Midnight Sparkle

Chapter 11

The weekend has never been a relaxing time for Adrian. Working with Sebastian, the weekend tended to be when he received the most customers and worked the longest hours. Neither he nor Sebastian had a maximum hours to work per week and if someone offered £200 at 11 pm on a Saturday night, he'd have gone to work at 11 pm on a Saturday night. Living with Vincent, he realises just how much free time he has now. Too much in fact. It's Friday night and with a deep sigh of disdain he checks his watch. He's been here over 2 hours. 

Everyone has something fun to do in the arcade except him. Ciel plays a coin slot machine, Junior plays Whack-A-Mole. Vincent is by the pool table in the open bar flaunting his smooth charisma for opponents, crushing them with his impressive talent. Well Adrian is banned from the pool table and blinking flashy lights and crowds of people hoarding over one poor player at a ticket-miner isn't his idea of a good time. He sits at a table in the bar, the surface of which is wet with some alcoholic-smelling beverage. He sips the cheapest cider he could find and stares at Vincent, it's the only thing stopping him dying of boredom. 

Observing Vincent play pool is like being the spectator at the Olympian finals. Each moment is expert and precise, he's absorbed by fierce competition with twists and turns in each blink of the eye. Such complex layers in Vincent's sadistic smirk for him to pick apart and preserve. The Phantom is a great ballerina, the way beauty radiates from his elegant form. Adrian could sit and stare at him for hours, and he is. He'll burn that image forever into his brain if it kills him. Vincet is so beautiful. 

"Hey, Adrian!" Ciel appears from behind and grabs his arm, breaking his concentration. "Come and win coins with us!" 

Discreetly Vincent looks over, giving him an encouraging smile. Adrian can admit when he's touched. The feeling of finally being accepted in some small way by Vincent's kids is like one step forward to being a real family. Or something cheesy like that, he grins to himself. "Alrigh', let's go my mini Phantomhives" he agrees, leaving the small trickle of foam behind in his glass and following Ciel through the crowds. 

Families are going home and the kids' game area is winding down for the night. He has space to walk around without fear or bumping into someone or knocking over a child and the absolute mortification that causes. Doesn't mean he doesn't think about it, stepping carefully between isles of games and staring at the floor - paranoid beyond compare of making a fool of himself. Once again reminded of why he hates the arcade. 

He reaches the coin slots which dispense both coins and sweets. The plate slides back and froth and with each coin added, some have the chance to spill over the side and you win! Dotted around are small, cheap sweets you can also win if they fall into the tray along with the coins. "Why'd you need my help?" he asks Junior who's furiously dropping coins into the slot at the rate of 500 per second. 

Ciel stands by the machine, watching his brother with a disappointed stare. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head as Junior continues to unsuccessfully bet. His money supply dwindles down to a meagre handful of ten-pence-pieces. "I believe it's rigged," Ciel explains. "He's been putting coins in left and right and the coins and sweets aren't even moving!" 

"Hm, indeed you're right." Adrian kneels down to see the stagnant coins and sweets at eye-level. Observing closer, there's a ridge that makes the coins pile up at the end without being able to fall over and into the ray. The machine is indeed rigged. "Well that's not fair at all," 

Adrian vows to avenge the customers this machine scams each night. He stands back up and looks around, realising this machine is facing the wall in a small, darkened corner. He grins. "Don' tell your father I showed you this alirgh'?" 

"Okay - make sure I get the lollipop," Junior nods. Anything to get his sought-after prize. He's ridiculously persistent when he wants something. Will do anything to get it, no matter the sacrifice. Adrian thinks it's a very Vincent-like quality, but he has to be smarter with it to get away with things like his father does.