Archive of Our Own ^beta

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"It's kind of evil that this got held on a Friday evening after work. Feels just like work after work." Sciel comments, and you nod.
"To be fair, we did say that we barely see Verso's face around, so I guess we shouldn't complain." Lune chimes in.
"I'd prefer to see less of his face right now. I feel like that's such a waste of good looking genes, he's impossible to work with." You comment absentmindedly.
"Did you just say he's good looking?" Sciel raises a brow.
"Huh? Like, objectively. Anyone with eyes would agree." You blink owlishly. Sciel and Lune just stare back at you for a moment.
"Like, true, but…" Sciel trails off.
"I'm surprised you'd admit that out loud. You almost never acknowledge when someone is good-looking." Lune finishes.
"Wait - no. That's absolutely not it. At the risk of being overheard again - I'm just saying the personality is a shame when you factor in the looks." You whisper to them both.
"Huh? Overheard again?" Sciel asks.
"Yep... The other day when I made a joke about him looking out the office window and jacking off, he repeated the line back to me, verbatim." You recount with a guilty look plastered on your face.
"Merde, that was stupid." Lune makes a sound that is halfway between a scoff and a chuckle.
"Really stupid - I'm so about to get fired once the dust settles." You groan.
"It's not too late, maybe you could apologise to him about it on Friday? If you're going to get fired, you've got almost nothing to lose if you say sorry." Sciel suggests.
"…Putain. Yeah I suppose." You bite your lip.
"Maybe something like 'sorry for calling you a wanker!' would be good - short and sweet." Sciel jokes.
"Aaaaah! God I'm such a mess." You sigh, burying your head into the cafeteria table as Lune lightly pats your shoulder in comfort.

Friday. 4:59pm.
"Maybe I shouldn't go…" You whisper to yourself, wanting to back out of the arrangement, but as team lead, it wouldn't be a good look.
Shrugging on your cardigan, you step out of the building and breathe in the crisp evening spring air and… Oh god, the fuck is that smell?
Which asshole threw up on the side of the street!? Your heels click away from the vile odor - the funky stench from the chuck-up practically acted as smelling salts and made you walk even faster to the bar than you had originally hoped to.

Walking in, you see Lune and Sciel are already perched at the bar. Your eyes scan the room a little more intently, and you notice Verso off to the side with a whisky on the rocks in hand. Typical toxic male manipulator ass drink…
"One gin and tonic, please." You ask the bartender before slotting in between Lune and Sciel.
"Ahhh, long time no see!" Sciel playfully greets.
"So, planning on apologising to him tonight?" Lune asks, taking a sip of her wine.
"Urgh… Yeah just need a drink or two first…" You groan.
"It's like I can see you dragging your feet on this, but like, mentally." Sciel observes.
"I don't wanna apologise to him! I mean I should, but I don't wanna!" You're aware that you sound like a toddler throwing a tantrum at this point.
"It's okay… You're equally as passionate about the company, your perspectives and approaches are just different. And that's ok!" Sciel reassures as the bartender slides your drink over to you.
"That's a very nice way of putting it, I suppose." You shrug, briefly turning back to see that Verso's eyes were already settled on you. You can't help but gulp down another huge swallow of your drink.

As the night went on, the sky quickly turned from dusk to dark, the amber streetlamps lining the Paris streets illuminated the reflections in the windows of the bar.
"You're now two and a half drinks in… Any more in the same hour and you'll just throw up on his shoes. Come on. You've got this, you're a big girl." Sciel encourages you with a playful nudge.
"Yup, okay yup, fine…" You sigh, clutching your drink in hand as you approach Verso sitting in a small group with other employees.
"Heya!" Amelie, one of your coworkers greets.
"Hi! Sorry, just weaving through trying to say hello to everyone before I forget." You smile.
"Oh of course!" Amelie nods.
"Actually, while I've spotted you, Verso… I just need to check something with you about, uh, something." You add, trying your best not to look sheepish.
"Yeah, sure… I'll be back." Verso flashes a small robotic smile to the group as he gets up, wordlessly following you as you both step out onto the secluded balcony. The spring evening air sends a chill up your spine, and you wrap your cardigan around your body a little tighter.

"So, uh… About the other day." You begin, clearing your throat.
"Right." Verso replies, the same unwavering husky and low tone he always uses.
"I'm sorry. You're right. I let my emotions and feelings get the better of me and I carelessly made a harmful comment. I'm sorry." You purse your lips, forcing yourself to stare into his eyes. He blinks. Once. Twice.
"Thank you for acknowledging that." He says, turning away from you as he looks out onto the view of the balcony.
"I'd say you're welcome but that feels… Wrong to say." You awkwardly respond.
"You need to trust that I know what to do to pull this business off the collision course." Verso replies, disregarding your awkwardness.
"…Yeah. I know we're equally passionate about the company but we have different preferred methods. You're at the helm. I shouldn't be like this towards my own team member, especially my own boss. I promise I'll do better going forward." You mimic some of what Sciel said in your response - oh how you loved your emotionally mature friend.

"I appreciate it." Verso replies - dry and disengaged as ever. You try your best to ignore his tone and try to connect with him further to make things less awkward (thank you liquid courage).
"I have a slightly absurd question that isn't related to business whatsoever for you." You ask him, gripping one hand on the balcony railing to hide the fact that you're starting to sway a little in your shoes.
"What is it?" Verso humours you.
"Do you believe in aliens?" You ask, with full serious intent.
"…Huh?" Verso blinks in confusion. For the first time, he looks like he just responded like a normal human being.
"Like, do you believe in aliens? Other forms of life?" You ask him, hoping to get a response that is past the short sentences he typically gives.
"Haha, um… Personally? I think there's no way we live in this vast universe all by ourselves. There is definitely extra-terrestrial life out there." Verso indulges you - maybe it's the few glasses of whisky he had, but he actually indulged your question. For some reason, it made your chest feel a little fluttery, which was weird.
"Right? I often think that maybe they're trying to communicate or they already have, it's just that we might not even see them or pick up on their methods to communicate." You agree. "D'you reckon they'd be bald or have hair?" You add, almost stumbling as you pivot to look at him.
"You're drunk." He scoffs, but he doesn't have a mean bite to his tone. You swear you even saw a flicker of an actual grin.
"You're at least equally as drunk for humouring me on that topic." You chuckle, taking another long sip of your drink before beginning to almost stumble walk off.

"You don't seem to be looking over your shoulder too much on this sunny Monday. Seems the apology worked?" Lune notes, and you nod.
"Honestly, I was not that smooth with it though. I updated my resume over the weekend." You reply.
"Really? Did you like, throw your drink in his face after you apologised?" Sciel asks jokingly.
"Might as well have. Maybe I should've talked to him only one drink in. I asked him if he believes in aliens." You take a bite of your sandwich.
"No you didn't." Lune shoots an 'are you serious' look.
"I did…" You reply pathetically.
"That's… Wow. It was nice knowing you." Lune stifles a laugh.
"I mean, I was drunk! He probably was too." You throw your hands in the air.
"You can only hope…" Sciel comments, unscrewing her water bottle and taking a sip.
"Ahhh, it's whatever. If I'm fired, Maria will vouch for my resume anyway. I have a meeting with the man and our stakeholders in 10, so I'm gonna head off." You sigh, packing up your lunch bag.
"Goodbye and good luck!" Sciel waves.

...

The cool metal of your laptop sizzles against the warm skin of your palm, as you push the meeting room door open. Verso was the only other one in the room - indicating both your affinity for being early.
"Oh, no one else is here yet?" You shut the door quietly, staring at the desk. Would it be awkward to sit right next to him? Is it weirder if you sit directly opposite? You could sit on the edge but then you'd be at the head of the table - wait, why isn't he just sitting at the head of the table? That would make things so much easier…
"We're a bit early. You can take a seat on this side of the table." Verso replies, barely glancing your way as he clicks away on his laptop, yet somehow he still reads your mind.
You slide the upholstered chair 1 seat away from Verso and take a seat - not awkward enough that you're sat directly next to each other, but not so far away that it's giving 'you're a leper to me'.
"I didn't realise we'd have a stakeholder meeting so soon. Is there anything you need me to quickly read up on?" You ask.
"No, it's okay. I'll be leading it, I invited you and the other team leads so you all have a firsthand recount of the first meeting, so that we can brainstorm afterwards." Verso replies. You nod.
"…How was your weekend, anyway?" You ask offhandedly, opening your laptop to try and ease the awkwardness. The clock ticks a few times, filling in the silence. Just as you're about to turn away, he replies.
"Spent it mostly recovering from Friday's hangover. I wanted to sleep in, but I have a very demanding dog that likes to wake me up at 5:50am, almost like clockwork." He says, a very small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he mentions his dog.
"I didn't know you had a dog!" You gasp excitedly.
"Two, actually. Monoco and Noco. Monoco is the father." Verso explains, his pale blue eyes softening talking about his dogs. You notice very subtle changes in his facial expressions when he's talking about Monoco and Noco. For a moment, it almost seems like Verso is a completely different person. Human.

Before you can get another word in, the door opens and you spot Amelie and Minh - the other team leads. You all exchange a little wave with each other, as more people begin to fill in. As stakeholders arrive and nobody from the team is left, you're forced to shuffle up and sit right next to Verso anyway, making your over-thought seating arrangement completely redundant.
"Thank you everyone for attending this meeting, firstly, I'd like to acknowledge everyone's attendance for the day. This is the first stakeholder meeting to be held since the Dessendre Group's acquisition of Envisager…" Verso begins, and your eyes flicker down, staring at his forearms.
You don't know much about Verso - you're unsure of what he does in his free time, unlike Maria who often talked about her love of marathon running and yoga. But his forearms were objectively large, with defined veins. It makes you wonder what kind of sports he does to have such muscular and large forearms. Your eyes roam over his hands, following the contours of his arm veins until they were hidden by the rolled sleeves at his elbows.
"…Which is why we have taken such an approach. I'd like to extend this opportunity for stakeholders to voice their thoughts, feedback, and concerns." Verso concludes. Ah. You realise you haven't even been listening. Your gaze flicks back to Verso's face in the corner of your vision, before you look towards the stakeholder who began discussing proposed targets and milestones.

…The meeting was admittedly boring as shit, but you forced yourself to listen, as you needed to advocate for your team.

"Alrighty, team-leaders and managers, let's discuss." Verso concludes as the stakeholders had all officially left the room and were escorted out. The main topic of the discussion was the revenue target and how cutting costs is now inevitable. What you weren't prepared for, is how easily almost everybody rolled over to Verso almost immediately, even when you could see in their eyes that they didn't want exactly agree with everything said.
"Sorry, I do have some reservations." You pipe up, as Amelie finishes a sentence praising Verso's decision to skim a small amount of employees.
"Of course." Verso says, leaning his palms back on the desk, arms outstretched. His eyes were practically burning holes into yours as you speak.
"I understand that in order to survive, we need to make cuts. But I'm worried about the sustainability of our workload when we do not have interns to rely on for the smaller tasks, as they will likely be handballed to other employees who will then have increased responsibility, yet their pay remains the same. I think this could drive a lot of our current and reliable team members." You state, and you notice Minh avert his gaze.
"I see your concern; what I would like to do is take on interns and also create a new graduate program. A lot of young people in Paris are struggling to get their foot in the door, especially when it comes to more creative or business pursuits. This gives them a chance to gain experience, while we save costs with salary. According to our files, Envisager has not employed a new graduate in the last 2 years. I think it would be an excellent opportunity to give the new generation of Paris' workforce a chance." Verso explains, and you bite your lip. He did have a good point - an excellent point even, about giving young workers a chance. But the cynicist in you does not cease its voice. 'He's probably going to hand all of these positions to the rich brats of families that have their fingers in the pie. This is how it starts.' You think to yourself.
"…Okay. I'm saddened to hear we'll need to be letting a few people go. I am excited to hear about the graduate program plan though." You speak honestly and earnestly. Amelie gives you a look as if to tell you you're committing career suicide.
"I hear you and I understand. It's always tough, however to the people we are letting go, we will write an excellent letter of recommendation under the group's name, and they will of course be paid severance pay as standardised by French law." Verso nods. You can't help but think to yourself that this is fucked up - it's the same brutal corporate playbook everyone plays. Nobody who actually needs their foot in the door will get this position. It grinds your fucking gears. You stare at him, a hint of discontent in your gaze. He stares back with a pokerface, but you swear you feel it. You can't prove it, but you know he's displeased with you.

Forget wanting to get to know him better. Forget trying to see if there is an ounce of humanity under his perfectly styled hair and corporate armour. This guy fucking sucks.

"Could you look over my resume?" You ask Claude, who nods. The paper makes a soft, scratchy noise as you yank it off your desk, handing it to your brother.
"You're going to leave for sure then?" Claude asks.
"I plan on it. Just letting the dust settle. I'm just a bit over it all - he wants to cut smaller roles and would be offloading that work onto our already small enough team, and won't pay them more. In fact, nobody is getting paid more even with all of these structural changes." You sigh.
"It's shit isn't it?" Claude hums in acknowledgement as he plucks a red marker from your coffee table, circling a few things as you place dinner down on the table.
"So… What do you think?" You ask.
"I circled a few changes, but, yeah. Looks good to go." Claude responds. As you're both about to settle down at the table, you hear a ping from your phone.

'Hi, it's Verso. I hope you don't mind that I'm texting you outside of business hours on your personal number, but it's not really work related. I thought about what you said in our meeting earlier today. I think we have a few differences and it's not resolving the way we'd like. Maybe we should have a chat away from the office environment during the lunch break period tomorrow?' You read Verso's text. Perfect grammar, syntax and all. Was this man ever not stiff?
"What's up?" Claude asks, his mouth stuffed with your famous rocket, walnut, and honeyed pear salad.
"Verso texted me." You say in a suspicious tone.
"Huh? That's so demanding. It's 7pm and he's texting you?" Claude raises a brow as you type a response.
'hi Verso, that's fine but I'd prefer to not make it a habit. I can come find you in your office when I'm heading to lunch and we can chat' you reply, turning your phone face down and on silent.
"What's going on?" Claude asks.
"He wanted to see me during break. Says we have differences and it's not resolving the way we're both hoping." You breathe out.
"Ooooh putain. You're getting fired." Claude snorts, but you can see the sympathy for you in his eyes.
"Thank god." You snort, putting on a brave front. But on the inside, you're freaking the fuck out.

