Propositions, not promises

[Philip Garwin]

"So. I was thinking. We should do this." Pip hesitated briefly as he gave himself one last chance to back out, taking an involuntary step backwards when Leo's downright predatory gaze locked directly onto his face. "Um. Go on a date, I mean. Lunch maybe." Lunch dates held fewer implicit promises than dinner did, Rosalind had assured him brightly. Layla and Leon had both concurred without needing to consult each other, though the glances they had exchanged had been saturated with almost identical blue-eyed amusement. Considering his little sister had perhaps more dating experience than even Gabriel during the years before he had started a relationship with Nieve, Pip was willing to take her at her word, particularly with Layla and Leon backing her up.

If not for the continued and exhaustive efforts of his sister, her best friend and his best friend, Pip probably wouldn't have even gotten so far as France, let alone actually into Leo's office. It was somewhat reminiscent of the schemes they had come up with to try to get Karalynn Ashby to realise that Leon was attractive, really, barring the obvious absence of Morgana's elegant touch in the plotting. Layla was calm and coaxing, acting as the perfect counterbalance to Leon and Rosalind's shared, overwhelming excitability. They all wanted him to be happy, as did the rest of their family. That was the only reason he hadn't kicked them out of his room when they had swooped down on him that morning and promptly proceeded to kidnap him to France.

Pip had last seen Leo six days ago, the might of the party. He refused to refer to it as the night that they had kissed. That was something that Rosalind would do, not a grown man with three children. He had just needed some time alone, to think things through without being influenced by other people's opinions of the situation. Rister had done as much as anyone could when he had allowed Pip to sit down in his kitchen and helped him to work through the finer details and repercussions and consequences of all his choices. Regardless of however this might end, Rister had - as he always did - tried his absolute hardest to ensure that Pip was well-informed and cool-headed and fully reminded that Jas, Lucas and Jon were loved and stable and happy.

Rister had been especially right about one thing though, and Leon had forcefully reiterated that point when Pip had groggily relented and allowed the unholy trio of conspirators into his bedroom that morning. He couldn't keep living solely for his kids and the rest of his family. That wasn't fair to any of them. The triplets were growing up so quickly already; soon they'd be off to Hogwarts, tormenting the professors instead of their dad, breaking hearts and falling in love and one day getting married and having kids of their own. Preferably in that order. Pip knew from experience that being a single father, even with the extensive support network that his family provided, was tough. He would never regret choosing to raise his children, or choosing to raise them alone, but he didn't wish that future on them either. Not unless they chose it for themselves.

"We don't have to," Pip retracted, hasty and defensive, when the silence between them dragged on for a bit too long. Maybe he had taken too long to make his mind up about giving this, whatever this was, a chance, especially after leaving so hurriedly after the kiss. Maybe Leo had changed his mind about how much effort Pip was worth, maybe he had missed his chance, Pip considered. He felt some measure of relief at that possibility, certainly, but there was a small sliver of disappointment threaded in there too.

[Kris Graas]

There had been an enquiry or two into him, his past and present, but then those had always been there. So while Leo had been mildly curious about the fact Rosalind Garwin had attempted to make some enquiries – of course he knew the name, she was the sister-in-law of the next Graas heir as Leo very much doubted anyone in the family tree would dare to challenge the man for the post but she was also Phillip’s little sister. But there were many of reasons for her to make enquiries, from simple curiosity to desire to nosy about in his brother’s in life so he hadn’t paid much attention to it and had given the same orders he always did. Rosalind Garwin would learn nothing more of her but what newspapers knew, which wasn’t all that much as Leo had always preferred to be the power in the shadow of the throne, perhaps have access to contact one of the lower level personal assistants working for him or the scattering of societal gossip. Not that there would even be much of societal gossip. The Archnaud’s were an old family to be sure, but they had often valued discretion and the old families would not gossip. Not to her. She didn’t have the ins for the older family members to speak to her and the younger ones wouldn’t have anything to tell. Of course, if she was wise she’d go to the Graas’s. It would certainly net him more information, but then Leo doubted that she would learn much even then. Leandra and Morgana and he understood each other too well on an instinctual level for either of the girls to tell his secrets, Damon and he respected each other in a professional capacity but didn’t socialise much outside of work, the Graas power trio of Master Wolf, Mistress Flame and Young Wolf couldn’t be pressured to tell if they didn’t want to and he was certain of the silence of the Graas family heads. And the two remaining sons, well, they didn’t know much of him either.

