Realistic or Modern An Invitation [lillymity]

[clostridium]

Thierry’s lip curled slightly. He did not seem to even be trying to hide his irritation. However, when he opened his mouth to say something, he appeared to think better of it, and he pressed his lips together in a firm line for a few seconds before replying. He did not deign to look at Adam again. “Just call them back, if you ever intended to meet with them at all. I do not intend to play this game again. Certainly not with you.” With that, Thierry turned and started back toward the guest house, with the calm of the outside apparently ruined for him. He turned and called out over his shoulder: “By the way - you are welcome that I did not allow the police to be called in. Certain people around here actually believe your connerie, and thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere.”

With that, Thierry stalked the rest of the way across the lawn. Etienne’s vague, above-it-all expression cracked for a few moments, revealing something strange, almost completely blank, underneath. He pulled himself under control and dismissed it with an airy laugh, then continued pulling Adam along, a little more tense than he had been only moments before.

“…Yes, yes, it is all mine. Yes. And…I do believe that some people care for me. Despite occasional evidence to the contrary.” His dark eyes flickered upwards to the darkened windows of the second level for a moment before they reached the front door, which he waited for Adam to open for him. “I suppose you could be considered a knight. You have yet to pass the dragon, you know, in my tower. You…well, we have all…very strong personalities.”

Etienne hoped to sweep past all talk of lawyers and connerie as quickly as possible. Thierry had the terrible habit of being incredibly open about things when he was irritated. Etienne’s own reluctance to get to the meat of things was constantly offended by this attribute, just as Thierry was constantly offended by the way Etienne danced around issues. Etienne did not want his detective to think him a liar, no matter what his brother chose to believe. His nails, digging into the fabric of Adam’s sleeve, betrayed that he was not half as calm as he sought to appear.

 

[lillymity]

Only listening to Thierry made Adam roll his eyes in a very annoyed way. He already realized that this guy would be a tough cookie to question. Pretty arrogant and probably not cooperative.

The blonde had only listened halfway, too much drama and they had just arrived. He just let it go, stumbling after the other, as Etienne pulled him a little stronger after him.

It was really more stumbling than actual walking, his mind still foggy from the alcohol and his rather nightmare than restful nap. Etienne probably felt like he was dragging a wet bag of potatoes after him. Adam was not only slow but leaning against Etienne more and more with every step they took.

Up the stairs was another little adventure for the blonde, he almost tripped over the first few steps, clinging to the other's arm a little more. But after getting used to those big and wide steps, they eventually made their way up. "The dragon ?" , he scoffed, a competitive smile on his lips. "How bad could that be ?" Wasn’t like Adam was actually tough. He had punched himself through much worse situations, looking even more miserable than now.

Adam just let the previous topics slide, looking at the door and then over to Etienne. The door ? Was he supposed to open it ? Would they just stand here and do nothing ? The blonde’s hand then slowly reached out for the doorknob, twisting it and the door opened with a soft creak.

Feeling just how Etienne's nails dug deeper into his coat sleeve, the soft fabric letting him feel it pretty well. His own grey eyes went up to meet Etienne’s. Was he scared ? Nervous ? Whatever it was with Etienne’s lawyers, as long as it wouldn’t be part of his investigation, Adam wouldn’t pry.

"Get in, my princess." , he quipped to not only calm Etienne but also himself. He was about to step into the hugest estate, he had ever seen and it looked awfully familiar — like the one in his dream.

 

[clostridium]

Etienne flashed a dazzling smile across to Adam, then led him inside. It looked no less grandiose than it had outdoors. The foyer opened into a modestly-sized, parquet-floored ballroom. Either side opened up into one of the wings of the place through an arched doorway, and at the back of the room there were two curved sets of stairs leading to the upper landing. The decor was an eclectic mixture of old-fashioned and bohemian, with solid, once-staid-looking furniture reupholstered in patterns unthinkable to the original carpenter. A gaudy chandelier clung like a spider to the center of the ceiling: the old-fashioned sort, raised and lowered with a chain to tend to the dozens of candles within.

Etienne was a bit concerned about the state of his erstwhile knight, who needed, if nothing else, to make it up the stairs. Maybe a bit more time lying down was what he needed. An unpleasantly stubborn component of his mind insisted that Adam could have been poisoned, too, and that he drew closer to death by the moment. All the logic in the world could not chase off the idea completely. It took a bit of the sport out of toying with him, festering in the guilt of a death that wasn’t even occurring.

“Did you want to make the staff interviews formal, or do you intend to wander about a bit once I’ve got you settled, a bit more…under the covers?” Etienne’s voice was low, and his steps were quiet. If his knight was not at his best, it would be easiest for him to avoid enduring the gauntlet of curiosity. More selfishly, he did not want to be publicly chastised by the cook, and it felt inevitable that it was a matter of when, not if.

As they walked and Adam slumped, Etienne slipped an arm around his waist to keep him steady. He was not exactly strong, but he could provide balance at the very least. He got physically close to others much more readily than most people, half as a way to tease and perplex but also because he tended to be incredibly isolated and wished for some level of connection, even if he wasn’t willing to forge one through honesty.

From the arch on the right, a shape emerged: an older woman with round, stern features, looking to be in her early sixties, wearing a severe gray house dress. She came toward them quickly, gaining pace with them, then clearing her throat loudly, surprising Etienne, who gasped and tightened his grip for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, hello!” Etienne’s suavity was gone, leaving him awkward and halting. The woman’s face pinched slightly.

“It would have been decent to call, sir. You’ve been…” She looked at Adam, and her expression tightened further. “…indisposed.”