Chapter Text

It feels almost routine now. Knock on Verso's office door, enter, have a passive-aggressive verbal exchange, leave. Ruin it. Rinse and repeat.
"Come in." Verso replies to your knock.
"You… Wanted to see me?" You ask.
"Yes, but let's head downstairs and to a cafe." Verso says, grabbing his coat as you walk together. You catch a glimpse of your reflections in an opposite glass-panelled building as you both head to a nearby cafe, walking side by side. Verso is about a head taller than you, his posture straight and imposing, while you're a little bit slouched. Upon seeing this, you straighten your back as you direct your gaze to the street again. Your mind begins to swirl with anxious thoughts as you both walk in silence, the sound of the busy business district as many workers come out in droves to purchase their lunch serving its purpose to muffle the awkward silence between you both.
'So this is it - I'm going to be fired. Fuck. Even worse, he's definitely going to eviscerate the shit out of me verbally to the point where he doesn't want other employees to be around and hear how-'
"Putain!" Verso shouts, grabbing you by the waist and arm as a truck barely skims past your body. You fall backwards at the excessive force, the back of your head tumbling into his chest.
"Holy fuck!" You gasp, glaring at the speeding truck that continued to drive off with total disregard for the pedestrian crossing. You look down and see Verso slightly grimacing as he lifts his head from the pavement.
"Are you okay?" He asks, pale blue eyes looking up into yours. His black waves were fanned out, a thin sheen of sweat threatening to break through on his forehead.
"Y-Yes! I'm fine - but you hit your head pretty hard… I-I think I should take you to a hospital." You panic.
"I-I'm fine…" Verso groans, sitting up, and you quickly scramble off of his body.
"No, no - my father had a stupid accident falling backwards on our patio and he had an awful concussion which could've killed him if we didn't take him to the hospital. No way, I'm not killing my fucking boss." You say, frantically flagging down a taxi.
"I'll call admin and they'll reschedule our meetings. I'm not taking any chances." You add. Verso looks as if he's about to protest as the taxi pulls up, but decides to keep his mouth shut.

"…You're in extreme luck. It shouldn't be a long wait, about half an hour." The hospital desk staff confirm, and you nod as you both take a seat.
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you were going to fire me back then, but even if you weren't, you should probably do it now." You sigh, clutching your arms around your chest in defeat.
"Fire you? I don't plan on firing you at all." Verso chuckles.
"…Really?" You ask in a small voice, looking at him from the corner of your eye.
"Really. It takes all kinds of people to make up a team. If I'm surrounded by a bunch of yes-men, it makes it difficult to know if I'm truly making the correct decision or not." Verso explains, and you nod silently in response.
"I really don't mean to cause trouble... I can become really attached and I struggle to let go. I can be resistant to change, because I can't always help bringing my personal morals into it." You sigh.
"Don't speak about it like it's a bad thing. It's not a bad thing." Verso gently chides, and you can only nod in response again, unsure of what else to say.
"…I'm really sorry you got hurt saving me." You blurt out, uncomfortable with the lapse of silence.
"Well, for starters, I don't want one of my employees dying. Plus, I don't want to watch someone die in front of me again." Verso almost mumbles the second half of his sentence, but you hear it. Your body goes rigid as you think back to the news report on TV in 2023.
"I… Yeah. That's traumatising as hell. I'm surprised you recovered and began working full-time again so quickly. In your shoes, I'd imagine it would put a lot of stress on you, both psychologically and physically." You mumble, kicking your feet.

"It was. …It is. My sister, Clea, is the stronger one out of the two of us. She's trying to find the people responsible for Alicia's death, whilst turning major profits on all these new projects our parents are handing us. I don't know how she's keeping her head above water. In fact I think she's swimming against the tide just fine." Verso admits, and you hear a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"Burying your head in a vendetta and work can put up a strong front, but it doesn't make you strong. The whole situation was fucked up, and you saw the most of it. And that doesn't go away after the event is over, because grief is an ocean that hits you in waves. Plus, our body keeps the score when it comes to trauma." You empathise, drawing on your own experience of grief.
"…The body definitely keeps the score. I never used to have white in my hair, and I'm only 28. Doctors said it was a stress response, my hair won't ever return to normal." Verso says in a low voice. Before you could say more, a doctor called his name out.
"I'll stay here. I'll write up the injury for our report and I can get us back to the office if you're fit to work." You reassure him, and he nods with a grateful expression.

"Just a mild concussion. I was told to rest tonight and tomorrow, and if I don't have any symptoms the following day then I can go to work." Verso explains to you as you get up out of your seat.
"Merde - I think my phone slipped out when I was getting checked out, I'll quickly run back and ask them." Verso touches his pockets before walking over to the clinicians.
You walk over to the admin desk to confirm your departure.
"Hello - who was it for again?" The woman smiles.
"Verso Dessendre." You reply.
"Ah, yup. If you could just sign here…" The woman hands you a clipboard. You see some information pre-filled by the woman.
"Oh - um, can I get a new form? I-I'm not his wife…" You request awkwardly. Just as you mention the last sentence, Verso appears by your side again. You can't help but feel a little red in the cheeks for some reason. The woman apologetically hands you a new form, and you scribble 'coworker' in the title box. You both thank them again, walking out.

If Verso overheard the wife thing, you're grateful, since he didn't mention it as you walked out of the hospital.
"You need to get home - but I'm just worried something could happen to you on the way there. Is it ok if I take you home?" You ask, voicing your concerns, but also internally smacking yourself in the head for using the phrase 'take you home'.
"Yeah, okay. I do feel a bit shit." Verso nods, and you flag down another taxi. Verso gives the address to his apartment, a 12-minute ride away from the hospital.
"I swear I'm not trying to fob off work. I promise." You say as the taxi rolls to a halt.
"You sure about that?" Verso jokes as you both step out of the taxi.
"Haha - okay maybe I'm trying to fob off work a little. I'll do overtime tomorrow." You admit with a grin.

"Hmm, I'm not even there to watch you. How can I be so sure?" He jokes, swiping his key card as you into the foyer of the luxury penthouse complex. The foyer had a beautiful old school black and white harlequin floor tiles, with gold accents throughout the foyer. It appears the complex kept the original materials and maintained the panels, resulting in a blend of 1920's opulence with modern technology camouflaged throughout. Ugh, rich people.
"Uhh, you can just trust me?" You say in a playful tone.
"Yeah alright. Sounds good." He jokes in a deadpan manner.
"Alright, well, I should get going. Oh - wait." You pause, rummaging through your bag as you fish out a small box of paracetamol and electroytes mix. "I overheard one of the nurses earlier talk about paracetamol and electrolytes so you can recover faster. Thanks again for saving my life, bye bye!" You wave, as Verso gives a small wave back in return.

Verso stared at the box of paracetamol and electrolyte mix, a small grin ghosting across his mouth.

"Hey! You were gone for so long. So what happened? It must've been bad if you were gone for ages…" Sciel walks over as we all pack up for the day.
"Yeah, I was gone for like almost three hours. But anyway, I'm not fired." You confirm.
"Are you still gonna like, quit?" Sciel pouts.
"Hmm, no. As long as the changes don't turn the place into a sinking ship, I'll stay." You confirm.
"You're staying?" Lune pokes her head around the corner as you and Sciel begin to make your way to the corridor.
"For now." You nod.
"What made you change your mind? You seemed to really hate it before." Sciel pushes the elevator door button closed as the three of you have the little space to yourselves.
"Erm - well, he was quite convincing. He said he wants people with diverse opinions to make sure he's making well thought-out decisions." You explain, trying to dance around the main event.
"I feel like you're not telling us everything…" Sciel trails off.
"Oh my god - did he threaten you? Blackmail you? He didn't lay his hands on you, right?" Lune gasps.
"No way! No, no. Ugh… I almost got hit by a speeding truck on the way to the cafe, he pulled me back onto the street but I fell ass backwards underneath him and he got a mild concussion from the impact." You explain, looking at your black boots, refusing to look Sciel and Lune in the eye.
The two girls burst out into laughter as the elevator door opens, with the few people in the office complex lobby looking at the three of you as if you've gone mad.
"Shhh! It's already embarrassing enough just thinking about it. I could've fucking killed our boss!" You scream-whisper, which only makes Lune and Sciel laugh even harder as you walk out onto the street.

"Fucking hell, you are a cat with nine lives!" Sciel hollers.
"Wait - but you were gone for three hours? Did you take him to the hospital then?" Lune deduces.
"Yeah, wasn't a long wait. I also made sure he got back home - he's not really that far from work." You shrug.
"You know, you only hear of this type of stuff in a romance novel." Sciel snorts.
"Oh god - no. Guys I am seriously not an unprofessional person." You shake your head insistently.
"Yeah but… Hot, young, likely single CEO. If you guys slept together… Your secret is safe between the three of us." Sciel giggles.
"Genuinely - I didn't sleep with him. I swear on my maman's life. Almost died, hospital, escorted him back. That's all." You frown.
"Okay, okay… We'll stop teasing. I do think it's funny that you really assume there's no tension between you both though." Lune says in a more gentle tone.
"Yeah, like, angry tension. Not sexual. Our approaches to things are usually inverted versions of each other." You insist.
"Yep, right… Definitely no sexual tension." Sciel exchanges a look with Lune.

You groan as the girls continue to playfully tease you. Deep down the teasing didn't matter that much to you - it even made your ears turn a little pink.

Chapter Text

'Hi all, apologies for my abrupt absence in the latter half of last week. Thank you to everyone holding down the fort. I also wanted to take the time to note that our combined intern and new graduate programs will begin the planning phase, so anyone who would like to lead this, please respond to the separate email that will come through your work inboxes soon - the project leader will be selected by the end of the week. Have a good week everybody. (Verso Dessendre - Monday | 9:03AM)

…

Ding!
Your email sounds off a notification.
'{Friday | Apr 14 - 3:48pm}
Congratulations, you have been selected for project leader of the combined intern and new graduate program. Please attend the formal initial meeting at 2:30pm, April 17 (Monday) in the group meeting room.

Kind regards,
Verso Dessendre.'

Little bugger. You didn't sign up for this.

...

"Hi." You knock on Verso's door, without much of a pause before entering.
"Hello." Verso greets, not looking up from his monitor.
"Can I just check something with you? I don't remember applying for the combined intern and graduate program project. But I'm going to be the project leader on it now…?" You ask, furrowing your brows as your laptop perches on your forearm.
"Oh, that. Yeah, nobody actually applied to that." Verso replies without skipping a beat.
"So then I was selected by default?" You ask, quirking a brow.
"If you really don't want to, I can remove you and select someone else for the project. Although recalling our previous conversations, I feel that you would steer this in the right direction the best. You're quite unshakeable with your ethics and morals, it can be very useful when dealing with such matters." Verso explains, and you purse your lips.

On one hand - fuck this guy for giving you more work. On the other hand - he's right, you do want the control and you want to see this project through so that it doesn't become a massive dumpster fire.
"Okay, but this is a really big task that I'm doing all by myself. And I'm being a given a title but not a raise…" You eye him cautiously.
"Oh that? No, you're getting a 20% raise because of this. In addition, access to the company credit card for transport and food use. Also you won't be working on it yourself, you'll be working alongside me. I need to see this through." He says, practically plucking your own monologue from the crevices of your brain. It felt a little creepy.
"Hmmm…" You feign hesitancy, as Verso slides a sheet of paper across his desk. Walking up to it, you see the new contract for your increased roles and responsibilities.
"A lot of other smaller tasks will not be given to you because you're taking on this role. It won't be unbalanced - you can review the work I've delegated if you wish." Verso adds, swivelling his monitor as you see a bunch of struck-off tasks and responsibilities.
"What if I say no?" You ask, fiddling with the cold metal cap of the pen.
"That's perfectly okay. I just think you're the best fit for the position." Verso reassures. God, a 20% raise would be amazing right now. You quickly give your contract one final look over to check for any hidden surprises.
"Yup, okay. I'll take it on." You exhale, signing away your life to Verso. Maybe that's a little dramatic - but you'd be signing the next 3 months away to him tops.
"Thank you." Verso responds simply.

You turn on your feet to leave, but pivot on your heels at the last second as your hand reaches the door handle.
"By the way… How's your head feeling?" You ask gently.
"All better now." He replies, not looking away from his monitor again. You hold your breath, waiting for something - anything more from him, but the only noise between you both is the sound of the wall clock ticking.
"Good to hear." You respond, his eyes still fixed on his monitor. With an inwards sigh, you shut the door behind you.

Verso quietly cringes at himself as the door softly clicks shut. Why was he like this? It's not like you did anything wrong. Technically, all you did was follow occupational health and safety protocol by taking him to the hospital to have his head checked. It was him that did all the blabbing about Alicia and his past. Yet he's racking his brain trying to find any opportunity to blame you for prying - but there's none. So he settles for the next best thing - to push you away. But he can't seem to do that. If he was so good at pushing you away, he wouldn't have chosen you for the combined internship and graduate program to work alongside him. He wouldn't have changed the parameters so that it wouldn't be a team, it would just be him and you. He wouldn't have altered the budget so that he could entice you with a raise to secure this specific situation. But now that it's in his grasp? All he can do is sabotage and question his own irrational actions.
You're on his mind constantly, like a looming figure casting a dark shadow over every dip and valley in his brain, impossible to ignore.

"…I don't understand him." You frown, this time you're in the couch whilst Claude cooks dinner.
"Yeah, and I don't understand you. First you had your resume ready to go, now you've taken on that new role and you're working with him directly, one-on-one, for about three months? Maybe the two of you are more alike than you think." Claude gestures at you with the oily spatula.
"You did not just say that!" Your mouth drops open and your brows furrow in offense.
"I did. I mean, I'm glad you're not fired, but this is like, so dodgy. Do you not hear alarm bells going off? What kind of project does a CEO and a team leader work on together solely? You're crazy for saying yes." Claude chides.
"Yeah, but it's like a 20% raise and paying off this apartment is so fucking hard. I'd actually like to retire with a little bit of money in my bank." You groan.
"If you end up chopped up into pieces in a suitcase or pregnant, just know I am blaming him." Claude snorts.
"Don't judge! You haven't moved out of home yet, it's hell out here…" You sigh.
BRRRT! Claude's phone dings.
"What was that?" You ask, quirking a brow.
"Nothing…" Claude responds, tapping away at his phone.
BRRT!
"Claude… Are you on Grindr in my fucking apartment right now?" You gasp.
"Erm…" Claude flicks the mute button on his phone.
"Claude! You are so not cruising in MY apartment complex right now!" You scold him, and he giggles sheepishly, turning his back to you and pretending not to hear your chastising.

But Claude was right… What kind of trap did you really fall into?

Chapter Text

The keys of your keyboard softly clicked under your nails. The pixels of your monitor began to turn into visual mush, letters and sentences barely registering in your vision. You sigh, leaning back in your chair as you momentarily shut your eyes trying to focus your mind. This combined internship and new graduate program was going to be the death of you. You very much regret deciding to stay back, as the office lights are dimmed to a low light, the street below reflecting a soft luminosity from the window. You could be at home on the couch right now.

"Alright, if I'm heading home, you need to as well. It's irresponsible of me to let you lock up late at night on your own." A deep voice calls out to you. Verso.
"Urm… Yeah but I'll finish this one paragraph before I do." You respond flatly, eyes glazing over your laptop screen. A few minutes pass and you hear footsteps approach your desk.
"It wasn't a suggestion, it's protocol so everyone stays safe." Verso says, leaning over your desk as his index and middle finger pressing down on the top of your laptop, slowly shutting it as you frantically type.
"Wait wait!" You exclaim, but you pull your hands away right before the screen comes into contact with your knuckles. You look up and give him an expression halfway between a glare and a pout.
"It can always wait until tomorrow. Don't go burning yourself out week one." Verso gently chides.
"…Okay." You bite your lip, shoving your laptop in your bag as he remains leaning on your desk. At this proximity, you could smell his cologne. It smelt like a mix of sandalwood, leather, and musk. You blink rapidly a few times, as if to shake off the thought of what he smells like.