So after giving the order Leo had put the matter out of his mind and had instead focused on his work while trying to decide on an alternative strategy. He had tried the straightforward approach, had pursued it for months, and even though it had netted him some brushes of shoulders and a, far too innocent in his mind, touches of hands the one kiss had sent Pip fleeing from him with a pale visage. Had he miscalculated? Did Pip wish to do the pursuing? Or quite possibly he was simply utterly impossible in Phillips eyes. That wasn’t something he wished to dwell on but he didn’t have a choice but consider the option at this point. So he was not prepared at all when one of his PA’s, a beautiful blond, stepped into his office to announce that Philip Cartier was here to see him. Nor did he have any time to compose himself as the man himself was stepping in right at the heels of the woman, having been speedily ushered in without the usually necessary security, well without most of it, as per orders Leo himself had given a while ago when he had first started his pursuit of the maddeningly stubborn man.

Uncomfortably aware just how unkempt and wrinkled his shirt and trousers, his cloak having been abandoned long since, from having been working overnight and how unbecoming overall he must have looked at this morning, Leo focused on not shifting anxiously or coming across too strongly. But even while being occupied with that he couldn’t help the sudden influx of decidedly… not… innocent thoughts flooding his mind as his eyes swept over Pip when he suggested doing it. “Lunch,” he repeated, slightly unbelieving this turn of events. But one he certainly wasn’t going to let pass him by. “Ms Roman, do cancel my appointments for the rest of the day,” he announced abruptly, closing the folder that he had been reading and standing. The woman nodded once and turned to leave the office without another glance to either of them.

“May I ask what brought about this change? As I would quite like to maintain that something tilted in my favour,” Leo said peering contemplating at Pip for a few moments even as he absently brushed his shirt and straightened his waistcoat before stepping around the large desk. Reaching to pick up his cloak from where it hung he settled it over one crooked arm and held out his right hand towards Pip. He certainly wasn’t going to allow him time to think and change his mind. “Shall we go then?”

[Philip Garwin]

There was something irritating about how ridiculously, unfairly gorgeous everyone in this building seemed to be. Pip had never really gone through the typical adolescent phase of feeling awkward and gangly since he had grown into his long limbs and filled his body's promise of a stocky, muscular build quite early. He could have had more than his fair share of teenage fumbling had his eyes not fixated on Natalia almost before he even knew what hormones were. Still, being here was really making up for that lack of uncomfortable self-consciousness, Pip contemplated sardonically. Granted, perhaps he could have thought to come in something nicer than jeans but essentially, regardless of whatever fancy job titles Alaric dressed his job up with, Pip was just a common labourer for the most part. He hadn't been born for working in an office or running a company but he wasn't afraid of hard graft. He and Lita were a bit alike in that, he supposed. Their years of working together had taught him that they both lived in the same uniform of tattered jeans or shorts when they were working. Of course, Lita actually got some sense of enjoyment and pleasure from dressing up for a ball and indulging in the verbal gameplay that Killian and Alaric both thrived on too. The visual difference between him and everyone else in the building just highlighted how badly this was going to end, Pip predicted uncomfortably. He could never look as effortlessly put together as the blonde woman leading him into Leo's office. He still had the thin leather bracelet that Lucas and Layla's younger daughter had made for their parents a few months earlier tied around his left wrist, for Merlin's sake.