“I planned to return. I simply…found a friend to pass the time alongside. I have been far too enthralled to think of home, Rosalie! You know that I am a fool for love.”

“Love?” Rosalie grumbled. She gave Adam a proper once-over. “…A little worn down for you, isn’t he?”

Etienne switched his gaze to Adam, and his eyes shone. He wore an impish, affectionate little smile and one elegant, long-fingered hand came up to rest on Adam’s chest. “Nothing that cannot be fixed.”

“…Ça chauffe, mon petit Icare,” she muttered. She looked like she wanted to get closer, but she decided against it. There was something in her silence, in the set of her jaw, and in Etienne’s odd, immediate disarmament that spoke to an unconventional relationship between employer and cook.

“…I think that I will show my dear little friend to his room, and we can speak further. I…did not…I am feeling far better. Put your worries in a box.”

 

[lillymity]

The expression that Adam returned — even though it should have mimicked the ways of a smile — was much too tense and looked pained. Not because of physical pain — at least none he hadn’t already before — but because the inside of Etienne's residence looked awfully similar to his dream. It let chills run down his spine. Mental note: Don't let Etienne wander in his ballroom alone. He had learned the possibilities for that ending already. Maybe he just made himself crazy, but that dream had seemed awfully real to him. And it made him nervous enough that he couldn’t even take in the full beauty of the inside.

"Second.." , Adam slurred seemingly exhausted. He did try to mask it but even then it was clear that without any fuel his body only got weaker — and unfortunately liquor wasn’t the best fuel on its own. The blonde planned on just casually walking by, trying to get the staff into some small talk, play nice to get enough information out of them.

Feeling the soft hand on his waist, how gentle Etienne’s fingers grabbed him, Adam looked up with a stunned expression.
That…that..was not what he expected..
He didn’t immediately pull away from him, somehow being comfortable in that position and take advantage of that moment for a bit, though normally no one was even allowed to be that close to him that they even could reach out to him.

But when Adam heard an unfamiliar voice, he immediately pulled away. Standing up straight and patting down the sleeves of his coat. He gave the old lady a little nod as greet while she already was grumbling at Etienne.

Worn down ?! Excuse me! The blonde’s eyebrow raised in an indignant way. He puts up with a lot. But worn down ?! That was maybe a bit over the top. It outraged Adam enough that he didn’t evem register that Etienne basically introduced him as his lover. Only making his head perk up at that explanation, when he suddenly felt the other's hand on his chest.

The blonde gradually looked down, blinking a few times before he even comprehended what was happening to him. It made him blush in a soft pinkish tint. All of the sudden the room went hot. He looked up again, offering the woman a small helpless smile.

But as Etienne proposed the idea of showing Adam his room, he frantically nodded. Yep, they would definitely do that now. Best idea he had in those past forty-eight hours. "Let’s go, was nice to meet you though." Another little smile to the older lady as he said that.

As the blonde already turned to go, he grabbed Etienne’s hand — a little firmer than he intended — and put it off his chest. That had caught him off guard, more than he wanted to admit. And he didn’t even hate it.

 

[clostridium]

Etienne’s brow furrowed and he pulled his hand back to his chest reluctantly as he began to turn alongside Adam, feeling obligated to follow because of his very real concern that the other man was going to fall over. He looked back over his shoulder at Rosalie and smiled apologetically.

“I am going to go find him someplace to lie down, I am afraid that not everyone is accustomed to living the lifestyles of the rich and famous…and I am afraid that when I cannot sleep…well, I am certain that you do not wish to know.”

“Right you are, you’ve said quite enough as it is!” she exclaimed. Etienne flashed a sheepish smile and led Adam up the stairs. When they reached the top, his expression shifted, becoming steely. His jaw set, and he let out a short, exasperated exhale.

“Listen, Detective,” he said softly, although there was nothing soft in his tone. In fact, he almost sounded resentful. He was used to being fought over, and he felt downright venomous about the prospect of being brushed off, particularly when he felt like they were going into things with an understanding that they were going to play things up more than a little. Being rejected for real was one thing. Being rejected in a pretend scenario was a great offense to his ego. “I understand, but you are not going to be particularly convincing in your role if you make it obvious that you cannot stand to be close to me.”

Refusing to look at the other man any further, but still not removing the light, steadying grip around his waist, Etienne led the way down the hall until they were almost at the end before opening the heavy, hardwood door to reveal a bedroom, well-appointed but a bit stuffy and over furnished. There was a high window, currently shrouded in curtains, a massive four-poster, and several armchairs, as well as a writing desk. There was another door that led out of the space on the same wall as the bed. There was a mirror above one nightstand and a rather grotesque painting above the other. Simmering in the abstraction was a suggestion of a human figure melting off of its own skeleton.

“…Take your nap. This room adjoins mine, both for…appearances, and so that…well, if I am attacked.” Etienne had no desire to finish his own thought, so he cut himself off.

 

[lillymity]

As they came to a halt at the top of the stairs, Adam felt the room change, getting tense, hot even — hotter than when Etienne had just randomly touched his chest. And then the grumpy indignant voice of Etienne came crushing in. "You know, Etienne. For me it’s not everyday that some boy toy gets all touchy with me without even one warning." , Adam grumbled back.

It had caught the blonde really off guard. It was the first time in years, that someone had shown him affection, even if it was just play pretend. Of course that was unusual for him, making him more than just a tad nervous. And that’s why he had reacted like that. A mistake, judging from Etienne’s sour expression.

The blonde walked next to him, up to his guest room. And by the minute Adam seemed to get more used to having Etienne’s hand on his waist.

