropology—have certainly aided in that. It usually only takes him an hour or so to get a basic read before he starts to peel back the layers to uncover what lies beneath and he has no reason to think that his new client, Louis, will be any different.

Walking up to the car he catches the driver's attention, giving her a nod in greeting. She smiles in return and opens her door, then jumps down and rounds the front of the vehicle. "Mr. Styles?"

"Hi, yeah that's me, but Harry's fine. How's it going?"

She's dressed in a black pants suit with a white collared shirt, fairly standard attire for chauffeurs, and her dark hair is pulled back into a small ponytail. "Very well, thanks, Sir. I'm Victoria," she says as she goes to the rear passenger door and opens it up.

"Nice to meet you, Victoria. Gorgeous morning, isn't it?"

"Stunning. It's my favorite time of year, actually," she offers with a bright smile and turns, reaching towards the handle of his suitcase with an outstretched hand. "Can I take your luggage, Harry?"

Harry wheels his suitcase over to her. "Sure, thanks."

"I'll just pop this in the back and we'll be on our way. There's bottled water, mints, and some aloe vera wipes in the side pocket for you as well."

"Oh cool, that's really kind of you."

Harry swings his shoulder bag off and climbs up into the car, getting settled and securing his seatbelt before grabbing one of the bottles of water and taking a long swig. The interior is immaculate, as he expects from a luxury car service of this nature; sumptuous leather seats, video screens embedded in the backs of the headrests, and the subtle smell of air freshener permeating his senses in the enclosed space.