#zakeras

He truly didn’t think anything could compare to fake dating another man for prize money. He’d never do anything like this again (probably). But to call the experience totally unpleasant would also, in itself, be a lie. The biggest surprise in all of this was that it had actually been kind of fun.

Their time was coming to an end. In a matter of weeks, they’d know the outcome of the competition (following several more rounds and trials) and, with money in hand, go their separate ways. It was the perfect crime -- they’d done exceptionally well. 

But he didn’t want it to be over.

The thought came to him with alarm one particularly normal morning. He drank his coffee at the kitchenette’s bar, shuffling through the paper like the old soul he’d always been, and Inigo, just to his left, made himself something to eat. He moved about the space with the ease and comfort of someone who’d finally gotten used to all of this... light on his feet, he hummed and seemed lost in his own rhythm. Green eyes would study him from afar, like watching a private moment that not even the other knew he was spying upon. He was truly something beautiful. Notevole.

And it hit him. As sudden as a car accident. It smacked him across the face with a blush and he looked away, back at the paper. Back at anything that wasn’t the person who had just grabbed at his heart like that.

It kept happening. Things like that. With something as simple as a smile or a silver tongue that could compete with his own (sometimes). A laugh, clear and kind. Most anything he did these days. And Caesar hated that. This wasn’t supposed to happen at all. The fake dating was fake. Completely fake. And yet... he really liked his company. It was better than a shallow date. It felt more stable, like him being there was meant to be a constant. Even Joseph liked him -- Caesar trusted that instinct more than anything else.

Maybe, just maybe... no. He couldn’t.

... Flirting was harmless enough, right?

He could allow himself that. Which is exactly what he would try to do this day, weeks following his revelation, while he came to visit him after work. He’d come from his own job, his skin glistening with the hard work of someone who constantly moved their body as a career. How... lewd, he thought to himself, shaking it away. If he let himself wander like that, it would only get worse. But it was hard to focus when he did cute things like bring he and Joseph a late dinner and tell them stories about what the kids did today and wait why was Joseph leaving them alone--

Dammit. Merda. He was all but trapped, now.

placing a smile at the perfect event, gracing your skin with the side of my hand.

It’d gone well. But it always went well.

The Striders were amazing. As always. But he found himself impressed near every time, watching from his usual place off to the side from wherever the venue deemed itself as offstage. This was, in many ways, his break time. He was on the clock, still, but being paid to enjoy the talents of his clients. He was on the clock, still, being paid to watch in contented awe as Dirk Strider, one half of popular band Catch-22 and also his boyfriend, proved again and again why he’d gotten to this level of success.

And he did it. Flawlessly. But it was always that way.

This particular performance was off the charts. Everything had come together -- favorable space, great lighting. An enthusiastic crowd. The energy could be shared by everyone in the room, perpetuated by the two blondes who commanded attention. Flashy effects and good music. Humor and sibling banter. Talent and heart, unabashed. They always did well, but tonight was, in itself, better by far. Like comparing gold and silver. Something he’d long accepted as simply magic in a world where he felt it rarely, if ever, existed. 

Somewhere among that definition, the two of them. He and a celebrity. He and his boyfriend. It had been 7 months and to call him of all people that was just... he couldn’t come up with the words. Though not uncommon, he was appropriately tongue-tied. Perhaps that was love. He was still figuring it out.

Following, they held a meet and greet with limited attendance. It was still a fair crowd, of which he was put back into action. A safety precaution in the background, yet thrust to involvement by, surprisingly, the fanbase themselves. They seemed to like him from the boys and their social media. Embarrassing, but he’d become something of a fan favorite according to Dirk. Something about trending hashtags. He didn’t really understand it, but gave a nod or a thank you when addressed all of the same. And Dirk would occasionally, when there was even the slightest break in traffic, look at him and smirk something secretive. A ghost of an expression but still very much there. He’d become able to pick it up in even the largest sea of people.. and he, too, would return it, a glint in his eye unbeknownst to anyone but the blonde it was meant for. 