"My brother spoke in your favour," Pip answered after a moment of deliberation. Rister wouldn't have talked him not doing anything that Pip most decidedly didn't wish to do but the older man had a way of laying out facts and possibilities in a way that seemed more palatable than the ways in which Pip's own mind presented them. He had become quite the pessimistic little bastard since Natalia had left him, or so Leon had decreed. "Which at the very least," he added wryly, a flash of good humour filtering into his voice, "means that you're not like the other vultures circling round for gossip and carrion." He had had a few admirers in his time, and rebuffed all of them by pretending that they didn't exist. It wasn't surprising, he supposed. He had decent connections through marriage and friendship, and the Cartiers were a wealthy and influential enough family in their own right, which was precisely why he had taken that name and passed it down to his boys. Some just wanted company for a night, some wanted longer, one or two were even deluded enough to think they could hold onto him and manipulate him into utilising his bloodline and Grandma Isabella's adoration to get his kids accepted as the rightful heirs. His mother had been the eldest child, after all. There was a case to be made in favour of his boys, if ever they wanted it. The only one he had ever paid any significant notice to was the loud-mouthed little witch who had dared to tell him that his kids were suffering for lack of a mother. Killian and Morgana's smooth intervention had been just in time to stop what would have probably ended up as a serious diplomatic incident because Pip was damn sure his failing control on his temper wouldn't have held out much longer.

Leo's outstretched hand earned him a coolly assessing stare and a lifted eyebrow. "I'm not going to run away," Pip commented mildly, tucking his hands into his pockets. Maybe it was foolish of him but there was a sense of closeness affiliated with holding hands and he wasn't prepared to extend that to Leo Archaund just yet. Besides, his hands were covered in calluses and scars and a few barely perceptible bumps along his knuckles from where he had broken bones fighting and not bothered to get the injuries fixed properly. Hardly an appealing or inviting sight.

[Rister Graas S6]

“I’ll need to send him a present. Something nice,” Leo decided, not needing to ask which brother Pip meant. He had two actual brothers as well, Leo recalled. But the two men didn’t seem to be around much and they certainly didn’t Leo so could have hardly put in a good word for him. Not that he thought Rister necessarily liked him for Pip, the man was notorious for being protective, but it was good to know he was willing to give Leo a chance. “I don’t mind a good steak, but I’ve never been one for carrion beyond that. And I’ve heard enough gossip about myself to not be too flustered about yours,” he confirmed for Pip’s sake none-the-less. It was easier to avoid misunderstandings when you actually spelled things out. And he had already been burnt before by Pip not quite understanding his meaning or silence before, so he was determined to not have that happen again.

Leo merely smiled as Pip ignored his hand. He didn’t mind the chase and putting in the work. Had a feeling that it was going to be worth it. So he simply ushered Pip out of his office and then moved to tuck his own hand through Pip’s arm. With the man’s hands in his pockets, there was just enough of a crook of an elbow there for Leo to hold onto. And he didn’t mind it. “It’s easier to apparate this way,” Leo justified himself with what he hoped was an innocent smile in the face of that lifted eyebrow, “But I’m glad to hear you won’t be running away. I don’t mind a chase, but I’d really rather have your company.” Scowling away another secretary as she attempted to approach with another pile of paperwork, Leo surreptitiously attempt to smooth his shirt down with his free hand. Not that there was much he could do about the wrinkles at the moment. And his sleeves were still rolled up. Something he had allowed himself during a moment of weakness after about twenty hours into the work, which he was now hoping he hadn’t done. It wasn’t like him to appear untidy like this, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. He’d just have to brazen it out.

“Did you have anywhere specific in mind for lunch?” Leo queried, absently squeezing Pip’s arm lightly to indicate a turn as they strolled towards the apparition area. Perhaps he should have given himself a day to prepare. To make sure that he’d look in order and to catch up on a bit of sleep, but then he didn’t want to take a chance of Pip changing his mind about this. Not that he thought he would be that flighty, but even so. “Or should I choose?”