Verso finishes locking up as you walk over to the elevator, pressing for the button.
"Thanks." Verso says as the door shuts on you both.
It's awkward. Painfully awkward. Silence when you're alone with Verso always feels like your hair is standing on its ends, yet you can't quite figure out why.
"…Did I offend you somehow the other week?" You blurt out, briefly glancing at him before staring at your shoes.
"Huh?" Verso asks.
"I don't know. I don't think I was prying when you talked about your family, but sometimes I don't always see things the way others do. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable." You mumble.
"That? Oh, no. I just… Felt bad for burdening you with that. You don't need the trauma dump, you're an employee, not a therapist." Verso reassures.
"Oh… Okay. It's just, we're working on this program together quite closely, but you barely speak to me. Even your work chat messages are short." You rock back and forth on your heels slowly to soothe your nerves.
"That's… That's a me problem. I don't talk much, about myself or anything else not related to work." Verso says in a low tone.
"So it made you uncomfortable when you realised you talked about yourself more than you would expect from yourself?" You ask softly. He nods.
"Yeah, a bit unprofessional of me. It won't happen again." He says, his voice having a guarded edge to it, but not towards you… It was more like he was saying it to himself.

"We're all human, even if we try to suppress our emotions, they always find a way to rear themselves in ways we don't expect them to. If you're worried about me gossiping or something, you can put that thought to rest. That's not really my style." You clarify, glancing over at Verso as the elevator door dings open. His eyes were already fixed on you, and it made your breath in your throat hitch.
"Your style? What exactly is your style then?" He asks as you both walk towards the main exit in the lobby.
"Good question. My style is trying to exercise empathy whenever I can, being whimsical, and having fun. And if that doesn't work, then probably just exploding people with my mind." You joke with a deadpan expression.
"You can be very unserious…" Verso chuckles.
"I'd be probably be quite intense and brooding all the time if I wasn't." You admit.
"Ah… So like me." Verso glances over to you.
"Er… You said it, not me." You're worried you're pushing the envelope with him here, since you've never seen the man really laugh before.
"Don't worry. I have self-awareness. Or at least some of it." He cracks a small smile, but you notice it doesn't quite reach his eyes. You note the mid-spring air is pleasant, even if just a touch too cool for your liking.
"How will you be getting home?" Verso asks as you fetch your headphones from your bag.
"Metro." You reply, holding the 'on' button as you hoist your bag up on your shoulder again.
"At this time…?" Verso raises a brow.
"It's safe enough. I don't live far from work anyway, just two stops and a short walk." You shrug.
"Right." Verso nods.

"Verso?" You ready him for a final question for the night.
"Yeah?" He responds in kind with your name.
"If we're going to work together closely for a while, I just want you to know… With all due respect, it's quite hard to work with someone who can be quite… Closed off. I know you have your reasons but, this is a really gruelling project. It's nicer when I know I can go to you without hesitation or thinking I might be bothering you." You confess.
"Oh." Verso replies with a slow nod.
"Like that sort of response… It just makes me feel like I'm a lowly employee bothering you." You point out candidly. Professionalism be damned. You were addressing him nicely about it, that's empathetic enough. Everyone's got work to do.
"You're not bothering me at all… You're definitely not a lowly employee. No employee is lowly." Verso mutters.
"I'm sure you feel that way, but I personally can't register it. I'm not offended or anything, don't get me wrong, I'm just… I think I'd work better if I get more feedback and such from you." You add.
"No, you're right, you're right… It's just challenging for me to communicate more openly with others. I know it's a problem." Verso runs his hand through his hair.
"It's not a problem, it's just a way I think we can enhance our productivity." You reply, trying to translate it into corporate-business speak for the robotic and stiff man.
"Yeah, thank you. Thank you for letting me know. I'll take it on board." Verso replies, his gaze fixed on the glowing street lamps behind you.
"I appreciate it, truly." You smile, walking off as you pop your headphones on.

'We have a meeting with a university today. First one. UoP @ 5:30pm - 7:00pm. (Verso Dessendre | 2:38pm)'
'They really only had meeting availability after our business hours… lol all good though (2:41pm)'
'I tried to negotiate an earlier time, apologies. I'll drive us. (Verso Dessendre | 2:46pm)'
'Appreciate it, I'll hang back and wait for you then (2:50pm)'
'You can come to my office at 4:30, traffic will be bad with the rush. (Verso Dessendre | 2:51pm)'
'Ok, thanks! (2:53pm)'

Fixing yourself another cup of coffee, you glance at the clock on the wall of the office kitchen.
"Coffee? At 4 o'clock?" Sciel asks, walking over to the water cooler and refilling her drink bottle.
"Working late again…" You pinch the bridge of your nose as you respond to her.
"For the intern-graduate project? He's putting you to work like a horse." Sciel frowns, screwing the lid back on her drink bottle.
"I'm getting paid for overtime, or I can choose to take those hours off in the week. It's not too bad." You sigh into your coffee cup, the bittersweet aroma filling your nostrils.
"Hmm… Okay, you should catch up with Lune and I on the weekend though. You look like you need a drink or something." Sciel claps you on the shoulder gently.
"Will definitely take you up on that offer." You smile to her.
"You guys seem to be getting along a bit better." Sciel notes, taking a sip of her water.
"Better than when he first joined, yeah. The more time I spend with him, the less of an ass I think he is, but he also seems more… Odd." You whisper to her.
"Odd?" Her brow raises in curiousity.
"Yeah, he doesn't talk a lot outside of business related matters. He clamps up all the time and barely says anything. He's like a robot. Or more accurately, he seems like a ghost of a person." Your voice is so quiet Sciel had to crane her neck towards you to listen carefully.
"You think he's just repressed then?" Sciel responds quietly, her green eyes locking onto yours.
"For lack of a better word, yes. Really repressed. Although I guess that's what happens when you watch your own sibling die in front of your eyes." You whisper back with a shrug.
"Touché." She nods. You gulp the rest of your coffee down as you watch the clock tick over, the long hand closing in on the big '6'. Your deadline to go to Verso's office.

"Hey." You knock, and you hear his usual low tone of acknowledgement.
"Hello, I'm just about packed up now. Shall we?" He asks. Your eyes roam over what he's wearing - you notice that despite his stoic and guarded demeanour, he actually dresses fairly casual for the office and his position. He doesn't like to wear a full suit jacket and tie, opting to just wear his button down rolled to his sleeves and black trousers most of the time. But today, he was in a full suit and tie.
"Sure. Sorry, if I knew this meeting was going to happen today, I would've worn something slightly more professional." You apologise.
"What you're wearing is completely fine, don't worry. It's just the usual putting on appearances as a CEO." Verso replies, as you both walk towards the elevator.
"I do notice that you don't really like wearing stuff that constrains you." You note to him.
"Yeah, I'm not really a fan of tight clothes and layers when possible. I feel too restricted in my movement." Verso explains.
"I'm similar. I also have an irrational fear that if I wear pants that are too tight, they will actually split during the worst moment of my career." You admit playfully.
"Oh - that has actually happened to me. It was at my first big speech in one of my first big roles. I dropped the pointer, went to go pick it up and… Rip." Verso makes a huge ripping gesture.
"Bahaha! No way, noo way. So it was a huge rip too?" You guffaw.
"Oh - completely split down almost the entire seam. I think I was just eating and working out a lot at the time, and I underestimated how big my ass could get so quickly. Needless to say, I also wore underwear which at the time, I had no idea was a little bit see through." Verso recounts with an embarrassed smile.
"Stop, oh my god I'm going to piss myself. So you basically flashed your crack?" You spluttered, trying to remain composed.
"The crack was indeed flashed." He chuckles as you step into the underground carpark. Verso presses his key once, his black S-Class briefly illuminates the dark carpark, as you both walk towards his car.

Upon entering his car, you notice a characteristic about it which is remarkably consistent with Verso - there's almost nothing of his in it. The interior is almost as if it's stock factory new, not even a colourful air freshener hanging off the rear mirror or a little cup holder. A total blank, empty slate. But the model itself isn't super new, and you eye that he's clocked over 100,000km on the car.
"…Do you drive much?" Verso asks as he begins to reverse out of his parking space.
"I have my license, but I hate driving. And since buying my apartment in the city, I've not had to use a car." You explain as the afternoon sunlight practically flashbangs you. You quickly pop your sunglasses on as Verso hits play on his steering wheel, a soft piano melody playing. You sneak a glance at him, trying to stifle a laugh.
"This is really calming music for the chaotic task of driving in central Paris." You comment.
"Oh yeah, driving is shit here. Although I do just like to listen to piano pieces in my free time." Verso replies. You notice at this point that he's making the effort to be more talkative, even if it's not business related, and it puts you at ease a little.
"Do you play?" You ask him.
"…Yeah. I play a lot actually, it's what I do the most in my free time." He replies.
"Really? You've got a productive hobby. What piece are you learning right now?" You ask him.
"I've been trying to learn 'Gaspard de la Nuit' by heart. It's fun, but very challenging." He says, slowly braking at the red light.
"Oh, isn't that ridiculously hard to master? Like, borderline impossible?" You peer at him through your sunglasses.
"Yep, definitely feels borderline impossible." Verso nods as the car begins to move again.
"Why do you torture yourself like that?" You look at him in both admiration and bewilderment.
"It's rewarding, and playing the piano is quite calming." Verso explains.
"Right… Nothing says calming like trying to learn one of the world's most difficult piano pieces." You snort.
"You know about it - do you play?" Verso asks.
"Hm, no. My parents tried to teach me to play the piano when I was about seven, but I had a complete meltdown trying to learn 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', so they adjusted their expectations." You chuckle.
"Ah, so no instruments then?" Verso asks.
"I like to sing. But not in a formal way, I just like to perform concerts for an audience of zero in the shower." You explain, and it earns a chuckle from Verso.
"You're as shy as me then." He says, as you pull into the gates of the university.
"Yeah. Playing instruments around others can feel quite intimate and private…" You note, as Verso's car crunches under the gravel and pavement in the parking spot.

"Alright, first meeting. Look alive." Verso's gaze focuses on the building ahead.

Chapter Text

"Welcome, monsieur Dessendre and…" A woman in her assumedly mid-50's greets you both. Drawing on your knowledge from the brief Verso gave you, this woman would be the Chancellor of the university - Claire Dubois. You give her your name to fill in the blanks. Her grey hair is tied back in a bun, and her deep blue eyes seem a little hollowed out.
"You'll have to forgive me, we needed to change venues but there aren't a lot of suitable buildings in the ideal location for our meeting. The roof of the main building collapsed after a strong gust of wind knocked a huge tree branch into it earlier today." Claire's lips purse into a thin straight line as she walks us into a small and cozy looking building, opening another door which led into an incredibly cramped room.
"Again, my apologies, this is far from ideal. Upon your next visit, we hope to host you in a much roomier and comfortable meeting room." Claire apologises once more.
"It's no trouble at all, we'll manage just fine." Verso smiles, and you see it again. It's a very disarming smile, but it's one that looks mechanically engineered if you look close enough. A smile rehearsed dozens of times. It just doesn't quite reach his eyes.
You both eye the little built-in cushioned bench and table. Verso takes the initiative to slide in first, and you settle in after him. Despite your left leg almost being on top of his right leg, your other asscheek was threatening to escape the surface of the bench. What is going on at such an exclusive and renowned university where they can't even afford to build proper seating arrangements!?

God, it's like the warmth radiating from his skin is driving your own body temperature way up. Your eyes flicker down to his thigh, noticing how shapely it seems despite his trousers hiding most of the contours of his legs. He definitely must be working out a lot, between the appearance of his forearms and the way his legs seem to fill out his pants like that. You hold your breath as if to steady your heartbeat - you're scared that Verso will somehow hear your beating heart and realise your stupid heart is increasing its pace because of his touch. And why should his touch have you this bothered anyway!? The guy is a closed-off asshole… Okay, maybe not an asshole, but he's very emotionally unavailable and there is no way he is interested in you. And you're not interested in him. You're not into him. You refuse to be.

The entire meeting, while it went off without a hitch and you played your part perfectly, you had a gnawing feeling in your stomach that for some reason, Verso was going to develop X-ray vision or superhearing, and find out that your heart has betrayed your head.
"Went as well as we could've hoped for I suppose. The other universities should be much easier to settle on an agreement with, UoP was the one I was most nervous about." Verso mutters as you both walk through the university, both your boots trudging along the pavement, a telltale sign of fatigue setting in.
"Mmm… I hope it does get easier…" You mumble, stifling a yawn.
"Ah how the tables have turned, look who's less talkative now." Verso observes in a playful tone.
"Still you. You've just weakened the beast - I'll be back for vengeance once I have some food and sleep." You narrow your eyes in faux-suspicion.
"You're hungry?" He asks, and you nod in response. As if for added drama, your stomach growls ferociously.
"Let's go eat then." He suggests with a small laugh at the loud growl from your stomach.
"I appreciate it." You smile at him as you hop back in his car.

"Do you have anything you're craving?" Verso asks, removing his jacket and slinging it onto the backseat, shoving his sleeves up to his elbows. You glance over to him, watching him unbutton the first two buttons of his shirt and loosening his tie. You wring your hands in your lap, spine suddenly turning rigid. What he just did was incredibly hot. And you hate your stupid horny brain for finding it hot.
"I am craving the taste of an affordable meal." You reply, and he hums a tone of acknowledgement.
"I know a good Vietnamese place sort-of nearby, if you like pho. Very affordable too." He suggests. Your eyes are fixed on his dashboard. You're practically wrestling with your own eyeballs to not sneak a glance at his forearm as he grips onto the wheel with one hand.
"That sounds perfect."

…

"Fuck, that was good." You sigh, dropping your spoon into the shallow puddle of light brown broth in the large bowl, signalling defeat against the generous serving of pho.
"Right? And the prices have barely gone up over the years. Places like this are usually too good to be true." Verso agrees.
You look up at him, unable to suppress a certain look that says 'you're rich, why would affordability matter?' He tilts his head at you, a knowing gaze in his eyes.
"Ah, I know what you're thinking." He says. His tone isn't defensive, but the tone is more akin to the tone of voice one would use when they catch someone with their hand in the cookie jar.
"Oops." You look off to the side, your eyes catching onto the green and red neon word sign.
"I get it. And yeah, I've never had to really think about affordability in my own case. But a lot of my friends from university had to, and I know plenty of people I've worked with needed to be conscious of costs as well. I'll never know the experience, but the least I can do is not act out of touch about it." Verso says, leaning back and taking the final gulp of his water.
"That's… Very fair, actually. Sorry for passing judgement on you." You apologise sheepishly.

"You've been doing an awful lot of apologising since I started here." Verso's lips tugged into a small smirk.
"I have a bad habit of talking before thinking. Or in some cases, making facial expressions before thinking." Your index finger traces the print of the plasticky wooden grain print of the rickety fiberboard table.
"I don't blame you for passing judgement, nor am I offended. I know the sort of position I'm in." Verso reassures, but you still can't help but meet his gaze with a guilty feeling in your chest.
"…Yeah. I'm still sorry though." You mumble. On a typical day, you wouldn't find yourself profusely apologising to the son of a billionaire family, but knowing Verso's past and talking to him made things a little bit different. Ironically, it was your idea that you should both talk a little bit more.
"No more apologising for the night. I mean it. You didn't say anything wrong or offensive." Verso chides, and you nod.

