anothercontinuity | Red vs Blue pt 2

It was easier to mask the war of emotions with no visual cues to give away. He turned towards York, making his way towards him to take his usual position beside him, on his knees. Felix watched with what could almost register as fascination, before letting his eyes flicker back to York.

Clearly a show of ownership on his part.

"If that's what you want, then we want the same thing, pal. And I'd rather we were working together than...well. Not. But it's not like I don't understand your reservations."

He licks his lips. "Tell you what. Don't make the call now. Take some time, think it over. In fact, why don't you come by the compound yourself. I'm having a party thrown for some fucking contract or another, because hey. That's what we're expected to do for new partnerships." His hands slipped loosely into his pockets as he shrugged, looking briefly to Sharkface.

"Stop by, have a few drinks, bring your hawks. I could probably introduce you to a few folks, and you can see how well my hawks are kept. Then, by the end of the evening, you can let me know what you wanna do. Fair?"

York's hand slid to the nape of his neck by rote, massaging the joint of the armor. Easier without the helmet but- he wasn't displeased, he wasn't frustrated. None of this was on Locus. They'd talk it out after Felix left-

And he was offering them an out. Excellent.

"Talk to Delta about scheduling, he'll let me know if I'm free. If I'm not, I'll move some appointments around to make it." Delta who was slim and quiet and loyal, waiting just outside the door. Delta who was probably fucking ecstatic that someone wanted to take Locus back, remove this disturbance in the household that wasn't, in fact, a disturbance. Who would absolutely make certain this was a trip they could make.

It'd been awhile since he'd wandered out to socialize. He was due an appearance.

Also an opportunity for an Ambush but- he'd have Maine and Locus. "Will that be all?"

"For now. We'll be in touch."

He let his gaze shift to Locus, holding it there for one second, then two, before turning and making his way out of the door. Far from relaxing, Locus was still holding himself taut under York's hand. Focus. Just focus.

Felix, meanwhile, let his gaze fall towards Delta as they made their way out of the office. "We're supposed to get together, you and I," he breezes out, without prelude.

"Easy." York murmured, thumb swiping against his armor. "Want to lose the helmet or keep it on?"

The option would always be Locus' in this room. Always.

In the hall- Delta startled somewhat, head snapping up from where it'd been buried in a tablet, flicking through forms, appointments- the meeting took less time than anticipated and freed up a block later in the day unless York spent undue time reassuring Locus of his place in the household and he'd have to move things around again-

The flirtatious opening had him knocked off center, pale skin flushing. "I- of course. We are scheduling a secondary meeting, a business luncheon, time with a contract lawyer and notary- or a social call?"

"On."

Let him hide. Let him keep that barrier there a while longer.

Outside, Felix grinned sharply, his eyes flicking over Delta with an approving sort of look. "Wouldn't say no if you wanted to drop by," he replied with a sly sort of look. "But we're putting down an invitation to a party, in particular. A week out, my place. Your boss, his hawks...and you, I hope."

Oh. Oh, he thought he'd caught a whiff of something like insecurity. This? This could be useful. Damn useful, if he played his cards right.

"Of course." Maine settled back, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall and Florida mirrored his posture.

Maine and Florida weren't leaving the room- Delta took note in an idle way (the fucking would happen later, it seemed, and would indeed warrant shuffling around appointments.) even as he took in the once over and- he wasn't. No one looked at him that way. He was York's right hand, he ran the business, he was respected and feared but never...

He shoved those thoughts away, flicking through York's schedule. "If it involves business even tangentially I will be present. What time in the evening would this be, and do you have a guest list? It is not often that there are conflicts of interests in attending social functions, however-"

Heads of families held grudges on occasion. Keeping track of who liked them and loathed them on any given day? Fell to Delta.

"Party starts at seven. I'll have my tech guy send over the invitations. You just let me know how many. Don't want anyone left off."

A moment more and he glanced back towards the closed door, squinting faintly, before looking back at Delta with an expression that was almost incredulously. "Surprised he doesn't keep you in there...probably doesn't need the distraction, huh?" With a snicker and a wink, he started through towards the main hall.

"Looking forward to hearing from you."

"I beg your pardon?" Business was business and that- that he handled without batting an eye, making the appropriate arrangements for the evening to come, fingers flying along the tablet until that. Wink.

People did not wink at Delta. They did not flirt with him as a rule. It wasn't done.

"I- he. Likely has other matters to attend to and I have to escort you out." Which he did, falling into step with Felix, just ahead of the burned Hawk. Having one without their helmet on just wandering about wasn't taboo but it was...unusual.

There was a reason, of course. Things could be done that weren't normally done to make a point, and Sharkface was an intimidating feature. Proof of how dedicated and tough his hawks were. You saw that guy once without his helmet? You silently wondered what lay under the armor of the others.

