Night of Hearts

Epilogue: Good Press

Hugo stood with the primmest of postures, delicately holding a wine glass in one hand while his other lingered around Varian's waist.

The regular eyeliner, choker, and fingerless gloves were all there, but now they complimented his all-black three-piece suit with the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone, revealing some of his chest. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing a tie, not now that Quin Valentine was dead and buried.

"Glad you could make it to the annual celebrity wine tasting event, Varigo," a black woman in a pencil dress with red lipstick said, grinning at the couple.

"Vari-what now?" Varian said, nearly choking on his wine.

"It's what everyone's been calling you. You're the biggest couple on the internet right now, you know."

"Nuru, please never use that ship name ever again."

"No, no, I think it's perfect," Hugo mused. "We should introduce ourselves that way from now on."

Varian groaned at that.

 "I personally think it's so romantic how you reconnected with your high school sweetheart," she said, smiling at them. "You're both so supportive of each other too. I'm a stan."

"Nuru, Dear, don't encourage my son," a woman with a high-pitched voice cut in, and Varian sighed at his mother's presence. "He's already dragged our name through the mud enough as it is. Honey, how could you bring this riff raff in here?" She eyed the blond. "It's a disgrace."

"Evening Mrs. Blanchet," Hugo cooed, stepping forward and summoning every ounce of charm in his body, which for him, was an astronomical amount. "If you weren't famous, I'd have thought you were Varian's sister." 

She blinked as he took her hand and kissed it. "Huh?"

"I may be mere riff raff but even a poor man can recognize beauty."

"Oh, my." She hovered closer, the scent of sickeningly sweet flowers, the kind that all older women collectively wear for some reason, wafted in like a poisonous gas. "It's a shame you're into men. I think there's some women here who could benefit from your rough commoner hands."

"Those are guitar hands, and I swing both ways."

Varian's face fell while Nuru made an unimpressed huh? sound. "Wow." He tugged Hugo away from the cougar. "Please never speak to my mother again, in fact, you should probably delete your Nstagram immediately and do the world some good."

"Call me," Ulla whispered, winking at Hugo as the group of three walked away. Varian tried to suppress his gag reflex.

"Now I just need to smooth over your dad," Hugo said jokingly.

Varian frowned, hitting his arm. "You better not. He will actually murder you if you try that shit."

He shrugged. "Eh. I'm not for everyone."

"Damn," Nuru commented, chuckling. "Your man's got confidence, Var. That shit back there was questionable at best, but I gotta admit he's growing on me."

"Can't say I feel the same," he said seriously. Hugo gasped, and Varian couldn't help but shoot him a mischievous grin.

He was rewarded with a discreet pinch to the ass, causing him to screech while Hugo bit back a laugh. 

Before Varian could execute this man where he stood, a group of reporters made their way over to them. Expecting to be bombarded with questions, Varian blinked in surprise when they all surrounded the blond next to him instead.

"Hugo Mendel! Why did you lie to the public about your identity? What do you have to hide?"

Varian took his arm, whispering, "Let's go."