…

"Where's your apartment? I'll drop you home." Verso offers as you slide back into his car for the third time today. You give him your address, which he quickly punches into the navigator. 16 minutes away.
You both sit in silence, the sound of various sonatas and classical music softly playing.
"This is a nice area." Verso compliments as he turns a corner onto your street.
"The area alone probably drove the value up way too much." You lightheartedly scoff.
"You did well though. This many trees are always good in the summertime. Areas with a reasonable amount of foilage are getting harder to find." Verso notes.
"Tell me about it. Every time a park gets demolished to make way for another cheaply made apartment complex, an angel loses its wings." You sigh.
"True - it's getting harder to find decent parks to walk my dogs in. I may need to walk Monoco and Noco around here one day. I think they'd love the amount of trees and flowers around here." Verso notes.
"Oh, that's right. You have two dogs." You tiredly smile, perking up at the mention of animals.
"Haha, I need to show you a picture of them from the other day." Verso pulls his phone out of the car console, unlocking his phone and swiping a little before turning his phone screen to you.

One larger dog - presumably Monoco, with wiry grey and white hair, sprawled out on his back with his tongue poking out the tiniest bit. The much smaller dog with more white fur - Noco, was in the exact same position, except his head was resting on his fathers stomach.
"That is so adorable!" You almost squeal, leaning in a little to look at the photo better.
"Haha, I know right? Look at Noco's tongue, just like his father's. Irish Wolfhounds." Verso chuckles, zooming in on the puppy's little pink tongue poking out in the exact same fashion.
"They're so precious. If you ever do walk them around here, you better bring them here so I can give them both pats!" You gush.
"They both love the attention, I probably wouldn't be able to pry them off of you." Verso laughs, and from the corner of your eye, you see it for the first time. He's smiling for the first time and it's actually reaching his eyes. This is the first time you haven't seen him have his guard up, or appear rehearsed in nature. You can't help but smile at the sight.
"You'd probably have to pry me off of them too. My apartment doesn't allow pets." You pout, gesturing to your building. You look back at him one more time, and realise just how close you're both still leaning in since looking at the photo of his dogs.

"Unlucky…" Verso trails off, but he doesn't lean back, despite a brief look in his eyes that hints he recognises the close proximity between you both. You both hold eye contact for what feels like a few seconds too long to be platonic in nature, and for a moment it feels like all the sound in the world was been dampened by a thick cotton blanket.
His gaze is so intense, you almost want to squirm in your seat. You can't help yourself but continue to stare, drinking in the way the soft glow of the moonlight and amber streetlamps cast a soft light against his sharp features. The glow of the lights appeared to cast a soft ring of light around his hair, casting the illusion of a nimbus. He looked… Angelic. And you're staring too much.
"Very unlucky…" You clear your throat, shrinking back to the centre of your seat. "I-I should probably head inside and get some rest now." You add, cursing yourself for stammering.
"Oh, yeah, of course. Thank you again for today. You did great." Verso compliments, and you nod.
"Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks for the ride and the food. Get home safe!" You smile, giving him a small wave as you shut the door. You turn your keys into your door, opening it as you give him a thumbs up. Verso gives you a thumbs up in return, and begins to turn out of driveway.

You drop your bag on our hallway table, kicking off your shoes as your hand gently presses against your hot, reddened cheeks.
"Merde." You whisper to yourself. This isn't good. Your heart shouldn't be racing this hard for your boss.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

FUCK!!! You almost splutter your drink right into Gale's face as you see him. It's him. No doubt it's him. It's Verso. Ordering a drink right next to the random man you were about to flirt with, and probably suck face with, while thinking about Verso. Well, that's not happening - not anymore.
"Oh? Sorry, was that…" Gale has a soft frown, concern written on his face.
"Y-Yep, uh, sorry, I didn't mean that kind of 'letting go'. That took me by surprise." You lie through your teeth as Gale gives you an apologetic look, and you shoot one back to him.
"Ah, it's ok, I was mistaken. Have a good night anyway. Sorry to hear about your fiancee." He softly smiles as he disappears into the crowd. Dammit. You quickly whip your neck back to shoot a look at Lune and Sciel, who are staring at you in shock, their mouths gaping open in sync.

"Sorry to hear about your ex-fiancee." Verso says apologetically, but there's a playful edge to his tone. You roll your eyes at him and chew off an olive on the toothpick.
"Don't have one." You mumble while chewing, giving him a look.
"Ah. Could've sworn you mentioned one when I was walking in here." Verso hums, taking a sip of his red wine.
"Hmm, maybe you overheard someone else's conversation you nosy bastard?" You side-eye him, slightly peeved that he just cock-blocked you.
"Maybe so." He says, staring down into his glass.
"Wait, why are you here? No offense because you're my boss and I don't want you to fire me for being rude; but why?" You ask, tilting your head to the side as you express your curiosity.
"I have a family event on later this evening and I feel like I need to get shitfaced on my own terms, before I show up to that excruciatingly poor excuse of a function. This bar is one of the only few that won't actively water down their drinks with giant ice cubes and soda water." Verso sighs, tilting his glass close to his lips.
"Oh, that's quite fair actually." You mumble, sipping on your drink.
"How come you're out tonight?" Verso leans in to ask, and you begin to hear your heartbeat pound in your ears.
"Erm, just needed something to do. Kill time." You lie pathetically. You need someone to do. You want to slam your head right into the brown lacquered counter here and now.

"I see… Well, since we're both just killing time getting plastered without a good reason, how about we bar hop to somewhere close-by after our drinks? If you want to." Verso says, sliding onto the bar stool next to yours. You silently look back at Lune and Sciel for a brief second - to which Verso doesn't even register their presence (or maybe he does, and he's pretending he hasn't seen them?). Their faces are wide-eyed with horror, and they're mouthing 'NO'. Although, you see Sciel for a split second pull a thumbs up and mouth a 'YES' before going right back to mimicking Lune's expression.

"Oh…" You trail off. One problem - only now if you mention to Verso that you went with Lune and Sciel to the bar, but they're not sitting next to you, and in fact sitting right behind you, it would look kind of strange. And he'd likely piece together that you are definitely here for a hookup with Lune and Sciel as the wing-women. Which would be even more mortifying.
"Yes, sure." You nod. You both down your drinks and get up, and you walk out, pretending to not notice Sciel and Lune collectively losing their minds.

"Do you think he overheard us earlier today!?" Lune gasps to Sciel, watching you walk out of the door with Verso.
"Chances are high. Holy shit. He just cock-blocked her from that guy. Right? I'm not crazy, he stopped her from going home with that guy… And now they're walking off somewhere. If she didn't see his interest before, she's definitely going to see it now." Sciel says with wide eyes.
"…I don't know if I should be scared or excited for her." Lune says in a hushed voice, despite her close friend and Verso already leaving the bar a few minutes ago.
"Both, I guess? She's into him, he seems into her. We can only hope this doesn't blow up in her face." Sciel responds with pursed lips.
"Sadly I'm almost certain it will, but he won't be the one who has to pay the price. It's really inappropriate and unprofessional, what he's doing." Lune frowns.
"Yeah… But also, they'd be two consenting adults right? We sound like two mother hens right now…" Sciel shakes her head with a tiny laugh, a small attempt at trying to reel Lune back from becoming too invested and protective over their close friend.
"Ugh, I don't know. Maybe we should follow them? Intervene to stop her from going past the point of no return with him? Or is that too nosey…" Lune takes a sip of her drink, analysing every possible outcome.
"Let's face it - whatever happens now, would probably happen in the future anyway. With or without our intervention, it's a choice she'll decide on her own." Sciel determines, and Lune nods.
"Absolutely." Lune agrees.
"Yep… Anyway let's go spy on them." Sciel determines with a small laugh, as Lune jumps up from her seat at the mention.

Going out for drinks one-on-one with your boss/the CEO of the company you work for. What could go wrong?
"I'm going to say something that you might think of as slightly creepy, but when we were chatting the other day I saw a few of your music playlists on your desktop, and I noticed a lot of them are jazz playlists. I happen to like jazz as well, so…" Verso points up ahead, and you spot a moody and dimly-lit building, bustling inside with laughter and a faint melody.

For someone like Verso, you have to admit that he's more considerate and perceptive than what you want to see him as. He's no longer as much of the stifled and robotic person you first met, and you're beginning to really appreciate his efforts to connect with yourself and the rest of the team. You can't really place a finger on when something shifted within him, but you're not complaining.
"Haha, you know, maybe a little nosy, but not creepy. Let's go." You smile slightly at him as you both enter the jazz club.

"I thought we said we weren't going to spy on them. You spent all that time in the bar trying to talk me out of it." Lune quirks a brow at Sciel, who is striding awkwardly as if she's sneaking around.
"Shhh! Come on, let's go sit and get another drink at this bistro, we can watch the window from this table, it's got a little bush here and it's not so bright, it's perfect for spying!" Sciel says, ushering Lune to the other side of the street.
"Does the voice of reason get drowned out when exciting things happen?" Lune asks, as they settle into their seats, peering into the dimly lit club from across the street.
"Shit, I can barely see them." Sciel huffs as she scans the QR code, ordering herself and Lune another round of drinks.
"They're sitting awfully close…" Lune remarks.
"Right? That is so not the way coworkers sit next to each other." Sciel says, suddenly pausing her commentary to rest her face into a slight pout as her phone scans her face ID.
"Oh my god, Sciel, Sciel, he just leaned over to whisper in her ear." Lune frantically taps Sciel's wrist, as Sciel whips her head upwards.
"What do you reckon?" Sciel asks Lune, as she watches Verso pull away as you laugh.
"I mean, they're sitting close but they're not touching or anything. But also isn't it kind of strange? He's our boss and if anything, they were at each others' throats for the first few weeks." Lune replies.
"Things change, maybe? You know, she's always been that kind of person. I thought she wouldn't even survive in a private business when we all started working together. She's always put in the effort to connect with others, even if they don't deserve it." Sciel comments.
"Did you notice how Verso's actually been outside of his office and talking to everyone? Shit, he even had a conversation with me in the break room earlier in the week. That didn't start until he began working with her. Kind of benefits everyone though, weirdly enough." Lune notes as their drinks are placed on the table.
"I reckon she probably verbally slapped him with a dose of reality that you can't just stay cooped up in an office and run every ship with the same corporate script." Sciel snorted.
"Sounds like her…" Lune says as they both take a sip of their drinks.

About an hour passes when Lune and Sciel spot you and Verso leaving the jazz club. The girls begin to scurry out of their seats and tail you carefully.

"That was really nice, I really enjoyed it." You smile.
"I'm glad. I haven't been to that jazz club in quite a while actually, was nice to go again." Verso smiles back.
"Mmm. Also, you said you have your family function later?" You mention, and Verso flicks his wrist to glance at his watch.
"Ahhh, shit. Yep. Was trying to delay it as long as possible. Want me to walk you home? I think it'll weigh on my conscience if I know you're a woman a few drinks in, walking alone at night." Verso offers.
"Oh, yeah, sure. I'm about a 20-minute walk from here actually. If it's not too much for you." You nod.
"Definitely not too much. The longer I don't have to show up to the family function, the better." Verso chuckles as you turn to begin leading the way.
"…You must be very avoidant of family functions and such." You observe.
"Hate them. They're uh, not enjoyable for a number of reasons." Verso slightly purses his lips.

"We differ in that way, I guess. I'd love to see my family right now. My parents live on the opposite end of the city so I barely see them right now. Family events are kind of hard to pull together, but at least my younger brother, Claude, visits me fairly often since he attends University somewhat close-by me." You explain.
"Oh, you have a younger brother?" Verso asks.
"Mmm. By four years. He can be such a little shit sometimes, but I love him." You chuckle.
"Ah, I think my older sister Clea probably has the same sentiment about me." Verso shoves his hands in his pockets.
"I think it's a bit of a universal older sister thing. One time Claude stole my favourite crop top and ripped a massive hole in it trying to squeeze it over his stupid big head because he wanted to dress up as Britney Spears. I hold it over his head almost daily." You snort.

"Haha, once I painted a massive wart on the face of one of my sister's self-portraits when she was in middle school. She threw her shoe at my head and it actually drew blood. Look - you can see a scar on my head." Verso recalls with a laugh, as you both slow your pace and he lowers his head, pointing at the little white scar on the side of his hairline.
"Bahaha, I can actually see it. What kind of shoe did she throw to do such a number on you?" You ask, internally noting the clean scent of his shampoo when he bent his head close to yours.
"Her heavy school loafers. Was basically like a rubber and leather brick to the head." Verso rubs his scar as if it still hurts today.

"Ouch. When I was ten, Claude snipped my hair in my sleep because I took the powers he wanted to have when we were pretend-playing. I had to rock a very short and unflattering bob for almost a year. I looked like a thumb from the back. Not really a physical wound, but definitely a psychological one at the time." You both laugh at the imagery of your botched haircut as you turned towards your street.
"I doubt you'd let him go unscathed though, knowing you." Verso chuckles.
"Hey - what's that supposed to mean!? I hate it when people assume shit about me and they're actually right. Yeah, after he did that I waxed his left eyebrow off with a wax strip. He was missing an eyebrow for almost 6 months." You state proudly.
"You were a menace!" Verso gasps.
"Like you didn't exact revenge yourself?" You raise a brow.

"…One time she was bullying me and Alicia into playing a game, except she kept changing the rules and winning. We baked dog food into a cupcake and she ate it. All of it." Verso confesses, and now it's your turn to gasp loudly.
"That is evil!!" You laugh, and he smiles softly, his face slowly morphing into something a little more sombre as he registers Alicia in his memory.
"Yeah, we thought it was worth it though." Verso smiles sadly.
"Ahhh, siblings. The best way to figure out how to exact legal petty revenge." You digress, noticing Verso become a little more rigid. "Anyway, thank you again for walking me home. I appreciate it. Stay out of mischief at your family function." You wave him goodbye, as you step through your front door.

'you guys can come out now lol. I've unlocked my front door' You text your group chat between you, Sciel, and Lune. You hear a knock you open it up, both women giving you a sheepish grin. You roll their eyes amusedly and let them in.
"Nothing happened, but I appreciate the stalking out of concern." You cross your arms.
"It looked like it was about to!" Sciel exclaims.
"…We just spent time together as coworkers. He just didn't want to attend his family function so early into the evening and he happened to be where we were." You bite your lip.
"Nuh-uh. We're almost positive he overheard us in the office today. We talked about wanting to get you a hookup. He probably intervened because he doesn't want you sleeping with anyone else." Lune says with conviction.
"Guys… That's our boss. If we replay this conversation in our heads, it sounds a bit ridiculous, right? There's no way…" You trail off, not thoroughly convinced yourself. A part of you deep down is kind of excited at the possibility of this reason, and it makes you question your integrity for a split second.

"Think about it… There is no way he flips so many companies to an immense profit without having some skill in scheming and manipulating. That surely extends to other skills outside of business." Lune determines.
"At the end of the day… We're just nosy. And honestly I'm kind of shocked nothing did happen between you two. As bad of an idea getting involved with your boss is, I would also be cheering on from across the street." Sciel shrugs, and you scoff playfully.
"No, I appreciate you both for looking out for me, but I'm seriously all good." You sigh.
"…Yeah. We're sorry. It was a bit invasive of us to follow you." Lune purses her lips, and you shake your head.
"I think I would've done the exact same in your position, I won't judge too much." You chuckle faintly.
"Phew! Well, get yourself some rest. We'll catch up at work." Sciel waves goodbye as Lune follows suit. You wave back as you shut the door, letting out a long, slow exhale.

If you didn't know they were following, you probably would've acted a hell of a lot more impulsively.