The moment they stepped into the room, Adam's eyes widened. Such rooms, being in such a room, were always in his imagination — little daydreams. And now he actually stood in front of a little paradise of a bed. He was stunned for a second. All the smug gone. It was just vulnerable Adam, before all the mistakes and cruelty — a newly turned adult, who was still full of dreams. With shimmering silver eyes rather than the dull grey.

But the blonde returned quickly back to normal. "Your knight will protect you, don’t worry darling." The smug all back again. He put his own hand on Etienne’s, seeming like he got more comfortable with the proximity. Adam slowly stepped into the room, softly dragging Etienne with him. Softer than usual. Being that unusual seemed weird. But it was probably now just the tiredness washing over him.

The blonde yawned before returning his eyes back to Etienne. "You know, I don’t want to tell you what to do while I sleep, but please stay away from the ballroom." It sounded casual but he had a serious undertone, Adam didn’t mean that as a joke.

 

[clostridium]

As much as Etienne bristled, it was easy to soothe his ego back down into a manageable state, and, between Adam’s brief disarmament upon seeing his room and the way he was gently pulled along, he was already beginning to soften. He registered almost unconsciously that there was not much need for them to keep up appearances when they were alone in a room, but it was for the best that Adam got the practice to avoid further blunders.

That was what he would tell himself, anyway. It was nice to enjoy another person’s warmth, though, even if that someone was Adam. He had built up a bit of a reputation for not liking to be alone, and flitting around from person to person as a balm for his discomfort with isolation. Emotions other than bored or lonely very rarely factored into the short relationships he pursued, one of many reasons that Thierry felt no need to try and make a good first impression on Adam.

“I’m afraid you miscalculated, Detective - if anyone looks at the two of us, they’ll figure out quickly who is toying with whom. By the way…that darling is beginning to sound dangerously natural. Soon, you’ll even be fooling me. Hah - I’ll have someone bring you jam and toast or some such thing if you’d like, then you can settle in and sleep. Unless you wouldn’t like to see anyone until you’ve had a bit of rest. There’s a bell system, it rings in the kitchen hall, if you feel really ill and need someone, or…me.” Etienne paused, obviously perplexed by the request about the ballroom. “And…Detective, it’s quite difficult to get anywhere without passing through the center of the house! Was something there…suspicious?”

 

[lillymity]

Settling down on the bed, Adam's eyes went wide — the grey actually sparkling for the first time again. The bed was great, plushy, soft like paradise. It almost seemed to swallow him whole as he just sat down. Compared to his office chair or his couch, that right here felt like a five star luxury suite.

He chuckled, sounding a little softer for the first time. "Well, I have to practice, don’t I ? And some day, who knows ? Maybe I'll fool you." The darling had slipped very softly from his lips. Something no one would have ever believed to hear it from him two days ago. Something that wasn’t him at all.

The blonde just let himself plop down, sinking into the pillow, almost getting lost in it. "I…I'll take the toast…" His voice much calmer all of the sudden, almost dreamy. He was all gone in this bed, taking in every moment he had in there. Like a stray dog, being able to feel the warmth of a real home, a fluffy bed, for the first time.

So much, Adam didn’t even realize how not logical at all it was to tell Etienne to not go into the ballroom. But it was better to be safe than sorry. His dream was different from the usual, and that was what made him unable to rest.

"You..just avoid it the best you can…please.." It was weird how nice Adam could be if he was actually relaxing. If all the stress didn’t hang on his shoulders. "It’s..it’s something you wouldn’t understand.." He yawned. "Maybe it’s best to just stay here.."

 

[clostridium]

Etienne softened further watching Adam as he relaxed into the unfamiliar luxury of the room. He looked like he was fading by the second, and was on the verge of falling completely asleep even as they spoke to one another. He doubted very much that there was any warm toast in Adam’s future; as soon as he left, the man would probably fall asleep, and awaken to cold toast in a couple of hours. In the meantime, perhaps he could handle a bit of his actual business. It was unbecoming to be anything but perfectly carefree around guests, so it was best to take care of such things while they slept, even if Adam hardly counted as a guest, with his reason for being there. Speaking of Adam, he should probably inform the rest of the staff that he was not an intruder, if the gossip had not already reached every ear on the property.

“…You can take a hot bath in the room across the hall, if you like. I shall return with tea and toast, so that you will not sleep hungry. You know,” he teased, approaching the bed with his arms crossed, “so far, I have spent quite as much time taking care of you as you have me. I feel positively domestic.”

As if to prove this, he strolled over and pulled the heavy, emerald-colored curtains shut, dimming the room almost to black. He stood before the covered window for a few long moments, a faint figure barely contrasting the darkness. He clenched his jaw as a feeling of foreboding loomed closer. He couldn’t be certain yet whether Adam would even continue to believe him, let alone stop what was happening before it was too late. He did not feel that it would be difficult for someone to convince the detective that he was just half-mad, and no one was out to get him. He felt half-mad. He couldn’t sleep without chemical help, and he saw threats everywhere, even where he knew for a fact that he was safe or alone. His trust in himself was at an all-time low, and he felt at the mercy of his own moods.

Feeling unusually solemn all of a sudden, Etienne looked back to Adam, then let out a breath he didn’t know that he had been holding. He had to focus. He could not break off and spiral again yet.

“I will return shortly with your meal. When you’re feeling better, you must tell me our excuse - who you are. Perhaps we met when I had car trouble and you stopped to assist, so I will have a bit of gallantry to fall for.” The ghost of a smile passed across Etienne’s features. Could Adam pass himself off as a Good Samaritan? With that thought fluttering around his mind, he left the room and swept down through the halls, down the stairs, and out into the ballroom. He felt a faint shiver as he passed. Silly - he had no need to fear his own home. Adam had been half-asleep, probably still part drunk, and likely making an attempt at an insult, not a warning. He found Camille in the kitchen and loafed around pathetically while she made up a plate and brewed some tea.

