𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐒

Man of the Hour

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So this was luxury.

Pisces stood outside the open gates of the lavish home. It reminded him of every expensive modern home seen in a movie; sleek, white, and enough windows to practically be considered a glass house. It seemed so perfectly...Leo. From the information he gathered from Vogue magazines and online articles, Leo was relatively young and often held parties. That said, it meant he had connections. Connections Pisces desperately needed.

If he wanted to strike a deal with McKnight, he had to be funny.

Pisces stepped past the gates and marched right through the thin crowd of partygoers and to the open front door. The people paid little mind to him, he was merely a face they'd forget by tomorrow.

Inside the house was just as modern and lavish as the outside. If he didn't know any better, he'd guessed he'd been transported into the future. The lights in the main area were set to give off a soft blue and white glow, bathing the room in a cool light. The moonlight streaking through the windows added another sense of otherworldliness to the room. A majority of the furniture was either white or made of metal, though there were a few fur carpets and blankets strewn around. A large tv showing some movie marathon hung above an electric fireplace, while a bluetooth speaker played softly from someone within the room. Everything was a feast for his senses, from the cool air against his skin and down to the faint smell of expensive wine and mint from the kitchen somewhere.

Despite the dense crowd, Leo's home was spacious enough to still leave room to maneuver through the mass of people. The gathering honestly gave Pisces vague flashbacks to college parties, people dancing to music and holding red cups filled with god knows what. It was definitely more...friendly...than he expected from someone with wealth like this.

Pisces noticed the people crowded around one spot in particular. They sat surrounding the curved couch sitting just in front of the electric fireplace, and at the center of their attention was the man of the hour—

Aquarius Ros.

Pisces blinked in surprise. He'd forgotten all about the guy. He and Leo were close business partners and childhood friends. Did they share the home? It was probably better to not ask...

He approached the group with his shoulders back and head held high. Confidence was key, right?

"There's the man of the hour."

Aquarius' cool voice suddenly wrecked his facade.

Some patrons turned his way, curious, while others continued with their own conversations— a face to forget.

With one smooth wave of Aquarius' hand, the people dispersed from around the two and melted back into the crowd. Pisces took the invitation to sit across from him. His eyes roamed the room, suddenly no longer able to focus on the man before him.

"So, you're the one Leo has been talking about."

Pisces willed himself to meet Aquarius' eyes. He noticed they were calm, a total contrast to Scorpio's intense gaze.

"If what he said was good , then I believe so."

The other man laughed and a light feeling went through him. He recalled his meeting with Scorpio and how her forced smile made him feel. Now here he was sat across from Aquarius, smiling, and he didn't feel like a cornered piece of prey.

'They'll be easy to use.'

Her words echoed in the back of his mind. Is this why she saw them as easy to use? Their kindness? A knot began to form in his stomach. Was he befriending them out of the kindness of his heart, or for his wallet?

"We were impressed by the line of shoes you released back then," Aquarius' compliment cut through Pisces' nagging thoughts. "Leo and I have actually been looking for someone to do a collaboration with."

His heart practically leapt out of his mouth.

"S-seriously?"

Aquarius nodded, ever casual and cool as if they weren't talking business. "Though all three of us wouldn't collab at once — then it gets tacky and messy." Pisces nodded along. Yes, of course — "tacky". He'd look that up later.

"I'd like to work with you first. I've been invited to a fashion show downtown and I believe then would be a great time to show whatever we make."

It took a moment for him to realize that despite moving his mouth, no sound was coming out. He stammered for a moment before spitting out actual words,"I ah..ah yeah! I'd - that'd be great!"

Aquarius leaned forward and held out his hand,"Phone."

Pisces quickly retrieved the device from his back pocket and placed it into his waiting hand. It was happening — he was getting the phone number of the Aquarius Ros and they were going to work together.

A moment of quiet passed.

A smile crept across Aquarius' face,"Scorpio, huh?"

Oh. Was it normal for his heart to be beating this fast?

Another quiet, then his phone was back in his hand and Aquarius was giving him a lazy, laidback smile.

"I look forward to working with you both."

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eheh those magazine covers are pretty fun to make. if you're curious, aquarius' fc is @/oamullu on insta. i'd suggest checking it out, he has some really pretty photography on there

uhmmm. i wrote this while waiting in dps queue in overwatch so. had lots of free time. anywho.

850~ish words. maybe i can break 1k eventually.