Chapter Text

'nooo idk what to get for sophie's housewarming :(' You type to your groupchat with Sciel and Lune.
'I've already gotten her a candle so don't you dare double up lol' Lune replies.
You're currently out shopping for your university friend Sophie's housewarming. Unfortunately, you have no idea what to get her and it seems like every other option is exhausted.
'i got her a throw blanket, big enough for her and Gustave to use at the same time' Sciel replies.
'ugh i don't want to be a cop out and buy them a nice bottle of wine, but i think i have to' you type, pivoting around a couple behind you in thegift store.
'Wine is always a safe bet' Lune texts back. You sigh, ambling around the store as you snicker to yourself at the sight of the gag gift area. You open your camera and sneakily take a photo of the sex positions coffee table book, hitting the send button as you lower your phone.

'I don't know if that's a reply I should entertain' The text reads back. Huh?
You open your message and a different chat pops up - it's Verso asking if you remember what the band that played the first song at the jazz club was the other night.
You feel your stomach drop rapidly, your skin suddenly forming gooseflesh as if someone dumped a bucket of freezing cold water on you. You quickly try to unsend the image, but the recall feature isn't available anymore.
'jesus i am so sorry. that was meant for friends, i didn't realise my messages switched to your chat. just ignore that. I think the band was called Expeditioner but i might be wrong' Your fingers move faster than ever before.
'Thanks - just wanted to find that song they played. No harm done.'
'definitely harm to my reputation' You reply.
'Don't worry about it. I found it funny.'
'ok good lol… sorry again. also i wasn't really able to talk about it as much as i wanted to since we both had to go, but thank you for sharing that story about you and your family. i can't imagine it's exactly easy to talk about'
'Thanks. I appreciate you for listening. It felt kind of nice to talk about my siblings without feeling like there's a stormcloud over my head.'
'i'm happy to listen. it was nice to learn more about you. see you at work tomorrow :)'
'See you tomorrow. Stay out of trouble lol' He replies. It's probably one of the most casual sentences he's typed to you, ever.

You decided to just buy a bottle of wine that day.

Sitting at your desk, you absentmindedly roll your chair wheels side to side as you type away at your document. You momentarily pause, the memory of Friday night replaying in your head. How good Verso looked. You also found it very perceptive and considerate that he noticed your love for jazz, and took you to that jazz club. And lastly, you noted how easy it was to bond and talk about your family life with each other. You bite the tip of your pen as you contemplate your feelings - how much is too much overstepping when it comes to seeing others outside of work? After all, you, Sciel, and Lune hang out together after work all the time. Although it's not strange, since you were all friends since university. Is there a true difference if it's you and your boss spending time together outside of the workplace? Is it really all that bad to be close to your boss? How bad could it be to start an office romance with your boss…? You fight the urge to search up 'what happens if i date my boss' in your phone's browser and drag your focus back to the document.

"Hey, have you seen the rest of the archives from 2019? I was asked to go look for the box for the last quarter, but I can't seem to find it." Minh asks you, snapping you out of your reverie. You settle your 'I HATE MONDAYS' mug down on your desk as you look up to respond to him.
"Ah, shit. I remember we did that massive storage overhaul and I think a few things got scattered. To be honest, that was my responsibility from a long time ago and I neglected it." You swivel away from your laptop screen.
"Yeah, sorry, I can bring out the stepladder if you need to use the storage room." Minh offers.
"No, no. It's okay, it's not heavy. I need to go put it back where it belongs, like I should've done so a year ago." You reassure him.

The supply closet can be a bit of walk, so whenever you lug something like the stepladder across the office, it's a bit of a spectacle.
"Am I getting unfit? I swear it was lighter last year…" You whisper to yourself as you drag the clunky bastard of an item towards the storage room containing the archived files. Holding the door open with the back of your body, you carefully shuffle the stepladder in first before closing the door behind you. You feel a thin sheet of sweat threatening to surface on your forehead, which you quickly wipe away with the back of your hand. Flicking the light on, you groan. You really wish you just organised your bit when you were meant to. Cursing at your past self, you lug the stepladder a little further, beginning to scan each and every single box and binder folder lining the shelf. In the midst of your search, you hear the door open.

"Ah, sorry - I shouldn't be too much longer, I think I've found what I need… Maybe." You call out, not bothering to look at whoever just entered.
"I saw you lugging the stepladder across the office like it was an overpacked suitcase on your way back from a holiday. I figured I'd help out." You know that voice. You know it well now.
"Shh, I'm not getting weak. This stepladder just gained weight since the last time I used it." You joke, rummaging through the boxes as the metal stepladder started to creak under your shuffling.
"Which box are you looking for?" Verso asks.
"Archives from Q4, 2019. Unfortunately when we did our last storage overhaul, it was nearly Christmas and I wanted to just go home, so I threw all the boxes wherever they'd fit, and now I'm really regretting that." You sigh, shoving the incorrect box aside.
"Are you searching from left to right?" Verso asks.
"Yeah, I am, haven't started on that end." You point to the other storage case behind you.
"So, anyway. About the graduate program…" Your footwork is clumsy, as you continue to absentmindedly talk about the ongoing project. Verso pauses, before squeezing in on the other side, beginning to rifle through the binders and boxes. The creaking is becoming louder as you continue to talk, seemingly unaware of how unstable the stepladder is sounding.
"Oh! Wait, could this be it?" You gasp, stretching your arm out as you suddenly feel the harsh sound of the metal snapping from under your foot. You yelp as you try to grab onto something, but it's happening too fast and you don't want to pull the whole bookcase onto you and your boss.
"Putain!" Verso exclaims, his hands wrapping around your waist as you ungraciously tumble onto him, your body leaning right up against his as he steadies you both. You look down, to see one foot still on the stepladder, the other on the ground.

"This cannot keep happening, I am so sorry." You groan in self-frustration as you crane your neck upwards. Verso doesn't look mad, he just looks… A little bit amused.
"I might have to start charging for emergency rescue services when you're around." He teases, and you crack a small smile at him.
The tension in the small, dimly lit storage room is so palpable you can it with a knife right now. Only yours and Verso's breathing fill the silence.
"Can I ask you something?" You ask, turning around to look at him, trying to ignore his warm hand settled loosely on the small of your back.
"Go ahead." He obliges.
"Did you overhear Lune and Sciel talk about going out on the weekend with me? Be honest." You instruct him, your eyes locked onto his pale blue ones.
"…Yes. And I went there on purpose." He breathes out his confession, his hand slightly retreating from your back.
"Can I ask why?" You take a small step forward, closing the space he was hesitant to make.

"Do you still expect honesty from me? Or am I allowed to lie?" Verso whispers.
"No lying, please." You whisper back.
"I just can't stand the thought of you being with someone else. I overheard an opportunity to stop that from happening and… I became impulsive." Verso explains.
"Impulsive? I mean, we were just hanging out, you're talking about it like we've done something wrong." You speak quietly. Deep down, everything you're saying - it's all wrong. You know exactly what would've happened if you didn't show restraint. If there wasn't anybody around.

"It's wrong because I have the wrong intentions." Verso steps forward, the both of you now standing upright between the bookcases, centimetres away from each other. "From the moment I met you in the elevator, since we started working together, you've been on my mind - even in my dreams. It won't stop. I can't keep acting as if I don't desire you. There's only so much restraint that I have as a man." Verso whispers - his tone mixed with yearning and anguish.
"I…" You trail off, as Verso leans in, his hips hovering against yours. You feel every nerve ignite as if struck by a flicker of lightning, as his thumb rubs a small circle on your lower back. You both deeply exhale against each others lips, both unsure of whether to close the gap or not. There are invisible strings that are about to break between the both of you, however you're both holding on to that last ounce of restraint.

"Please… Tell me no. Tell me to leave. Otherwise I don't know much more control I can exercise over myself." Verso whispers, his breathing becoming even more ragged. Just as you decide to inch forward, you hear footsteps coming, and you practically jump out of your skin as you swipe the correct box into your arms, taking a large step back as you hold your breath, waiting for the footsteps to subside.
Your gaze settles on Verso, who is now looking at you with an expression you can't quite decipher. Yearning? No… Anger? Not that either… Whatever it is, you can't afford to stick around to find out, no matter how badly you want to.

You return to your desk, your face still burning. Obviously, a part of you was feeling giddy at the revelation that you were not crazy at all, and in fact, Verso really is interested in you. The other part of you is screaming and clawing at the walls of your brain, telling you that you need to behave rationally. You've still got at least one and a half more months left on the project, if you can just wait it out, it means you won't be around each other as much and your stupid little office crush can fade…
Eyes flicking towards your laptop, you note it's almost time to head home. Yet your body feels like it's a heavy paperweight, and you can't seem to bring yourself to stand up and begin packing. Maybe some overtime is best so you can lose yourself in your work. Yeah… Definitely just trying to lose yourself in work. Definitely not trying to hang back to see if you can talk to Verso in private to address what happened in the storage room.

"You're not leaving yet?" Lune asks, leaning over your desk.
"I can't, I've gotta hand this report in since it's due tomorrow morning." You sigh. She looks at you apologetically, clapping her hand on your shoulder as she walks off. But what you didn't tell Lune is that you plan to cut the last threads of restraint tonight - damn all the professionalism and rules, you can't help the chemistry between you and your boss.

The office dims - you occasionally crane your neck to look behind at Verso's office door every now and then, but as to be expected he never comes out. And that's when you hear it. The intercom buzzing, and you see a figure of an unfamiliar woman standing behind the glass door. Before you rise up, you hear Verso's office door open. He strides past you immediately, not even giving you a single glance. He opens the door, and the first thing you hear from his lips is…

"You shouldn't be here."

Chapter Text

"Why not?" The woman's voice responds, and it's a tone rooted in pleading and despair. You stare at Verso and the woman at the door, trying to get a better look from your seat.
"You know why. It's even worse that you've come to my workplace." Verso groans, and you see him pinch his nose bridge.
"I tried to go to your apartment, only to find out it was sold. I saw an article about you becoming a stand-in CEO of this new company, it was my only shot. Verso… Please." The woman sounds like she's on the verge of tears.
"Julie, I moved for a reason. This is borderline stalking. You can't leave my life without saying a word and then try to re-enter like you never disappeared." Verso speaks the last sentence in a tone that carries a lot of hurt.
"Come on, come on please Verso… I know I left back then, but I had to go to art school and I-" Julie begins.
"And you slept with someone else on New Years, only days after my sister died? When I was disfigured and bedridden?" Verso snaps.
"It was like I lost you that day too! I didn't know what to do!" Julie sobs, and Verso's shoulders slouch a little.
"You could've done a million things, but you chose to do that." Verso exhales as Julie sobs harder.
"You know I never stopped loving you, right? I went to therapy, I cut him off, I've put in the work to change." Julie sniffles.
"I'm glad you've put in the work, but it doesn't mean I can pretend nothing happened." Verso sighs.

At this point, sitting at your desk watching both of them argue feels like a perverse act of voyeurism. Knowing this much, seeing two former flames trying to burn each other once again, it made you feel a little bit sick. You begin to quietly pack your bags, eyeing the woman. Bright eyes, long flowing light brown hair. She's pretty.
You feel a disgusting pang of jealousy and self-hatred rise from your chest to your throat; it's like a dark oil spill that won't stop seeping into every capillary in your body. You clench and unclench your fists to steady your trembling hands, as you take a deep breath. Instead of trying to sneak past, you roll your shoulders back and try to walk past as casually as possible.
"Sorry, I just wanna give you both some privacy. Goodnight." You announce as you walk up to them. Verso turns around to look at you with a look that blends guilt and concern together. You stare at him momentarily before your eyes lock onto the elevator doors, and you don't look back as you step in. It's too much.

"…Who was that?" Julie asks.
"One of my coworkers who was staying back late to finish some paperwork." Verso crosses his arms.
"Bullshit, I saw the way you looked at her." Julie scoffs, still sniffling.
"Stop it. Don't bring an innocent employee into this mess." Verso narrows his eyes.
"I'm not stupid, Verso, I have eyes." Julie raises her voice.
"Don't. We've been done for years now and I want nothing to do with you. Stay out of my life." Verso says, punching in the security code and locking up.
"…You said you'd take me back." Julie says in a defeated tone as Verso opens the door to the fire escape stairs.
"That was when I felt hopeless and didn't have my shit together. Don't hold something over my head that I said when I was in a vulnerable place." Verso's footsteps echo as Julie trails behind him.
"You really don't think we could work this time? You really won't take me back?" Julie pleads.
"Of course not, now please fuck off and stop following me. If you follow me into the parking garage I'm going to call security."

***

 

You're not the sort of person to indulge in past bad habits, but tonight is an exception. It's just to stop that disgusting feeling in your throat. Two shots and a glass of wine in on an empty stomach, and you're staring at the little cardboard packet on the table. You sigh, giving in to the promise of easing your emotions. You hold your cigarette to the tealight as it lights up, and you take a long drag. Slouching into your seat, you exhale as the pungent smoke expels from your mouth. Even if there was bad blood between Verso and the woman named Julie, it made you sick to your stomach to see that beneath all that arguing, there was some care for her. Jealousy and insecurity often come as a package deal, and they like to drag that ugly skeleton of self-hatred back out into the open. It's too much.
You down the last of your wine, waiting for the next glass that you ordered. You can't explain why, but you need this. You just need to ruin it for yourself. Lick your wounds the next day. Rinse and repeat. You tuck the cigarette between your lips again, pulling out your phone and opening your social media. You stare at the keyboard, debating on whether to type her name in to stalk…

"I didn't know you smoke." Verso's voice. You turn around; if you weren't halfway into getting plastered, your eyes would be wide and panicked right now. Instead, they're half lidded and a little glazed over.
"Bad habit I kicked ages ago. I shouldn't be." You mutter, the cigarette still in your mouth as you quickly lock your screen and shove your phone in your pocket. Wordlessly, Verso walks a little closer, gingerly sticking his hand out to pluck your cigarette out of your mouth. You don't stop him as he pinches the cigarette between his fingers, his thumb grazing across your bottom lip ever so slightly as he does so. You look up at him with glassy, tired eyes as he drops the cigarette butt to the ground and smothers it under his shoe.
"Then don't." Verso replies in a soft tone, sitting down in the opposite facing chair at your table.
"Sorry for overhearing too much." You apologise as the waiter sets down your new full glass of wine. You grab for it and take a huge gulp.
"Not your fault." Verso reassures as you set your glass down.
"…Why are you here?" You ask, avoiding his gaze.
"I was looking for you."
"No you weren't."
"How do you know?"
"I just know." You state defiantly, taking several swallows of your wine until the glass was just under half full.
"Whatever you saw, Julie and I have been done for years."
"It's okay, it's not my business." You purse your lips, downing the remaining half of your wine in one go. Verso gives you a look that says 'you're probably going to regret that in about half an hour' but you ignore it.
"I tried to kiss you earlier today, so yeah, it kind of would be your business to know where I stand." Verso says, pouring water from the carafe into a glass, pushing it towards you.
"No you didn't. Don't say that. We're coworkers. Nothing happened between us, the storage room is just really small." You mutter, crossing your arms and looking away.