“Here, Sir, I’ll take it up,” she said innocently. Etienne knew all too well that she was just curious and wanted to see what Etienne’s new beau looked like.

“No, no, I am trying to appear to be sweet!” he exclaimed. Reluctantly, she handed it over and he took his prize back up to the guest room, slipping inside as quietly as he could.

“Darling, are you sleeping soundly?” he whispered into the dark.

 

[lillymity]

A bath ? Adam's eyes widened again, he was literally living in paradise right now. He couldn’t even tell when he last saw a bathtub or having hot water to relax, usually it was always just a quick shower with water that felt like it could freeze to ice if it was just a little colder. Maybe something refreshing but not relaxing and certainly not healthy on the long run.

As the light dimmed in the room, it was even harder for the blonde to keep his eyes open. But he forced himself to stay awake. He had to eat before taking another nap at least. Otherwise he probably wouldn’t feel exactly better after waking up. Though, with this bed, in which he just seemed to sink deeper by the moment, Adam was certain he could have a great nap in. "Yeah.." , he muttered quietly to show he was still listening to Etienne.

And then the other was gone to get some food.

The blonde slowly sat up to take his coat off. It was getting warm here. He didn’t need a lot of layers here to stay warm. Usually in his office Adam at least wore some button up, a sweater, his leather jacket and then his coat. Only way to stop the shivering.

Now his unironed wrinkled button up showed, the dull light-grey, that was once a shiny white.

Adam looked around the room, it was hard to make the details out in a dark room, but he got an idea of what basically luxury suite he had landed in. Nothing he could’ve ever dreamed of. But the dizziness returned again, clearly signaling him that food was needed, that his body got too weak. So the blonde flopped back down, letting himself sink back into the sheets. He stared at the ceiling, wondering if he really deserved to be here. He was doing his job, sure, but he had never stayed at his clients home. Okay, but he also never had the case of someone in danger of being murdered. Either they were murdered or killed the murderer on their own.

Waiting for Etienne a little longer, his eyes slowly closed more with each passing minute. But he was still awake — well more in the state between being awake and being asleep. But with now being really hungry, he couldn’t sleep in anyways.

Then he heard the door creak open — Etienne. "No" Short answer, a little grumble in his undertone but he didn’t sound annoyed, rather thankful to get some food. Adam slowly sat up, looking up to the dark figure at the door. "You got something good to eat ?" And as soon as he made the plate out in the dark, his eyes sparkled and his stomach growled like it was demanding the food to be eaten now.

 

[clostridium]

“You know, all of this would be solved if you had just had eggs and coffee with me,” Etienne chided. He had absolutely no room to talk, of course, but Adam did not know just how bad his habits were, so he could pretend to have the higher ground. He set the meal on the nightstand, then returned to the curtains to open them a bit so the room would be dim rather than dark. “Toast, jam, tea, a bit of cold confit. You know, it’s typically me getting this treatment. You’d better be grateful that I’m a committed method actor…and that I didn’t want to allow you to be surprised by one of the staff in your current state.”

Etienne smiled over his shoulder, then turned back to look at Adam, letting all the weight lean on one leg. It was disarming to see Adam so obviously out of his element. There was an odd look, almost like innocence, in his face. Etienne thrived on catching others off guard and putting them out of their element. He was notorious for toying with people. Adam was easy - all Etienne needed to do was be sweet to him, and he reacted just as well as some people did when they were subjected to full-scale social sabotage.

“Now, eat up. You’ll need your rest, my brave defender.” Etienne stared down at him, and a smile crept up to his face. He reached out and tousled Adam’s hair very lightly, then ran a hand down his cheek. He tilted his head, regarding him for a few long moments. When he looked for too long at a person, he appeared more like he was calculating data behind his eyes than like he was connecting on a human level. His smile was pretty, though, and that made up for a lot in other people’s eyes. “I’m going to go off and bathe, get myself cleaned up, dear heart. I shall see you on the other side, hm? Unless there is anything else you need.”

 

[lillymity]

"That’s not really my style, Etienne. I like it a little more dramatic. You should know that by now." , Adam shot back with a teasing tone and a small chuckle. Very unusual for him but new people seemed to bring out new sides of him. Adam knew just how bad he was and looked, but well, that was an experience he wouldn’t try out anymore. "And your prestigious little breakfast sounds better than overpriced eggs and coffee. And for the record! I had coffee." The blonde was unnaturally talkative right now, something you wouldn’t have expected just some hours ago.

The room getting a little brighter again was certainly nice, good for his eyes. Adam immediately pounced on the toast like a starving dog. He already took two big bites, using much more jam than what was the normal amount for just a bite.

The little nickname was mostly ignored — for now. Adam had heard it but chose not to react to it for the sake of eating in peace. But Etienne just took it one step further. He felt the other’s hand reach into his hair, brushing through it. Adam just froze in his position, his eyes following the Etienne’s finger. How the brushed through his hair and then slowly went down on his cheek. A nearly unnoticed blush crept across his cheeks.

He hurriedly swallowed the toast down, trying to swallow the blush with it as well. "You trying to charm with no one around ? Pure practice matter, right ?" Even though he was a little flustered, Adam didn’t allow himself to show it. That’s what made people think he was an asshole — well, beside the obvious asshole behavior.

"Don’t drown, sweetie." , he teased and used the last bite of toast to load all the remaining jam and eat it. After that he settled in his pillow with the cup of tea. An unfamiliar taste, usually he was just used to coffee, alcohol or water. But this, this was great. Rich with flavor, hot and nice. It warmed him from the inside.