It carried to the car. To the late dinner. To the hotel. To the suite where Dave closed his door for the night to Skype call his best friend John and eventually turn in. And, as sudden as a blink, they were alone. Together.

featuring new talent the likes of which have never been seen!

@zakeras

Just another ad to answer. A casting call, not at all uncommon for the area in which they lived, but one that did not ask for the usual musical or theatrical talent. It was one that called for experience of a different kind.

One that he actually had to offer. Funny, for a city that constantly questioned his usefulness.

And the security involved had made this opportunity a rather daunting one. His initial screening had been easy enough: resume, basic questionnaire, meeting a representative meant to weed out those who absolutely did not fit the description before actually going in front of the boss of sorts. He’d made it among the few candidates who were asked for a second interview -- and had been told very clearly just how high profile this was to be. He was not nervous, not really, anyway: there was probably good reason for the very specific rules and information given, and as long as the client wasn’t a woman (and he had made sure of that), it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He’d been everything from a temporary security guard (boring yet quite easy) to a bouncer at a nightclub (which was absolutely short-lived due to how many drunk and scantily clad women tried to come onto him for entry). Defense and the handling of a basic set of rules coupled with intimidation and strength-based skills? Not a problem.

For all of his preparedness, however, he’d have no idea what he was getting into until already agreeing to it. Though it was perhaps too early to make that assumption when hadn’t even attended the interview yet.

The boss had picked a public place, which made quite a bit of sense when having to feel out a potential employee of this nature. As he understood it, there would be a lot of crowd control and a need to be aware of surroundings in this work. He was a quiet and observant type, which made those easy concepts to take in. Their meeting would take place in a coffee shop, one of the more popular on this side of town. It being the height of the afternoon on a Wednesday, it was quite packed. Despite the apparent profile of the client, he’d actually been personally asked to dress casually for the occasion... so jeans and a plain t-shirt were all he wore. Even luckier still, it had been close enough to walk to, so right several minutes before it was to start, he came upon the door. A deep breath -- even his impressive credentials didn’t change the fact that he had to meet a new face -- 

Or two.

Oddly enough, as he stepped through, the crowd seemed to part. A healthy mix of twenty and thirty-somethings occupied the line and the tables -- some on phones, some on laptops, some huddled over drinks and chatting with friends. He wasn’t here to see anyone like that, looking for the--ah, yes. The strange hat he’d mentioned he’d be wearing. An icebreaker, he’d laughed on the phone. He sounded like a parent... and probably was, given his appearance. Near a farther window toward the outside patio sat the man a good handful of years older than he... and a younger man with hair the color of the sun. Distinct shades. A lax position with his body slightly reclined and ankle folded and resting onto his knee. Despite the glasses, he could tell he’d been noticed, the younger of the two nudging the older man and motioning with his head. ... Was that a smile on his lips?

Before he could consider it any further, the older man was now approaching him. “Are you Lon’qu?” He asked with a pleasant (but not too friendly) smile.

“... Yes.” The younger (yet taller) said simply, giving a short nod. “It’s a pleasure, Mr. Egbert.”

“Oh certainly.” And he offered his hand to shake. “The pleasure is mine. We are quite excited to meet you, although I hadn’t anticipated Mr. Strider joining us today. ...Did you want to order anything?”

Not really. Why did that name sound so familiar? “I will pass. Thank you.”

“Sure, sure. Do come sit. Like I said, this may be a little different than I am used to but hope you can bear with me --er, us.” He smiled again -- more good-naturedly -- before leading Lon’qu to the table (and the unexpected blonde guest.)

A pause and Egbert looked between the two of them before clapping his hands. “We are attempting to remain low-profile today... and as such, I hope I will not have to elaborate on his identity much further. This is Mr. Dirk Strider. He is your intended client. Mr. Strider, this is Lon’qu.”