"Is that really how you feel?" Verso asks gently, his voice slightly laced with hurt.
"It's how I have to feel. I don't have my parents money to fall back on, I don't have a trust fund. I can't get involved with you like this. It'll only end bad for me." You sigh, your head dropping forwards and onto your crossed arms that are leaning on the table.
"I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Verso states with conviction, but you're not buying it.
"I don't want to find out what could happen to me." You sigh, your head dropping again as your forehead presses against the cold metal table, the filigree detailing likely making an imprint on the bullseye of your forehead. You're starting to feel icky.
"Stay awake, you it's not safe to be out here alone like this." Verso shakes your arm gently as you slightly lift your head.
"…Bleh bleh bleh." You mock him with an incredibly drunken speech pattern.
"I'm going to take you home, okay? Duty of care. No funny business, I promise." Verso says to you as you tiredly blink at him.
"No funny business. I carry pepper spray." You narrow your eyes at him.

You don't remember getting into Verso's car nor do you recall the many minutes it took for you to arrive at your front door. But you're here. And you didn't piss yourself or throw up in his car either, so bonus points for that.
"Can you make it inside on your own?" Verso asks as he kills the engine.
"Yeah of course." You reply, blinking slowly and shoving his car door open. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you jump off your seat and land on the ground, the earth feeling wobbly and uneven to you. You take a few steps forward, getting close to your front door.
BLECH!
Aw fuck. That's your favourite flower pot with the honeysuckle that should be blooming any day now.
"Don't. Say. Anything." You heave, Verso's passenger door remaining open as your hands rest on your knees, your head falling forward as you gather your breath. You hear him exit his seat and shut both car doors. Verso wordlessly appears by your side, placing his hand on your upper back as he rubs and pats your back soothingly as you stare at him.
"What? I didn't say anything." Verso shrugs.
"Okay, well, you just diiii-" BLECH.
"I'll help you get inside and make sure you're sleeping on your side so that you don't choke to death on your own vomit. No funny business." He reassures you as you nod, staring at your poor flower pot. You reach for your keys, fumbling with them for almost a minute as you finally jam the correct key into your door, turning it and stumbling in.

You're on your bed, laying on your side as the room is still spinning. You watch Verso place a big glass of water, an electrolyte tablet, and two painkillers on your bedside table.
"…Thank you." You mumble.
"Why did you drink so much? Why did you get the urge to smoke?" Verso asks, placing an empty plastic bag next to your hand.
"Don't ask stuff you already know the answer to. You just want to hear it. And I'm not gonna say it. I refuse to speak it into reality." You clutch onto the plastic bag with a small sigh.
"Okay. You caught me." Verso shakes his head with a small chuckle.
"I think I was being a bit unprofessional for trying to get to know you, considering you're my boss..." You murmur, as Verso cautiously reaches out to stroke your hair to soothe you.
"You think?" He lets out a small laugh as his fingers weave through the strands of your hair. Instinctively, like a cat starved of affection, you lean into his touch. His hand freezes and you stare upwards at him with tired doe eyes.

"…I'll let you be now. I'll lock up for you and leave." Verso whispers, reluctantly withdrawing his hand.
"You won't stay?" You pout a little.
"I shouldn't." Verso stands up from your bed.
"Yeah… You shouldn't…" You agree, but your drunken self is bad at hiding your disappointment.
"We agreed no funny business. Also, you're wasted." Verso points out, and you nod.
"Yeah… My flower pot…" You mumble sadly, which he stifles a laugh at.
"Get some rest. See you on Monday." Verso smiles.
"…You're pretty when you smile." You blink.
"I'm aware." He smirks, his chest puffing as he folds his arms momentarily. That mannerism… You've never seen it before. You wonder if that humour and charm was what Verso was like before the fire and Alicia's death.
"Goodnight." Verso whispers.
"Goodnight Verso." You mumble back, hearing him descend your stairs and press the lock before shutting your front door.

You wake up the next morning, blinking tiredly as your head angrily throbs at you. Your throat feels disgusting and your eyes feel like someone has thrown coarse grains of sand into them. The memories of last night hit you like a truck - your drinking, smoking, and Verso getting you home. Aw fuck, and the memory of you throwing up in your favourite flower pot.
"Merde… I'm a fucking trainwreck." You groan.

The stream of hot water blasts against your body as you sigh. How much longer could you stay reasonable? How much longer can you hold on to your last shred of reason? Probably not a lot. You have no idea how you're meant to face Verso now.

Chapter Text

You're dreading dragging yourself out the door for work this morning. But also you have too much work to catch up on, and there will never enough annual leave in the world to continue avoiding Verso forever. Better to just get it over with on day one.
The late spring air is becoming balmy now, your hair threatening to cling onto the back of your neck as sweat begins to bead on your neck as you hurriedly stride towards the office building. The last time you were here, his ex-girlfriend, Julie was here… You shove the thought away, vowing to yourself to ignore it. Ignore the whole situation. Ignore your feelings. It'll all fade eventually.

The elevator door closes on you as you stare at your fuzzy and distorted reflection in the brushed metal surface. When did your opinion of Verso exactly change? At the beginning, you hated the way he was the total opposite of Maria - your first kind and caring boss who made you feel like working for a private company or business was actually doable. Your view of Verso was that he was rigid, repressed, and only sees employees as pawns on a chessboard. Yet for some reason, you felt drawn to him. And lo and behold, as you began to speak with him more, most of your assumptions about Verso were proven to be false. While the man is definitely repressed, you've seen a cheeky and playful side to him - he's the furthest thing from a robot. You now know that he's very considerate of others, and a part of you wants to believe that he's especially considerate towards you. And despite the messy encounter the other night, he helped you get home safe without an ounce of judgment or disdain.

Maybe it's better to stop lying to yourself under the guise that you just want another boss who shows genuine care and interest in their employees… You've been trying to get to know him better because you've been deeply attracted to him this whole time. And above all… You've fallen for him. And you can't bear the thought of seeing him with someone else.

'Looked at your final draft, most things are in order but we just need to merge some topics to keep everything consistent.' (Verso Dessendre | 3:09pm.)
'Okay sounds good' (3:13pm.)
{Verso Dessendre has sent you a meeting invite: 'Final Draft Review' 3:30pm - 4:30pm}

You briefly chew on your bottom lip anxiously. You were prepared to have a quick exchange walking in the hallway or a short talk in the elevator. Not a whole face-to-face catch-up in his enclosed office, dammit.
You sigh inwardly, scooping your laptop in the crook of your elbow as you walk towards Verso's office. You knock and enter as Verso looks up from his monitor, his gaze as intense as ever.
"Wanted to go over the final draft of the proposal and framework?" You ask awkwardly, and he nods. Taking a seat, you open your laptop once more, clicking away to find the relevant files.
"Feeling better from Friday?" Verso asks.
"Ugh, don't remind me. Only just recovered" You shake your head with a small laugh, trying to play everything off. Furrowing your brows in confusion, your laptop begins to stutter and refuses to open your files.
"Something the matter?" Verso asks as you look up from your screen.
"Hmm, yeah, laptop is stuttering. Just needs a minute." You sigh as it finally loads. You begin to comb over the first few pages with Verso, your nerves settling as you use work as a social shield to not talk about what happened over the weekend, or about that moment where you practically invited him into your bed. Your mind begins to replay that moment in your bedroom with him, and the smirk he gave you. It was like seeing a flicker of an entirely unrestrained and charming version of him, the image of the look he gave you almost feels as if it's burnt into your retinas by now.

"...Yup, oh and also that term. Wait, is it in a smaller font? I can't really see." Verso leans over a little more to look at your screen, his hand gently grazing over yours as he tilts your laptop screen to get a better look. The sensation jolts you out of your thoughts and you stare at him with widened eyes.
"O-Oh. I think I accidentally hit a weird formatting setting, sorry." You apologise, your breath hitching in your throat as you stare into his pale blue eyes, your gaze travels down to his lips before snapping up to his eyes again. Merde - you need to get laid before you become any more obvious around him.
"You're staring." Verso comments quietly and you blink a few times; you have indeed been staring at him this entire time. Fucking hell.
"Thought I saw a mosquito landing on your face." You pathetically lie.
"Right." Verso pauses. "Hang on, there is actually something on your face though." Verso adds, standing up and leaning over his desk. He wipes from the corner to the centre of your bottom lip with his thumb. Slowly. Achingly. Your legs tense together as a response to the mix of shock and arousal you're feeling from his actions. He pulls away to sit down, locking eyes with you. You stare at him, your mouth agape at his actions. You haven't drank or eaten anything in the last few hours apart from water - there is certainly nothing on your face.

"Verso…" You whisper, knees subtly rubbing together as if the minuscule amount of friction is going to provide you with some relief. It doesn't.
"What is it?" He leans back into his seat, continuing to tap away on his computer like that action wasn't full of romantically charged tension.
"Don't tease me like that." You shoot him a look - it's meant to be a look of warning, but you're almost certain your expression conveys more desperation and lust than anything else.
"Wasn't teasing, you just had something on your face." Verso says, still tapping away. His feigned obliviousness after blatantly teasing you was beginning to drive you nuts. As if your body has a mind of its own, you get up from your chair, and you hear his tapping slow down. Within a few strides, you're standing over him whilst he stays seated in his chair. Verso swivels his chair to face you as you step forward once more, standing in between his legs. Neither of you say anything for a moment - the hum of your computers and the loudly ticking clock on the wall filling in the gaps of silence. It feels like your mind is telling you to go and sit back down, but your body won't listen.
"Yes?" Verso asks, stretching and crossing his arms behind his head as he eyes you. You watch as his arms flex and his chest rises a little, and you subconsciously lick your lips.

You bend down at your hips, the palms of your hands settling on the top of Verso's knees as you lean in, your faces inches away from each other.
"Nothing. I just want to kiss you." You confess, your eyes travel from his lips to his eyes.
"Why don't you then?" Verso leans forward a little more, your lips dangerously close to each others.
"Because it's a bad idea…" You exhale loudly, eyes half-lidded.
"A very bad idea." Verso affirms, but neither of you pull away. Your eyes flicker up and you notice Verso has crossed his arms behind himself, not just as a display, but because he's restraining himself.
"Oh… You're refusing to make the first move." You pout, your breathing becoming more uneven.
"I'm giving you control over the situation." Verso breathes, looking up with pupils blown out at the sight of you leaning over him, staring at him with such a lecherous expression.
"You're giving me too much power, that's what you're doing." You whisper, your lips now hovering over each other. Just like how it was a few days ago in the storage room.
"I'd give you whatever you want." Verso whispers back. Something about the carnal desperation laced in his words feels like a lightning strike through your body. You can't control it anymore. You want him, just as badly as he wants you.

"Fuck it." You whisper as you lean in, your lips crashing down on his as Verso steadies you at the waist with both his hands. Despite the passion and tension, the initial kiss was sweet and gentle. You both break away for a moment, as Verso cups the side of your face with one hand, pulling you in for another kiss.
The second kiss is more fervent, with an ignited passion and intensity behind it. Staying in the bent position had your knees starting to feel like jelly as your tongues brushed against each other, your body almost teetering as you tasted the coffee and mint on his tongue.

As if Verso had some kind of sixth sense that your knees were about to give way, he broke the kiss momentarily to raise himself from his chair, standing up and placing his hands on your hips as he guides you to perch on the edge of his desk. You gasp softly as he plants a hot, wet, open-mouthed, kiss on the column of your throat.
"F-Fuck…" You whisper as your hands thread through his black and white strands.
"I've wanted to do this for weeks now…" Verso whispers against the skin of your neck, his hands gently circling the side of your hips. Your cheeks are tinted pink as you stare into his intense icy blue eyes.
"Fool." You playfully grumble, before pulling him into another kiss. You feel his leg wedge between your thighs as your hips instinctively draw closer, the most sensitive bundle of nerves seeking pressure against his thigh as you exhale softly.
"You know I won't be able to stop myself if you keep this up, right?" Verso smirks against your neck as his kisses travel lower, his fingers nimbly undoing a button on your blouse to kiss more exposed skin, inching lower to your chest.
"I don't want you to stop anyway." You whisper, legs subconsciously parting further as you melt into his touch.
"Good. Let me take care of you." Verso murmurs as you feel his fingertips ghost over the top of your thighs from underneath your skirt.
"Fuck, Verso…" You whisper his name as his silky black waves tickle your jawline.
"I've wanted to hear you say my name like that for so long..." He whispers as his lips travel even lower, merely millimetres away from the top of your bra.

Before you can take another breath, his phone rings loudly, and you both jolt upright. For a split second you both look at each other before clearing your throats, as if the phone itself has eyes and it caught you both in the act.

Verso picks up the phone, running a hand through his hair. You hurriedly fix your buttons and smooth down your hair as you hop off his desk.
"…Okay, yep. No worries. It can be left with the front desk administration, they can sign it off. Sure. Thanks. Bye." Verso ends the call as you reach for your laptop. Catching your breath, you stare at each other once more, chests both rising and falling in sync with the rhythm of the ticking clock. You've just gone past the point of no return. You awkwardly clear your throat again, before bidding him goodbye as if nothing happened. However the look you exchange each other before you shut the door says otherwise.

'I'm hoping you don't regret what happened between us today' your phone lit up with a number you haven't saved. Unlocking it, you review the previous conversation and realise it's Verso's number. You quickly add his contact before replying.
'I don't. also, I feel like you're letting your real personality out of the basement though lol'
'That's what happens when you like someone who can be so violently unserious that it becomes contagious' Verso replies almost instantly. You send him an image of a hamster doing a peace sign in response. Verso sends an edited image of a cat making a funny face, and you stifle a laugh. Strangely enough, it never crossed your mind that Verso would look at memes or funny animal pictures, let alone use them in text conversation. It's quite endearing to think about.

"What has you giggling at your phone so much? It's a man, isn't it." Claude calls you out and you instantly relax your face, trying to play it cool. While you love your little brother, there is just no way you're going to tell him that you had a downright hot and filthy moment with your boss in his office today.
"No. It's just my group chat with Lune and Sciel." You respond smoothly. Claude gives you a look that says doesn't fully buy that excuse - and you know it, but he doesn't press the matter further out of courtesy.
"Hmmm, mmkay. Well anyway, look at this vintage leather bag I'm bidding on." Claude flashes his phone screen at you as you begin to discuss fashion and how horribly constructed most bags are these days. Your phone continues to go off in your pocket. Later once Claude left for his dorm, you saw the message Verso left.


'By the way… I don't want you to feel like you're being used, because I'm serious about you. If you feel the same way, how about I take you out on a date soon?'

Chapter Text

An evening date; Verso told you to wear something nice, and that's all the hints you got from him. You raid your wardrobe, settling for a sleek black halterneck dress, and black strappy heels you could confidently walk in. You kept your hair up and out of the way in a messy updo, and did your usual natural makeup. You smoothed your dress down in the mirror, pleased with your work. Grabbing your purse, you walked out of the door, the balmy and humid summer air hitting your exposed back.