 

[clostridium]

“Asking me if I’m trying to charm is as good as admitting that you’re charmed by me, dear heart. I don’t mind, though. Most people are.” Etienne watched him wolf down the meal, feeling proud of himself despite the fact that he had done absolutely nothing to prepare it. There was a vicious, teasing little note in his smile. He backed away, eyes shining in the dark as his arms laced around his own waist. He tilted his head slightly to the side, regarding him intently. He wondered what Adam was thinking. What game was he playing? What game was Etienne himself playing?

“Now, you get your rest. I shall try not to drown. But if I do, I shall haunt you forever for your failure to protect me. Sweet dreams!” Etienne waved and ducked out through the connecting door into his own room before Adam had any chance to respond. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, pressing his fingers to his temples. Reluctantly, he shrugged off the leather jacket and hung it on a peg by the door, then gathered up a set of clothes: an expertly tailored white shirt and a pair of billowy pants palazzo pants with a geometric pattern, which he paired with an equally ostentatious floral silk scarf that most would perceive as clashing. He brought it down the hall and ran the water steaming hot. The retrofit to modern plumbing had been expensive, but well worth it for Etienne. He undressed and sank into the water, allowing his eyes to drift closed as the tension was leeched out of his cramped, aching body. He soaked for more than an hour, allowing himself to drift close to sleep but not crossing over the edge. Occasionally, he was gripped by a few moments of utter terror, powerful enough to make him sit bolt upright, heart hammering. For the most part, however, he was able to relax.

Eventually, he water was cooling, so he dragged himself out of the water’s embrace, dried, and dressed. He sailed down the hall to what was technically a study, though the desk saw little use. He snatched up the telephone, dialed up his attorneys’ office, and apologized profusely, if a little insincerely. Plans were made for a meeting the next afternoon, and he fell into an easy chair when the call was over, sighing loudly, although the show was only for himself this time. He skimmed through his ledger, checked a few dates, and checked on a hair placed precariously through a drawer. It appeared to be where he had left it. When he was satisfied, he descended the stairs into the ballroom and looked around for Nelson; he hoped to warn him about their new guest.

 

[lillymity]

"So, what you want to say is that I am charmed by you ?" The blonde tilted his head with a little smirk, it was smug as always but deep buried in it was something genuine, almost unnoticeable but there. He was indeed charmed by Etienne. He couldn’t deny that. But he would never admit it either. That would stay a secret forever, only one he knew.

Failure to pretect him. It hit harder than Etienne probably wanted it to be — of course, he didn’t know anything about Adam's night mare. But these words brought an uncomfortable feeling up, a nauseous sensation in his stomach, rising up to his throat, trying to squeeze it together. And then Etienne was off to the other room. Suddenly the blonde shot up to sit straight-up in the bed, he almost felt like he was suffocating. Breathing heavily, bending a little forward, Adam stared at the door. He wouldn’t let him die! He couldn’t!

His whole body started to shake, a firm grab into the sheets, trying to keep at least a little part of control. "I…no.." He brushed the strands of his hair back as they fell into his face. "..he's fine..he’s fine.." Repeating that phrase over and over again, he slowly sank back into the pillows.

After a few minutes, he actually calmed himself and the tiredness washed over him. Within the next couple of minutes he drifted off, sleeping soundly just after five minutes. He had rolled himself into the blanket like a burrito, his head sunken into the soft pillows. You almost couldn’t see him anymore, snuggled up like this.
It was probably months ago, he had last seen a bed, and such a comfortable one, usually his go to sleep places were couches or chairs, or the most comfortable one out of these — his car.

 

[clostridium]

Etienne spent the next few hours getting updated on household affairs, replying to letters, reviewing his calendar to determine how to structure things around his soirée, and taking a meandering walk around the grounds to clear his head as much as was possible. He kept returning to the idea that he would not actually mind a dalliance with Adam, but rather was inadvisable, given the fact that Etienne wanted to keep his services, and so it would be self-sabotaging to get himself into a situation where he became tempted or compelled to completely drop contact. But what else did he know how to do? Invariably, that was how all such liaisons ended. He would take an interest in someone on a strictly temporary basis, and then one of three things would happen: they would reveal themselves to be significantly less attractive than Etienne had initially found them, they would become possessive and entitled to his time, or they mercifully were on the same page as him and drifted away first, returning to the status of acquaintance to be waved at while out at a gala and no more. Spending the night with someone that he would have to see again repeatedly for other reasons was a terrible decision, one he had made all too recently and still bracing for the fallout of. Why did he have to be so desperate for companionship if he was equally desperate to avoid commitment?

He realized only when he returned from his stroll and made eye contact with the grandfather clock in the hall that it had been several hours. Ever the dutiful host - or at least still pretending to be - he went back up the stairs and rapped sharply on Adam’s door to give him a second to awaken before he let himself in. Unfortunately for his guest, he really did wait only a second before he let himself in and crossed over to the curtains, then pulled them all the way open, letting in the fading light of the late afternoon.

“Good morning, dear detective - feeling at all better? Thought you might like the opportunity to be up before dinner. I’ve managed to survive my bath, as well as a few trips back and forth around the estate. …you…are feeling better, though?” Etienne plopped down on the side of the bed beside him with a transparently affectionate little smile.

 

[lillymity]

All the hours passed with Adam literally passed out in the sheets, he was sleeping soundly, very soundly. That was the closest he was to a very deep sleep in years. And honestly, his body needed a few good hours of deep sleep. With his back turned to the windows, it was dark enough to rest for as long as Etienne was away.

