#burnoff

Geoff’s unconcerned and flirts with Burnie while riling him up until Burnie has to walk away or start yelling, which would make a scene, so.

He wanders away, and the refreshment table looks like a safe enough place to go, right? Maybe if he eats something he’ll feel better - breakfast was coffee and a stale donut, and he skipped lunch dealing with something or other. (Low blood sugar and all, might why Geoff got to him so badly earlier.)

Someone bumps into him and he looks up to see this good-looking guy, right? Tall and broad-shouldered, this blonde-brown hair pulled up into a deliberately messy bun. Unsettling blue eyes that he knows too damn well, and Burnie’s just like, goddammit, because fucking Ryan.

Asshole’s just watching him as he eats some ridiculous little hors d'oeuvres  waitig to see if he’s going to make a scene.

Burnie glaring at him as he jabs a finger in his chest and hisses, “I will have your goddamned Zentorn imounded if you do anything.”

Ryan raises an eyebrow at the threat (promise).

“That sounds like a gross abuse of power,” he says, tiny little smirk. “But I’m no expert.”

Burnie grabs some hors d'oeuvres of his own and gets the fuck away from Ryan before he does something he’ll regret. (Like fucking shooting him, Christ.)

He finds a quiet little corner of the room and people-watches, shoving hors d'oeuvres in his mouth when he spots the other Fakes sprinkled around the room.

Gavin charming some socialite, all wide smiles and bright laughter as he charms the fuck out of her. (Burnie keeps track, makes sure she still has all her rings and other glittering bits of jewelry when Gavin wanders away to find someone else to enthrall.)

Jack’s talking to some politician, teeth bared as he talks and talks and talks and the stupid bastard goes from looking vaguely amused to uncomfortable very fast. (Catches bits and pieces every so often, Jack so very pleasant as he mentions all these broken promises and whatnot the bastard’s racking up since he was elected to office.)

He sees Michael and Jeremy from the corner of his eye, slipping through the crowd unnoticed - they’re dressed the part, but don’t stand out the way these elite rich do. Might as well not be there for all the attention they get, and it makes him nervous.