Walking towards your meeting spot at the large fountain, you could see Verso was lost in thought tapping away on his phone. Approaching him, you stop about a foot away and lean down until your face was almost in-line with his phone.
"Heya. Hopefully I'm not late?" You ask.
"Hello. No, actually I just got here too." Verso says, looking up and his mouth gapes open for a moment.
"Haha, you all good there?" You smile, enjoying his reaction as you sit next to him on the bench, crossing your legs towards him.
"Yeah. Perfect, actually. You look incredible." He compliments you with a warm smile. Your eyes roam over his outfit choice - a black button down rolled to his elbows, black trousers, and black boots. The all black is simple, yet it works so well on him. Probably because he seems to fill out the clothes in all the right places. Funnily enough - you note that you're technically both matching, since you both opted to wear all-black outfits.
"You're looking pretty incredible yourself actually." You nudge his arm playfully.
"Hah, thanks. Alright, we'll go to our first stop." Verso smiles again, and it feels like something warm blooms in your chest.
"Multiple stops?" You raise your brows in surprise as Verso gets up, extending his hand to you.
"Yep. We'll eat first." He says as you take his hand to stand. You expect him to let go, but he doesn't. And you don't mind. You walk hand-in-hand to the restaurant.

…

Verso took you to two spots - an upscale bistro (which he refused to let you pay even part of, no matter how much you tried to insist) followed by a visit to the theatre. The entire date was incredibly thoughtful, and was tailored perfectly to both of your common interests. Admittedly, you've never had a date go this well before in your entire life. You both step out of the theatre, still buzzing from the impeccable performance.

"How on earth did you get tickets to The Phantom of the Opera on such short notice, and in such a good spot? I swear weekends are always sold out a month in advance." You ask Verso, who is holding onto your hand and absentmindedly rubbing little circles into your hand with his thumb.
"My parents have on-demand access to the balconette seating, since they're so involved with funding the various artistic pursuits in Paris. One of the few perks being my parents child." Verso explains with a small chuckle.
"Ahh, I see. I might have to see if I can use you for that again if I want to watch another musical or play in the future." You tease.
"Use me all you want, I don't mind." Verso says flippantly, and you almost choke on air over his wording.
"Sorry. I'm immature sometimes." You apologise awkwardly with a cough.
"Oh no, I mean that in every sense." Verso replies, and you begin to feel your cheeks heat up.
"S-Stop saying such things to get a reaction out of me!" The tips of your ears feel prickly with heat as you playfully thwack him on the arm. "Anyway, you've taken me to two spots. If you don't have a third, then I can think of a place. My contribution to the evening." You add with a small smile.
"Sure. What do you have in mind?" Verso asks.
"Hmm. Wanna go to Bois de Boulogne? The lake there is pretty at night." You suggest.
"Sounds good, I haven't been there in a little while." Verso nods with a small smile.

After a short metro ride, you both arrive at one of the 'green lungs' of Paris - Bois de Boulogne.
"Bit touristy and busy in these parts, but there's a nicer, quieter spot down there." You point to the smaller track that leads to a small pond and a weeping willow tree which is so old that the leaves practically provide a full curtain made of foilage.
You both make your way sit under the tree, looking at the still pond that reflects the moonlight and streetlamps. You both sit in comfortable silence, as you lean your head on Verso's shoulder. Gingerly, as if to silently confirm your boundaries, Verso's hand settles on the middle of your back, right where the backless feature ends and your dress starts again. You feel his thumb lightly skim against your exposed back, and you try to suppress the shiver his touch gives you.

"It can be pretty busy in the city. If not for Monoco and Noco, I'd barely get out in nature. Actually, I used to play with Clea and Alicia around these trees when we were a lot younger." Verso comments, and you give him an apologetic look. You intended for things to be relaxing, not a reminder of his deceased little sister.
"Oh, god, sorry. I didn't realise…" You trail off, and Verso shakes his head, pulling you a little closer as if to wordlessly reassure you.
"No, don't be. They're good memories. Apart from when Clea and Alicia pushed me into the lake because I kept beating them in a game of chasey." Verso chuckles.
"Jesus - you weren't playing fair?" You joke with a small smile.
"I was. They just didn't like that I've always been the fastest." Verso says with a tiny smug grin on his face as you let out a short laugh.

"…Oh, wait, so your family live in this area?" You add, and Verso nods.
"The family manor is a twenty minute walk from here. Actually, there's an adjacent cottage we use as a studio which is about ten minutes away out of here. I don't use it all that often since I don't paint nearly as much as I used to." Verso says, reaching out to fiddle with a limp willow branch.
"Woah - so your family still owns and uses it? You have many of your paintings inside?" You ask, eyes shining with curiousity.
"Yeah. Actually, I could show you, if you'd like?" Verso asks.
"Of course! Well, as long as it's not too much trouble." You reply.

You both walk towards a bungalow cottage, covered with crawling ivy and framed with lavender bushes. Verso pulls his keys from his pocket, fiddling in the dimly lit moonlight for a specific key for the gate. As he opens it, you take in the surrounds. A small lawn full of long grass and native flora. Along with with the lavender, you notice the red roses and white chrysanthemums that framed the cottage closer to its entrance.
"Pretty flowers." You comment, quietly inhaling the sweet scent.
"Maman and papa aren't often here, but they do love to garden. They planted those and they still come by every now and then to tend to them so it's not all left up to the gardeners." Verso explains as he opens the door to the cottage, flicking the light on.
The cottage itself is beautiful and eclectic - you notice a general theme of dark, warm toned woods and gold accents. Despite the regal appearance, it seems the family enjoy decorating with plenty of colour, as you note the collection of mismatched colourful patterned tiles that adorn the backsplash of the kitchen area. The rest of the walls were almost entirely covered by paintings. Some of the paintings depicted a scenery, others depicted little creatures or they were portraits of the family members.

Your eyes flicker to a solo portrait, a girl who looks about 14 or so, with bright ginger hair and pale blue eyes the same shade as Verso's. That must be Alicia. Your gaze quickly shoots back to a series of creatures hung on the wall.
"Woah. Who painted these?" You ask, walking closer to the wall. The creatures almost seemed alive.
"Mostly me. A few were Clea's." Verso explains, walking over to stand next to you.
"Which is your favourite out of these ones?" You ask Verso, briefly glancing at all the paintings on the wall.
"His name is Esquie." Verso points to a framed canvas of a jolly and large looking creature. It has a white smiling face in the shape of a full moon with a gold halo in the shape of a sunray. The creature had a large and pillowy looking torso with comically smaller limbs in comparison. Somehow, the creature looks simultaneously silly and noble.
"Hehe, he's very cute. He seems like a happy little guy. Or maybe big guy. I'm not sure about his size to scale." You compliment, turning to Verso.
"I'd describe him as a a gentle giant. When I made Esquie, I thought of him as a very powerful creature. Legends say that Esquie is the most powerful being in the world, able to soar through the heavens and dive deep beneath the sea. Legends also say… he’s lazy." Verso adds, and you laugh.
"For some reason, that is very fitting for his appearance I think." You glance at the painting of Esquie once more before Verso begins to tour you around the rest of the paintings. Despite Alicia's presence being so heavy, Verso doesn't seem so sad talking about her this time. It's almost like she's alive in these paintings.

"Ah, I can give you a quick tour as well. I'll start with the rooms. There's three, one for sleeping, the other two for painting." Verso says. He opens the door only to the guest room, which is opulently decorated with clay coloured flax linen sheets and sage green curtains. Verso opens another door to quickly show you one of the studio rooms. "This one maman and papa used." Verso explains. "And this one was what us kids used more back when we all went to the cottage together." Verso turns and paces towards the next door, opening it up.
"Oh wow, looks like someone's been painting kind of recently, I think?" You note at the canvas still propped onto a very ornate and grand looking easel with gilded features.
"Ah, yeah, I was here last week painting. Just needed to take my mind off of things, although I usually do that more on the piano." Verso explains as you step into the room. The room has the same theme throughout - dark wood paneling with minor gold accents, and light beige elements to balance the room out. You walk towards the canvas on the easel, taking a look at the painting in full. The painting is of a glowing angelic apparition, the feminine shape of the body is painted in a soft-yellow hue. The figure is painted as if illuminated in a bright light against the grey sky, casting a nimbus aura and creating brilliant amber coloured sun rays against the background of dreary and bleak clouds.

"Woah. This is beautiful." You comment, as Verso stands next to you.
"Thanks. It's not quite done but, yeah." Verso nods.
"Is this another one of your creatures?" You ask, glancing up at him.
"Hmm, not quite. Although I'll be a little embarrassed if I have to disclose the source of inspiration." Verso admits with a sheepish look on his face, scratching the back of his neck momentarily.
"Haha, that's okay. I won't pry. Thank you for sharing all of this with me." You smile at him. You can't help but study his face in this moment. The pale blue moonlight and soft warm glow of the lights illuminate Verso's sharp features. You sometimes find it hard to believe a man can look like this, a man with such a face this beautiful could only exist as a sculpture or a painting.

"You're staring at me. Again." Verso comments with a small grin, cocking his head to the side, reminiscent of a curious puppy.
"Sorry. I can't help it, you're really handsome." You chuckle admittedly, thankful for the bit of alcohol left in your system giving you a little more confidence.
"I'm glad you find me handsome. The moment I walked into the elevator on my first day, I couldn't stop staring at how pretty you are… It was so easy to fall for you." Verso admits, and you blink owlishly. Sure, you both shared a really heated moment in his office, but for Verso to admit he's fallen for you? 
You were half expecting he just wanted an employee to fuck during his downtime, despite him even taking you out for a date tonight. A strange little seed of doubt was always in the back of your mind, but his accidental confession just completely crushed that doubt into a thousand pieces.
"Fall for me?" You whisper, subconsciously wringing your hands.
"O-Oh, wait, I wasn't meant to say it that quickly to you…" Verso's eyes widen and for the first time in your life, you're seeing him flustered. Bumbling. Nervous, even. It's so cute. And it's like a completely different side to Verso - in the best way possible.
"I've fallen for you too." You say with a grin on your face. Verso smiles back gently, and his smile makes your chest feel weightless.

Verso draws you in close to him by the small of your back, his other hand cupping your cheek. "Mind if I kiss you again?" He asks gently, and you nod. He leans in, closing the distance as you both kiss once more, only this time without interruptions or risk. You melt into his touch, his hand roaming from your cheek to the nape of your neck as he kisses you as if you're oxygen itself.
"I've never seen you so nervous before." You giggle as you break the kiss.
"Making a mockery of my nerves?" Verso jokingly accuses in a soft tone.
"No, no. I take your nerves very seriously, actually." You shake your head with a small smile. You feel the atmosphere's temperature rise as Verso's hand returns to your cheek. You lean into his hand like a cat being pet. He lets out a brief huff of amusement at your reaction to his touch.
"You do, do you?" Verso playfully taunts. He tilts his head to the side a little, looking you in the eyes as his finger trails along your jawline, his gaze soft and almost worshipping in nature as he studies your face. Your eyes fall onto his lips, as you watch his tongue dart out to wet his lips as if he's just tasted something sweet. "Then prove it." He whispers in a low tone.

"Are you challenging me?" You softly chuckle as you plant a tender kiss on Verso's neck, the soft brush of your lips sending a shiver through his body. In kind, Verso tilts his head back a little more and bares his neck to you, but it wasn't exactly an act of submission. It was more like he was offering himself as if to willingly exchange roles of dominance between you both.
"If you'll take me up on the offer, yes." Verso smirks, and you gently nip at his neck as a response. Verso guides you by your hips as you briefly pull away from each other.
"Okay. I accept whatever challenge you're giving me." You grin as Verso quirks a brow.
"Oh, you'll accept without even thinking? You're brave." Verso chuckles huskily as he kisses beneath your collarbone. "I'm actually quite glad you wore this dress." Verso whispers against your skin, his kisses descending to the top of your cleavage.
"Mm? How come?" You ask, trying to steady yourself to prevent your knees from buckling under his touch.
"Easy access." He replies, giving the ribbon of your halterneck dress a gentle tug, as he watches the top of your dress unravel, drinking in the sight of your bare chest. "Fuck… Look at you. You're so perfect." Verso breathes out, his hand gently palming against your breast, his thumb only just grazing over your nipple. You let out a whimper as Verso lowers his head a little more, your other nipple captured by his mouth as he tenderly circles it with his tongue.

Your hands move to grip onto Verso's broad shoulders, using him as an anchor so you don't keel over in pleasure. "Can I do something I've been wanting to do for a long time?" Verso asks. You're too clouded by lust right now to even pause and ask him exactly what he means; you just nod in agreement as if under a spell. You find yourself perched at the edge of the seat of the couch in the room, as Verso slowly sinks to his knees.
"Wait, what do you mean…?" You blink owlishly. The mere sight of Verso lowering to his knees with such a worshipping look in his eyes strikes through you like lightning, and your knees tremble a little out of anticipation.
"I think you know exactly what I'm going to do." Verso's fingers brush at the hem of your dress, and you nod eagerly. He slowly pushes the hem back until it pools at the top of your hips, exposing your panties to him. You almost feel shy, but the way he's taking care of you sets you at ease. His fingers hook under your panties, and you watch a line of slick between your skin and your underwear stretch a short distance before disappearing. You're sopping wet already. Your chest is heaving as you feel Verso's fingertips graze up from your ankle, past your knee, settling on your inner thigh with a featherlight touch before his large, warm hands part your legs a little wider.

Verso dips his head between your thighs, softly inhaling your scent as he kisses your inner thighs. You whimper at the contact, his beard softly grazing against your skin as he plants another kiss, even closer to your cunt.
"So beautiful." He whispers, his tongue darting out to lick one long, slow stripe from your hole to your clit. Verso stares up at you, his icy blue eyes making unwavering eye contact as he intently watches your reaction. You stare right into his eyes, finding the sight of him on his knees worshiping you downright erotic.
Your hips buck at the contact, your chest heaving as Verso begins to eat you out as if he were a man starved and your pussy is his last meal on earth. Your hands grasp loosely at his black and white strands, as he moans into your cunt, sending vibrations that send your brain into a spiral of pleasure.
"F-Fuck… So good… You're so good at this…" You bite back a moan as your praise seems to have had some kind of effect on him, as his tongue works faster and harder. It seems he gets off on hearing your praise.

"Fuck. You taste even better than I imagined…" Verso whispers before he resumes lapping up your pussy, sinking his middle and index fingers inside of you as you gasp at the combined sensation of his fingers and mouth.
Even after a few minutes of the motion, Verso keeps a relentless and steady pace that you almost question whether his consistency and stamina is even possible in a human being.
"G-Going to cum, Verso…" You whine his name as Verso gently steadies your thighs to prevent you from thrashing around too much at the sensation.
"Cum for me." Verso whispers against your skin for a moment, and as if on command, the coil building in your lower stomach snaps and you loudly moan his name in pleasure as you cum.
You blink as your vision focuses into view, as you watch Verso stand up and lick his fingers clean, the sight of him doing so almost putting you in a trance.

"We're not stopping here, right?" You ask, chest still slightly heaving.
"I wouldn't mind if we do though." He responds.
"I'd prefer not to. So, would you prefer to cum inside of me, or my mouth?" You ask brazenly. You watch as his eyelids turn heavy with pure, unadulterated lust at your suggestive question.
"Inside of you." Verso breathes out.
"I'm all yours, however you want me." You look at him through hooded eyelids.
"Lay back on the couch. I need to do what I've been aching for over the last two months." Verso says, beginning to unbuckle his belt as you lay back.
Your eyes slightly widen as his cock springs free. You weren't expecting all that. He's even bigger than what you imagined.