And that sleep was much more peaceful than his first little nap. This time there was no torturing nightmare that would make his wake and sleeping hours a living hell. And he had a bed that was soft as a cloud. Much better than these ancient chairs or the couch that had seen much better days. But since he had spent his first night at the office out of desperation, it had started to go down his and got a habit. Blood, sweat, tears — the couch had seen everything.

The blonde was yet in a state of being half asleep, when Etienne knocked. He groaned, snuggling deeper into the blanket. Not quite comprehending that the knock was real. Then the other came in, pulling the curtains open. Adam groaned and put a hand over his eyes.
Too bright…

But he surprisingly felt great. No headache, feeling very refreshed, no back pain — Adam felt like jumping up and getting to work.

"Yeah.." Another groan, followed by a yawn. His voice was just a tad lower, still sounding a bit sleepy. "You survived without me, huh ?" The blonde turned over to look at Etienne. "Crazy."

Gradually Adam sat up, stretching his arms. "I am feeling better, actually." There was a slight smile on his lips. Something that was very rare to see on his face. But with a great long nap in a perfect soft bed, he was infact content with himself. "So," A small yawn. "Where are we starting, Arlecchino ?"

 

[clostridium]

“Be very careful. If you tempt me much further, I shall be forced to make my fête into a masquerade after all. Your honor may then be at stake; Léonie has been wanting to do Lady Godiva. It is a rare gentleman that can withstand her wiles…myself, of course, included.” Etienne laughed and drew himself up from the bed, arms around his waist. He stood framed in the light of the window, looking almost like a wisp preparing to fade off into the dying light. Something passed across his face that was far from lighthearted, a hollowness behind his eyes that threatened to claim the rest of him as well. As quickly as it had come over him, it flickered away, leaving behind a smile with a bittersweet tint. “I was prepared to accept your direction when it comes to where we start. I’m not certain if…well, I would imagine that I would be more hindrance than help if I were there. If you are to be asking prying questions, I would imagine people could become tight-lipped, since I am their employer. I’ve told Nelson that I was gripped with panic over my situation and pulled over in the woods, and you stopped and aided me while I was quite insensible. And, of course, that I found this incredibly charming, and that you’re like an adorable little dog following me around seeking my approval. …Since I wanted to keep things true to life and easy for you to act, of course.”

Etienne crossed the room and leaned his back against the wall, arms still hooked around his waist. He tilted his head, regarding Adam carefully. It was difficult to suggest a plan that necessitated that he be alone. He wanted to invite someone else over, but it would be counterproductive. He had never liked being on his own, but the prospect had become increasingly terrifying when he feared for his life. He chased away a series of morbid thoughts, and a resurgence of his former plan, then blew it all out in a long sigh and dropped his gaze to the ground.

 

[lillymity]

"A masquerade would make finding your potential murderer harder by a good bit, you know ?" Adam slowly slid to the edge of the bed, stretching his legs. His blonde hair was a tad disheveled here and there, but he looked mostly fine. Maybe he would have to get them into place before meeting up with the staff for his little interviews.

"The saving knight as always." But as Etienne continued, one of the blonde’s brows raised. "An adorable little dog ? Do you want me to bark now ?" Mostly Adam was fine with their plan, though that part outraged him. "We'll go with that, me as your hot, charming lover that saved you in the middle of the woods." Adam sounded weirdly okay with calling himself Etienne's lover. He hadn’t really thought about it closer yet but he wasn’t averse to the idea, actually. Though he wouldn’t admit that.

Then the blonde finally got up and took his coat from the bed. He still wasn’t used to not freezing the whole time, so he always just grabbed his coat whenever he went somewhere. "Any volunteers who would like to start with the questioning ?" , he asked while walking over to Etienne.

He had noticed that little frown, something scared, something anxious. "You'll be fine for a few minutes, you endured a few hours without me." , he whispered, brushing a hand over his cheek mockingly, but underneath all that was something scarily sincere.

 

[clostridium]

“Without anyone,” he corrected quietly, “if I’m meant to avoid the staff while you are questioning them, I shall be completely isolated. …No, all of this is melodrama. Do me the favor of ignoring it. I have not been myself lately. I have not been thinking…reasonably, or rationally. I feel…no, no, just ignore me. I shall find myself something entertaining to do, don’t you worry about me for a moment. Ugh, I’ve made myself look completely ridiculous.”

Blinking the mist from his eyes, Etienne laughed; a brittle, awkward sound. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He needed something to calm him down, and he had a bevy of choices at his disposal. He pressed his cheek into Adam’s hand, and his dark eyes fell to the ground, unable to maintain eye contact. What had happened? His mood had been fine. He had been lighthearted. Why did he always have to do this? He was too het up to acknowledge that he had been stone-cold sober for almost a day, and that his panic and nerves were not just evidence of an inherently inconsistent personality. He scarcely had to consider this; it was not frequently a factor in his life. It was unlikely to continue to be a factor much longer.

“You can start with speaking to Rose - she is the cook - since you met already. Really, whoever you find first. There are five on staff who are currently here, in addition to my brother. Rosalie, her husband, two of the maids, and Nelson. Thierry, additionally. …If any of them say anything too terribly harsh on my subject, I do not need to know. Could not stand to know, right now.” Etienne swallowed again, hard, and steeled himself. Not for the first time, a chameleonic change rippled across him, and he looked up to meet Adam’s eye, managing to draw up a mischievous smirk, however faint. “And…Detective, if you are offering, I would be enthralled to hear you bark for me. It suits you. And I suppose that everyone will think that I have already.”