Half of staying in power was the show. Something Felix knew how to twist to his advantage.

"Well, I'm not saying no." An eyebrow quirked at Delta. "How long have you been working for the kid?"

"A man of thirty seven is hardly a kid." Delta sniffed, tucking his tablet under his arm. "I worked for the family long before York came into it."

Brought up with his brothers assisting the previous boss. Finances, security, managing their reputation, training their men- their family was as deeply entwined in the bloodline as the boss- until he passed and left it to York. "But York, specifically? Ten years."

"Ten years, and he still has you doing his appointments?"

Felix clucked his tongue softly. Alright, so he's got a soft spot for York. Resentful of the newcomer, maybe? He can roll with that.

"Not that I don't think you're more than capable, don't get me wrong. In fact, I think I'd applaud his restraint."

"He manages the business, I manage him." It was less secretarial than most assumed but- it was an awful lot of calling, arranging, deskwork. He could handle it and be quiet and capable and silently annoyed more often than not but-

He wanted more. And was not granted that much.

"Restraint?" He blinked, looking over to Felix. "I do not understand."

"Just me talking. I do that," he replied with a wave of his hand. "Sort of say whatever comes to mind. Isn't that right?"

The hawk grunted, and said nothing.

"But I know most guys that keep mews prefer the pretty ones to take the hood. So, color me surprised."

"It is not as though I haven't offered." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Until the shooting that prompted our trip to the auction, he was loathe to bring anyone into the mews. And now-"

Now he had Locus. "He still sees no need to expand the mews."

Only then did it sink in that Felix had called him pretty. The tips of his ears went pink.

"It's his call to make. But seems to me that trading out one hard-to-handle Eagle to beef up the ranks isn't the worst deal he could make." He clucked his tongue softly.

"Horse to water, and all that."

There was a pause. "So you offered to take the hood, and he turned you down? Seriously?"

"He insists I am of more use as I am. Nevermind that I endure as many assassination attempts as him without getting shot and handle them without backup, that I've trained just as hard as any of his falcons, that I was meant to be a Merlin to our previous boss." Bitter thoughts and words welled up and overtook his common sense, eyes dark and pained behind crisp glass.

"And now he has little need of even the thought of me among them." Here he was, a member of the family on paper, doing the work of keeping the business running, caring as much as any- and set apart. "...I must apologize, you did not come to hear this."

"Hey, no, I get it."

One hand lowers to rest at Delta's back. Oh. Oh this was better than he imagined. A perfect tool to pick open the lock of the situation. And what's more? He didn't even need to lie to pry it open.

"Working your ass off is part of the job. You want to make him happy. But when it comes time to what you want, what makes you happy, then what? You're supposed to sit on your hands and wait for him to decide you're worth it? That's crap. Anyone could see that."

"Does it matter?" It didn't, he knew it. He had his place and if his removal from the manner hadn't been enough of a reminder, having to handle the paperwork reinforcing Locus' legal status as York's would. The very idea was...wearying.

Though it did warm him, somewhat, to have some validation from Felix. And the touch to his back- how often did anyone reach out to him? York used to but- now he had Locus and it didn't happen anymore. He had no one. "I work for the family. He is my boss. I cannot force him to take me."

"Why would you want to?" Felix's brow scrunches slightly.

"I mean, if he doesn't see you that way, if he doesn't want you...well, that's kind of his problem. Why devote yourself to someone who doesn't see what you could be? What you want to be?"

"Because when he is not a smitten, lust addled ass he's...remarkable." He can be. Could be. "But he is, at current, smitten and lust addled."

Delta sighed, combing his hair out of his face. "...I suppose I am far too forgiving of his taking me for granted."

"Well..."

The corner of his mouth crooked upwards.

"I can appreciate this whole gig doesn't give you much in the way of free time. But if you ever want to...you know. Get coffee, talk about it. Get stuff off of your chest. I could be available."

"...I'm free tomorrow after eight." That much he could manage. A dinner away when he wasn't expected to linger awaiting York's attention wouldn't be terrible, would it?

Felix wasn't...known all that well in the family. His reputation was one thing, but knowing more about him would only be to their benefit, right? Right.

"Then it's a date."

Almost to the door now, and if he didn't press his luck? He wouldn't have been the man he was today. Turning slightly on his heel, he slipped an arm around Delta's waist, before tugging him forward and stealing a brief kiss.

That he hadn't seen coming. It wasn't something that happened to him and thus- he had no frame of reference against the action. He shuddered, leaning into the kiss, mouth open and sweet against Felix's mouth.

Overcome would be an understatement.

Well then, better make it memorable. But leaving him wanting more.

Pivoting them both around, he pressed Delta against the door. One moment, then another, before he drew back with a soft hum and a pleased grin. Yeah. This was gonna work splendidly.

"So. Eight, then."

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