The 4 Beat waltz

III. Cafe

A/N; it was this chapter Murphy dumped on me ozz is a cult leader. And because I don't wanna change this chapter, this is the most fluff out of these fucks you'll ever get that isn't ozz manipulating max with loveboming or something

Oswalds POV
Ozz was fairly content as they walked towards the cafe, his love was  talking at him about birds. For England, it was a warm day. Well he would hope so anyway, it was July after all.

"That group over there? Those are Stirling birds.." he continued to talk about how they signified unity and such  filling up the silence on the walk quite nicely. He wasn't really sure  how this was going so smoothly. Was max stupid? Probably not.. naïeve was probably a better word to give him. His innocence of the world... his enthusiasm.. god he really was sheltered wasn't he? Ozz had only read stories , heard things that his brother Andrew mentioned about Lewis's treatment of the pair growing up. Paired with the amnesia.... Ozz wondered how much of it Max remembered. Or in what angle Max remembered it.

He sighed as Max finished talking about bird and asked some other question ozz didn't quite here , too lost in his own thoughts. Then he asked again.

"How busy is the cafe... I don't..."

Ozz assumed the end was 'want recognised.' He sighed lightly "chances are you won't be, or that nobody would bat an eye. I've met all sorts there , liefje. Summer court, winter court... demons of your type, mages.. you know? And it's usually quiet. Not many bright colours if you're worried about that overload." He hummed. Max accepted this answer as he went back to just.. talking. About one of his tattoos. Ozz did pay attention this time.

He was showing a tattoo on his arm. A pocket watch with a galaxy in it. Stunning work. It was predominantly blue colour - wise but there was a few gold sparkles.

"It's not my first. My first was uh... a bird on my upper arm..? I think? Got it when I move into my flat. Because I was finally free... stupid symbolism I know..." he chuckled. Ozz smiled, he was too much of a pussy to get tattoos but his love? Brave and symbolic. Admirable. Once again.

When they got to the cafe ozz opened the door insisting Maxwell went first. It was dead silent first thing in the morning. Some NHS workers trying to keep themselves alive for a 12-hours. Some students. For the most part quiet though.

".. can I have a latte and a pan-au-chocolate. Please?" Max mumbled. Ozz was going to comment on how that seemed awfully little for someone of Max's size. But he didn't , that was probably more than Ozz had eaten in about half a week. So his love could get a pass.

"Of course dear." He nodded. Ozz was planning on his usual .. a coffee. He doubt the cigarette would be allowed because max was eying a seer as far back in the cafe as possible. Usually ozz sat outside so he could smoke.

One order later and then some ozz was sat with his new obsession. A closer look at his face. He had to physically resist the urge to run his hand down the others face. To feel his skin. Every perfect imperfection. Every bump, every crack. Every wrinked line. Every scar.

That was a chance.

"How did you get this..?" Ozz said, feigning worry. He was more ... well ... in love. He ran his hand down the scar on the other's face. The other placed his hand over ozz's - seeming to see what Ozz was asking about.

"I'm not sure.. I've had it for years. It's pretty cool though isn't it? I mean.. perfect straight line? You know I probably got it from falling off a tree or something stupid like that," He shrugged as the coffees came , max looked at ozz's lack of food and mindlessly split his own pastry, "I had a lot last night. I mean the cooking was shit but I was always taught don't get drunk on an empty stomach" max explained as he shoved the other half towards Ozz.

He wasn't hungry but he had to accept the others kindness. So out of respect he ate a small corner of the pastry and deciding this would be it for the day.

"Anyway you have some really long title I was too drunk to remember what was it?" Max asked seemingly treating this like a date. Ozz had to let out a chuckle, god knows what his title was. He only remembered some of it on a good day. But he humoured the other.

"Archmage Oswald Theodore Seymore, third seat in the council... or some shit. I just say mage council third seat half the time. Nobody actually cares aside from official papers. You?"

"If I remember it's meant to be Maxwell Alexander Felix Grey the First to the Satanic Throne. So I guess we have similar titles."

"The first?" Ozz chucked "awfully British of you."

"Yeah, well Lewis was English. Lucifer was too but way closer to Scottish then grew up in Scotland," Max explained. Tracing the family tree seemingly on the table. "I'm not Russian I just picked up the accent because Lewis spoke Russian around the house, I think back in pre Industrial Revolution times his dad - so my ... well .... He's not related to me. Andrew's grandad. He booked it from Russia to England for some reason. Probably took a boat to Orkney and then came down to England. That's assuming I know geography though" he shrugged "my job is soul contracts not teaching he chuckled

Ozz sat there admiring the other as he tried to explain.

"Who's Andrew?"

He didn't listen to the explanation. He already assumed brother, he just wanted to listen to the other talk more. Resisting the urge to just kiss him there and then. He had class. He'd kiss him on the way back to the others flat

"... besides Lewis was a dick anyway he used to hurt Andrew. And with me he had several triggers but i don't remember what they did. I was a little shit of a child though. You joke unchecked adhd and autism and all that. He didn't believe in mental health." He said ... calmly

Ozz missed a chapter while he zoned out.  His face contorted into concern, genuine concern for the other. Was it valid from him given how he'd already violated max? Probably not. But the world was a play and right now this was his role. Concerned boyfriend. Yes. That sounded like it.

"Liefje... that sounds ... like I can't stress this enough.. that sounds so much like abuse. He wasn't good to you and it shows... makes me wonder how you really got that scar.

The others waking self didn't notice but the moment ozz mentioned abuse he hid the scar, there was some tie there. It was too straight to be "just a tree." Looked more like a deep rooted gash that would never not leave a mark.

"Ozz.. it's ... it's fine I swear" max laughed as if it was nothing. Nerves. The laugh soon faded to a poorly hidden cry. Ozz mumbled some curse under his breath. To the god that fucked him over once, may he please be forgiven this time

"Max. Drop."

He pulled on his shoulder. Quickest way to induce trance, shock. And by god did the other go down fast. Would've fallen against the table if he didn't catch him with magic. A small sigh followed.

He really was going to regret this.