 

[lillymity]

"You know, you can entertain yourself with filling out some parts of your file already." Normally Adam did that himself, but when they stayed around each other for longer now, Etienne could also do that himself. "Just the easy parts, so you don’t overwork yourself." A smally smirk crept up on his lips, and the blonde pushed one strand of Etienne's hair back.

Adam nodded then, and turned away from the other, he would wander through the halls and talk to the first best person that got into his way. The blonde was much better with quick improvisation than a big plan — well, except for the moment where Etienne pretended they were a couple. Looking back at Etienne, when he made his little quip, Adam chuckled low. "You’ll have to gain that. A bark is something special. You can’t just get it without actually doing something for it."

Adam blew him a kiss, before leaving through the door. Closing it behind himself, Adam patted his button up down and tried to smoothe out the wrinkles. He pushed his coat over the parts, where it was way too wrinkly. Then the blonde strutted down the hall and over to the kitchen. And he didn’t even need to fully enter, before someone came into his direction — a woman. She looked like she already awaited him.

 

[clostridium]

Etienne grinned at Adam as he left. He hand expected the other man to play along at all behind closed doors, especially not with that, but he seemed to light up just as much as Etienne did when he got the opportunity for a bit of banter. When the door was firmly closed, he lifted his hand to touch the spot on his cheek that Adam’s fingers had brushed past. He got one perfect, buoyant moment of hopeful excitement before it was pierced with the remembrance of what the man was here to do, and he withered in place, hand returning to his chest. His problem was not a lack of trust or affection for other people, it was the fact that he had apparently placed too much of it in someone who should never have received it. Attaching himself indiscriminately to anyone who smiled at him was the opposite of what he needed, and he had to remember that lesson well if he was to survive.

Like a phantom drifting through the world without truly experiencing it, he passed into his own room and wilted into his lounge chair. He could not allow himself to think any more; visions of horrid sneers and burgeoning malice in the hearts of those he valued most bore down on him until he all but collapsed under the pressure. He blinked away tears and more replaced them. He pulled his knees up against his chest and hiccuped quietly, trying to force away the terror. His heart pounded so hard that he could barely breathe. He bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks and started preparing his pipe. Adam would be fine if he wasn’t available for a little while. Everyone would be fine. And if they weren’t, they would have to learn to be. Minutes later, he was drifting off in a haze of opium. The tension lifted from his shoulders, and he rested, limp and floating beyond awareness, against the back of the chair. His half-lidded eyes watched nothing in particular, and he felt something approaching peace.

Down by the kitchens, Rosalie and Camille chit-chatted back and forth - or rather, Camille gossiped into the empty air while Rosalie grumbled at her. Finally, the cook managed to ward off her unwanted guest- not by any effort of her own. Camille heard someone on the stairs descending into the ballroom, and it was not a stride that she recognized. Eternally helpful - and certainly not just curious - she disappeared into the ballroom without a word, moving in near-perfect silence. She was leaving the last arch when she saw exactly who she had been hoping to find: someone she did not recognize.

“Oh, hello, sir,” she said brightly. Her voice was melodically accented, and, to the untrained ear, she sounded almost like she could have hailed from the same area as Etienne or Rosalie. Her hair was platinum blonde, cut fashionably short and styled in waves, and she was dressed chicly, although one who knew fashion could identify that they had been recycled from a previous season’s silhouettes by a mediocre tailor - and that her shirt buttoned on the right. She had foxlike features and a knowing smile, like he had already said something amusing. She was petite and very slight, nearly as insubstantial as her employer. “My pleasure to meet you. Is there anything that you need?”

 

[lillymity]

Adam heard her coming before he saw her — those soft footsteps, almost quiet enough to not be heard, deliberate but meant not to seem so. After years the blonde could feel such silent shifts in the air very well. He didn’t stop walking, just slowed enough to let her catch up naturally, like they’d happened upon one another by chance. That was the kind of trick you learned when you worked in his line — how to seem both unbothered and disarming, the way a cat sits right where it wants and acts like it never meant to be there at all.

The ballroom stretched behind him, tall shadows cast by tall windows. It was easy to get turned around in a place like this, and harder still to act like you hadn’t. But the part that made him the most uneasy was that everything looked exactly like in his dream. The pomp, the floor, hell, even the chandelier.

Then she appeared: bright smile, sharp eyes. Pretty. A bit too perfect, and a bit too fast with the greeting. That was her tell. People who asked if you needed anything right off the bat were never actually there to help.

Adam stopped, offered a polite, reserved smile. He didn’t let his eyes linger long on her tailoring or her stance — just enough to log the details without seeming like he was looking. He tucked his hands casually into the pockets of his coat and tilted his head.

“Afternoon,” he said. His voice had a roughened edge, low and slow, like it had been sanded down over years of cigarette smoke and late nights. But he sounded…nice ? Much friendlier than he had when Etienne first stumbled into his office. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Just stretching my legs. Place like this, it’s got a gravity to it, doesn’t it ? Draws you in.”

He paused, letting the silence build just a little, measured in beats of breath. Then he looked her in the eyes — pleasant, unreadable.

“I’m Adam,” he said. “Etienne invited me to stay for a few days. Said it might be easier, with everything going on, if I were nearby.” His mouth curved just slightly, just enough to make the words ambiguous. “We’ve gotten…close.”

It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly. Just the truth, dressed up for a different kind of party.
He let her react to that however she liked — most people did. When they heard something scandalous, they either clutched it to their chests or tried to throw it off like it burned.

“Camille, right ?” he added, glancing down the hallway like he might’ve heard the name in passing, not memorized it off a list hours ago. “Etienne mentioned you. Said you’re a good sort to have around when someone needs help. That true ?”

His tone was warm, easy, maybe even admiring — but underneath it was the slightest hook of suggestion. Something sharp hidden in a glove.