The glasses made it a little weirder. He couldn’t get a read on his eyes. His brows knit slightly but he nevertheless went to shake his hand. 

     It wasn’t that he minded the interactions with others, but he knew he could get so caught up in the work he enjoyed that all of life’s daily activities could get ignored. There were some days he’d go through without eating anything, other days when he’d only drink green tea and eat lollipops, and some days that were normal. He could feel this one becoming one of those days where he worked and worked without stopping, for he was right on the brink of a breakthrough on this Mosca for Vongola’s assassination squad.

     He heard the click of his door as it opened, but took a moment more to tighten the bolt before he stopped himself to see who was visiting. A lazy slide of his eyes brought a man in a Varia jacket with an interesting hat into his line of sight.

           — ⊰ ⊹ ⊱ — Standing in the corner of the bustling street, he watched the citizens of Namimori treading around him through his timid eyes. It was uncomfortable to be near so many people, but he was able to endure it. Donning on their thick coats and gloves, everyone was prepared for the icy breeze this winter was gifting them with. The young Shimon was wearing a large brown coat, black ear muffs and a red scarf to protect himself from the cold weather. It really was freezing, and he could feel his hands growing numb. The only reason why he was outside in the cold was because he was waiting for a dear friend of his.

          When Tsuna found out Enma was going to be alone on Christmas eve, he immediately invited him to watch the fireworks together. A small smile unconsciously spread across his lips when the memory resurfaced in his mind. He was kind, and the redhead loved that about him. Glancing down at the present in his hands, he nervously fidgeted, suddenly feeling insecure about the gift he picked out. Would his friend even like it? When he heard a voice call out for him, he immediately whipped his head up. A gentle smile blossomed on his face when he realized it was Tsuna. “Hello... Tsuna-kun. It’s really cold today isn’t it? Don’t worry... You’re on time. I just arrived ten minutes earlier.”

zakeras

Muu finished helping the rest of the Fanalis Corps secure their horses in the Kou stables. He was glad that they had finally made it. The trip was long and treacherous-- A week on a ship that brought them to Balbaad, then another two weeks on foot and horse. Titus had already gone off to the conference that he was scheduled to attend.

The Fanalis looked around himself. This place was so different from the place that he called home. They would be here for a while, so he figured that he should familiarize himself with the area. He told the others where he would be going and started off down one of the long, open air halls.

He found himself lost in thought. Was Titus alright? Was this all an elaborate setup for a trap? He couldn’t let his guard down, after all. 

He eventually bumped into someone-- No something. He grunted softly and took a step back, looking the other over.

     If there had been anything like humanity left in him, he would have felt sorry for the poor soul.

     Unfortunately for one Dirk Strider, he had been lured into the worst of all possible situations one could end up in a foreign country; despite his efforts to remain as cautious as possible, the boy’s fate had been sealed the moment Ruki took an interest in him.

     He owed it to him, anyhow; the heir had offered the traveler a place to stay, expertly cooked meals, and anything he could ask for -- save for freedom. For the small price of keeping a vampire fed, he should feel lucky. Spoiled, even.

     “Have you ever thought about the existence of the supernatural, Strider?” The bedroom door shut and locked as quietly as it could. His voice was kept light, inquisitive; he’d lured Dirk all the way here, and it was highly likely the teen was feeling apprehensive and ready to escape the moment he was given a chance. His tone had been maintained to keep some ease in a tight situation, but the act could have been dropped a while back. The kid was smart; he had to have caught on ages ago.

     Stress could be combated with a single joy, should it be joyful enough. The heavy complexities of life wore down on anyone with responsibilities on this island paradise, but the island offered a rescue-- the value of a partner, of love, was enough to balance out the difficult times.

     Today was one of such stressful days. Work and school work and people work had made Aoi’s shoulders heavy as he brought himself through the front door of their little house. He came in exhausted, exhaling exaggeratedly, and practically dragged himself to the couch where Tsuna sat playing one of his DS games.