“You mind pointing me in the direction of the library ? I figure I’ll stay out of the way until dinner. 'Unless you’ve got a better suggestion.”

His eyes held hers. Calm. Careful. Waiting.

 

[clostridium]

Rather than recoiling at the scandal, Camille seemed pleased that her suspicions had been confirmed. She was the sort of person that liked being right about things, and she had long been inured to her employer’s unconventional tastes. She smiled slyly, eyes narrowed like a satisfied predator. There was a thin veneer of innocent sweetness about her, but it occasionally stretched until it was completely transparent. Her green eyes trailed across him, memorizing the details. There was little subtlety in her curiosity. One’s immediate impression was that she was someone who wanted secrets for their own sake, but even amateur spies could stumble upon important intelligence from time to time. It was obvious from the way she preened that she was flattered by the idea that Etienne had called her good in a pinch, but something sparked behind her eyes, something wary.

“Yes, I am Camille, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And - No interruption at all! All I am doing is…well, working. I am certain that Monsieur Bernard would be glad if I took a bit of time from my schedule and showed you the library…or even showed you around the grounds. They are really quite lovely. …If he is feeling ill, I would be happy to give you the grand tour! I am certain that he would not wish for you to be bored just because he’s been in poor health.” She paused and made a quick assessment of the situation. This household was more casual than most, but wealthy guests probably wouldn’t take kindly to overly familiar behavior. Adam, though, seemed far closer to her station than Etienne’s. Her caution subsided a bit. “I…am trusted, you know, to take care of things like that, when he is sick. Entertaining guests and all. You know, Monsieur Bernard told me, when he was downstairs, how you came to be friends. I am certain that you were surprised - it is not often that one meets someone such as him.”

The intricate geometric parquet, shadowed by the chandelier and the windows that stood like high, spear-shaped sentinels on the front wall, almost took on the appearance of a spider’s web. All that was unclear was which of them was the spider - or if it waited in the wings, as yet concealed.

 

[lillymity]

Adam let her talk. He had the kind of patience that was practiced, not natural — like a man who’d sat through hundreds of conversations just like this one, knowing that most people told you exactly what they were really after if you gave them enough rope.

Camille, sharp and syrupy in equal parts, wasn’t just making small talk. She was sorting him, placing him in the puzzle she’d already half-built in her head. That knowing little smile of hers ? It told him she thought she had a piece in her hand.

He didn’t smile right away. He let a beat stretch long enough to make the air between them feel a little more deliberate. Then he offered her a look that was quiet and mildly amused — half-compliment, half-defense.

“Surprised ?” he repeated, as though testing the shape of the word. “Sure. But Etienne’s full of surprises.”

He turned slightly, glancing back over the empty stretch of ballroom behind them. When he looked back to her, his expression was more open, softer — like he was trying to match her candor.

“I think that’s what people either love or can’t stand about him, isn’t it ? You don’t get what you expect. But he’s generous. Funny, when he’s not trying to be. Vulnerable, more than he wants anyone to know.” A small pause. “Anyway. He’s been kind to me.”

That part, at least, was almost completely true. Etienne had been a mess, but he’d been earnest. In his own way, kind. Adam hadn’t decided yet whether that was going to make things harder or easier.

He stepped lightly past Camille, not in a hurry — just breaking the rhythm before it settled into too much of a conversation. A clean pivot.

“The grand tour sounds good,” he said. The corner of his mouth tilted upward, not quite a smirk. “But if Etienne trusts you, I do too. Maybe you’ll tell me all the things he’s too polite to say.”

That one, he delivered with just enough mischief to make her feel like she was being let in on something. He met her eyes again — still friendly, still casual, but carefully unreadable.

“Lead the way, Camille.”

 

[clostridium]

Camille tittered and flashed a tightly controlled grin back at Adam, like her smile had a gun to its head. She stepped seamlessly around him and led the way toward the wing opposite the one that she had emerged from. Her steps were a bit louder now, and her heels clicked slightly, revealing that her prior silence had been a conscious choice. Her hair swished behind her as she led him through the arch. It let out into a parlor with a massive hearth and an array of furniture - eclectic chairs gathered around card-tables, small sofas at which to take coffee, and a large rocking chair. There was a basket of knitting beside it, right alongside an incredibly expensively-stocked liquor cabinet.

“Too polite? No, I fear that you have not heard him speak enough if you believe there is anything he is too polite for! Hah - I do not mean this to be insulting, Monsieur Bernard takes pride in, you know, in being unconventional in this way. He is unconventional, as this place is. But—yes. I’m surprised, you know. To hear you say vulnerable. A lot of people, they see him as almost untouchable. Maybe he is both, you know? Anyhow, this is the parlor, they just sort of play games here, and I leave people waiting here sometimes as well. There is an art to it, which the butler does not appreciate - who to leave and who to attend to. Ah, no, I make myself sound like a terrible worker!”

Camille passed them through the parlor and waved vaguely at two doors close to one another on the exterior side of a long hallway.

“These are a couple of guest bedrooms, they have doors to the patio. He themes the rooms - or, well, we themed the rooms. He wanted them all to be a different color. And through here…” Camille opened a set of double-doors across from the rooms, revealing a large, stuffy, formal dining room. “For dinner parties. And breakfast. Technically, anyway, it isn’t often that anyone but Cook and Smith eat in here when there is not a fête on.”

The dining room was the antithesis of Etienne. The tablecloth was stark white, the candelabra in the center was polished to a high shine, and the curtains were ivory-colored and perfectly pressed. The room seemed preserved in time, and it was difficult to imagine that anyone took their breakfasts there.