You part your thighs as Verso positions himself between your legs, his cock lining up against your entrance as he dips his head down to kiss your cheek before slowly sinking into you. You both hiss in pleasure at the sensation, his cock stretching your walls.
"S-Shit, you're so tight…" Verso moans as he begins to move. God you love hearing his moans.
"Ah… S-so full…" You whimper as he rocks his hips into yours. In one swift movement, he pulls your legs over his shoulders, leaning in further, the angle deepening the sensation. You almost scream his name in pleasure as he begins to relentlessly pound into you at a dizzying pace. "So fucking good, god you fuck me so good…" You praise him as he begins to pant and moan.
"Fuck… Fuck…" Your name spills from his lips as he continues to snap his hips harder and faster into yours. Yep. The man definitely has a praise kink.
"Verso, I-I'm gonna cum..." You bite your lip, looking up at him as he drives his cock into you at a faster, harder, more erratic pace.
"Yeah? Cum for me. You can cum for me again right? Cum all over my cock." Verso's words in that slightly whiny and desperate tone aren't just dirty - they're filthy. His words send you over the edge. Your walls tighten and your vision blurs at the corners as you cum once more, leading him to spill his release inside of you right after. As he cums inside of you, you swallow his moans greedily with a kiss.

You both exhale deeply as Verso's hips slow down until he pulls out. Verso quickly hands you a box of tissues as you clean yourselves up, but you're both too tired to move from the couch in the early morning just yet. You simply fix your clothes back on correctly and doze off in each others arms for the night on the surprisingly comfortable couch.

"Um. Hello." A brunette woman's tense and awkward tone of voice greets your ears, your eyes snapping open as Verso shoots upright, almost causing you both to tumble off the couch.
"Putain-! Er, good morning, Clea." Verso greets awkwardly as you both scramble to sit appropriately on the couch, as if his sister didn't catch you both cuddling while asleep.
"You mean good afternoon. Don't tell me you're bringing girls into our family studio just to bed them? I mean, I'm glad you're finally back out in the dating scene again, but eugh. Right in front of my salad." Clea grimaces at Verso, her nose scrunching a little in disgust.
As if doused in cold water, Verso straightens up with a priceless expression plastered on his face. "No! Clea, we're not- I mean it's not what it- well it's, I was just-" You've never seen Verso splutter and panic in this way before, like he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Riiiight. Have some manners, my dear brother. Next time you should use a bed at the very least." Clea snickers, repulsion still written across her face as she shuts the door on you both.

Chapter Text

"Mon dieu..." Verso groans, burying his head in his hands momentarily.
"It's that bad she caught us?" You ask, and he looks as if he's torn between wanting to shrivel up due to embarrassment, or let out a laugh.
"Not really bad per se. But she's definitely going to hold this over my head. Stuff about being responsible and using shared family spaces appropriately and-" Verso looks over to you, as you begin to giggle at the situation. He can't help but laugh now too. "Ah well, it worked out that I took my chances." He smiles at you. "AND THE STUDIO IS PERFECTLY FINE!" Verso calls out, his voice raised loud enough that Clea can hear from outside the room.
"STILL DISGUSTING THAT YOU DID IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FAMILY HEIRLOOM. SHOW SOME RESPECT NEXT TIME! ALSO, NICE TO SEE YOU'VE FINALLY GROWN A SPINE ABOUT WOMEN." Clea shouts back from the kitchen area.

At this point you can't help but burst out into a laugh, trying to smother the sound of your laughter by burying your head into Verso's chest. You feel his chest rumble and shake with his own laughter. The situation is as equally as entertaining as it is embarrassing for you.

"So the family heirloom…" You tease as you hand Verso his coffee. He's currently walking you back to your apartment, however you were both feeling a tad hungover and needed some caffeine and carbs to push through the journey.
"Yup, that easel. An intricately carved easel made of rosewood and gold from the 1700's. Anyway, that easel has definitely seen some shit. We're not the first, I'm sure." Verso sheepishly chuckles.
"Christ. Also, Clea seems nice." You note.
"Sarcasm?" He quirks a brow, and you shake your head.
"Nope. She let me use her skincare in the bathroom which was very nice of her." You explain.
"Wow, she's nicer to you than her own little brother already." Verso rolls his eyes playfully. You both continue walking and chatting until you reach your apartment.
"Well, I had a lot of fun this weekend." You smile, as Verso tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.
"So did I. Thank you. I don't think I've smiled or laughed this hard in a long time." He smiles back.
"Just so you know, everyone else in the office likes it when you smile and laugh too. A lot of people have mentioned you're more friendly than they first assumed. I like that other people are seeing this side of you now too." You playfully nudge his ankle with the point of your shoe.
"What can I say? Someone's bringing it out of me." Verso replies in a playful tone.
"I'll see you on Monday. Get home safe." You smile at him, softly kissing his cheek before waving him goodbye.

"…You're having sex with Verso aren't you?" Lune asks out of nowhere during lunch break, causing you to violently spit out the coffee you were taking a sip of.
"I think that's a yes…?" Sciel turns to Lune before she gently thumps your back, helping you regain composure.
"What makes you think that?" You cough, feeling a warm prickle creep up your neck.
"Um, first of all, we all know you haven't had sex for a while now, and all of a sudden you're literally glowing. Second, Verso is actually behaving like a human when he's speaking to people now. It's really easy to put two and two together with the context clues." Lune deduces.
"Y-You can't base it off of me looking good lately and Verso being easier to work with! I just had a really good sleep on the weekend and Verso's probably just settled into his role better now." You lie pathetically. Lune and Sciel don't look convinced at all, and you feel a pang of guilt for lying to your two closest friends. You know they'd support you no matter what, whether that's sleeping with your boss or committing war crimes. "…Okay, I was lying. I am." You admit almost instantly after denying. You just don't have it in you to lie to your closest friends. Both women grin in amusement at your almost instant concession. 

"Haha, I knew it!" Sciel squeals, and Lune smiles at you.
"Sorry for lying. I should know better." You apologise sheepishly.
"I fully get it, I'd probably react the same." Lune is completely unphased by your half-assed attempt to lie.
"But what now? So just like, casual sex to blow off some steam or?" Sciel asks.
"I don't really know where it's going, I'm just here for the ride. Literally and figuratively." You joke, causing the two to burst into a small fit of laughter.
"So you're not sure if it's exclusive? Damn, well just steal his wallet in the night if he wastes your time." Lune jokes.
"Hm... Actually... I can't really tell. Maybe we're exclusive? He did tell me he fell for me, and I told him the same." You admit.
"Okay, actually very exclusive then. Wow, so when are we gonna get the wedding invite in the mail?" Sciel teases, and you groan in response at the teasing.

…

"Verso, can I ask something invasive out of sheer curiousity?" You pause your typing on your keyboard, glancing over to him. While you're both still staying back as usual, you now don't even bother to stay put at your desk. You both just sit in a comfortable silence typing away on your computers while the sky turns to a dark shade of blue.
"How invasive?" Verso quirks a brow.
"Something Clea mentioned on the weekend." You note, and he nods. "She said it's nice to see you grow a spine about women… What did she mean by that?" You ask.
"Well, I'm not someone who's really dated or gotten involved with others for casual things. After the way my last relationship ended, I just kind of threw myself into work and kept shutting people out. It also meant I just stopped having a love life. That's what she meant." Verso explains, and you listen intently.
"Oh." You aren't immediately sure what to say, trying to choose your words carefully.
"Oh?" Verso prompts.
"Mmm, I guess I didn't consider that you would be the sort of person who would disengage from romance and intimacy. I would've assumed you'd still have people throwing themselves at you, so you'd just be able to release your frustrations when needed." You answer honestly.
"You make it sound like I'm some sort of playboy." Verso pouts a little, and you give him an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry for sticking the playboy label onto you. You're actually very much the furthest from it." You apologise.
"Thank you." Verso chuckles.

"…Actually I do have a new label for you though. I promise it's not offensive this time." You speak after a short lapse in silence.
"A new label? Do tell." Verso crosses his arms across his chest in intrigue.
"You're like a puppy." You answer with confidence.
"A… A puppy?" Verso repeats confused, tilting his head to the side a little. You point out the mannerism and he holds up his hands in mock surrender with a small grin.
"Yep. Specifically, you'd be like a husky because of your black and white hair, and bright blue eyes. Oh! And…" Hmm, maybe you shouldn't say the next part out loud.
"And…?" Verso encourages a further response.
"Uh, I forgot." You lie.
"No you didn't, you just don't want to tell me because it's probably weird or you're worried it's offensive." Are you really that transparent?
"The first one." You answer.
"Try me." He leans in.
"…You're eager to please and you respond well to praise. Also you really enjoy being pet, especially your hair and your back." You blurt out.

You stare at Verso. He stares back.
"Not entirely wrong, actually." He concludes with a slight nod and a smile.
"You're not mad I said you're eager to please and you respond well to praise? I'm making you sound like a submissive." You ask with a raised brow.
"Can't be mad if it's true. Although don't get too big for your boots and assign me one role - I like to relinquish control to you because it's fun." Verso says in a low tone.
"So theoretically, if I call you a good boy…" You hum in amusement.
"And theoretically, if I call you my good girl…?" Verso asks, his voice dropping an octave. It brings a blush to your cheeks.
"H-Hey… It's different, you said 'my' and I said 'a'." You stammer.
"Oh, looks like we're both a little weak to some praise." Verso smirks.
"Not fair." You pout, trying to settle yourself. It's one thing that you've now slept together, but in the office at night is beyond irresponsible. And hot.
"You wanna hear it again?" Verso teases, and you shoot him a look that is a mix between being flustered and faux-grumpy. He pushes his chair out a little, wordlessly gesturing with only his eyes and a small motion of a nod towards his lap, with the faintest trace of a smirk. You roll your eyes but obey, walking over and perching yourself on his lap.
"That's my good girl." He whispers, holding you by the small of your waist as his lips crash into yours.

"Doing it here is risky…" You whisper as you tug on his hair, your hips straddling his. You inwardly thank your past self for wearing a skirt today.
"We don't have to then. We can stop." Verso whispers back, slightly pulling away from you.
"I'm having too much fun to stop." You pout, painfully aware of how soaked your panties are already. Your head dips to the crook of his neck as you grind down against his bulge. The pressure and sensation only serves to rile you up further as you gently bite down on the side of his neck, sucking the skin ever so slightly before briefly licking it, as if you were soothing a wound.
"Haha, clearly. You're grinding down on me so much we might end up breaking this chair. You don't even care that the blinds aren't shut, do you?" He comments, voice laced with playfulness. You feel Verso's hands roam under your skirt, caressing your thighs as he pulls you in for another kiss.
"Maybe I don't really care if onlookers see how good you fuck me." You reply, raking your fingertips through his hair momentarily.
"Then maybe we should give them a show. Desk or chair?" He offers, and you bite your lip.
"On the desk." You decide.
"Mmm." Verso picks you up from underneath your hips, seating you at the edge of the desk. He quickly leans over, his arm swiping the various small objects to one side as you settle onto the desk, your forearms propped against the cold, lacquered wood as you lean back on the desk. Planting open-mouthed kisses just under your earlobe, you hear the unbuckling of his belt. You break the kiss, looking into each others eyes as his pale blue eyes gaze into yours - a quiet question of consent. You nod wordlessly with desperate doe-eyes, before he slowly sinks his long, thick cock inside of you.

You gasp at the sensation of your walls being stretched, the initial first thrust blooming pleasure throughout your body as you lean back on the desk. God, you could never get tired of this feeling. Slightly hiking your legs up, you pull Verso in close as he begins to rock his hips into you at a rhythmic pace.
"God, fuck, just like that…" Verso pants, "you're taking me so well." Your eyelids fall half-lidded as you feel him hit that sweet spot inside of you, over and over again. Your legs are trembling against him as you hear the desk rock back and forth with your movements.
"T-There… Right there…" You moan softly as Verso wets his thumb with his tongue briefly, lowering his free hand to rub your clit in little circles as he continues to pound into you.
"Ha… Look at you, legs spread for me on my desk. You don't even care if others could catch you looking this needy for me, do you?" Verso playfully taunts between ragged breaths as he momentarily switches the pace to slower but harder strokes, causing you to whine in pleasure as you tighten around him.
"Ngh… N-not… My fault…" You pant as he picks up the pace again, barely able to get out a proper sentence now.
"My, have I fucked the words out of you? Don't worry, I'll take care of you. You know I'll take care of you every time." Verso coos with a smug grin on his face as he gazes down at your fucked-out expression, happy with his handiwork at reducing you to a whining, moaning mess on his cock.

"F-Fuck… Can't last much longer…" You breathe out, your hands gripping onto his shoulder blades leaving faint little red lines as he leans in almost flush against you.
"Yeah, that's it. I've got you. Come on… Cum all over my cock. Cum for me…" Verso's voice is beginning to strain as your walls clench around his cock.
"O-Oh god, Verso…" You whimper as your body stiffens as you're on the verge of climax.
"I've got you, I've got you… Atta girl…" He whispers against your ear again, coaxing your orgasm out of you, the familiar feeling of a coil snapping in your stomach as your walls tense and release around him.
"F-Fuck!" You cry out, biting into his shoulder to muffle your moans. Verso doesn't even flinch at the sensation, kissing you on your temple while you clutch onto him, riding out your high.
"Good girl…" Verso moans, his hips thrusting at a fast and erratic pace as you continue to ride out your high, his own orgasm following yours shortly after.

The morning after, you gasp at your handiwork this time. A hickey (which thankfully can easily be hidden under his collar), three bite marks on his left shoulder, and eight, faint little lines down his back. All leftover from last night. You wince a little as you notice you very narrowly avoided the large scar on his back, which you've not spotted before. The blanket over you both covers majority of the scar, but you're unable to see what it looks like fully.

As if Verso can feel you staring at him, he begins to stir and his eyes begin to open. You avert your gaze from the scar as you gently stroke the crown of his head.
"Good morning." Verso whispers, his arms instinctively tightening around you.
"Morning. Sorry about all those marks I made, I got carried away." You apologise as Verso blinks away the sleep in his eyes.
"Ah. Admiring your artwork?" He chuckles sleepily.
"Artwork? You practically became my personal chew toy last night." You joke with a sheepish expression plastered on your face.
"I don't mind. In fact, I like it. You know I meant it when you said you can use me in whatever way you like, right?" Verso doesn't even think twice about saying something so flirtatious. It catches you off guard, but you quickly recompose yourself. He seems a little smug he was able to get a reaction out of you.
"Hmm… Okay. You can leave something on me next time. So we're even." You whisper.
"I'll hang onto that offer." He responds.

You don't doubt that he will be taking you up on that offer later.

Chapter Text

"…And that's why it's important that you should consider prospective marriages at some point in the next few years. I don't care much for successors, but being an unmarried woman can appear bad for business at times. The last thing you want is a rumour in the tabloids while you're trying to get on with your life." Maman finishes lecturing Clea about marriage prospects.
"I can't be bothered dealing with men who don't even know their right from their left. I don't want some incapable man bogging me down when I've got much bigger fish to fry." Clea crosses her arms.
"Oh yeah, I can't remember the last time you brought someone around." Verso comments absentmindedly, unaware of the Pandora's box he just opened.
"Oh yeah? And when are we going to officially meet your girlfriend? And when I say meet, I don't mean I find you both passed out on the couch in the family cottage." Clea pipes up after taking a few more bites of dinner, while Verso practically chokes. Thank god it was just a dinner between himself, Clea, and maman. He'd loathe to see both of his parents reactions about this in real time.
"Clea!" Verso coughs.
"Well, since we're talking about marriage prospects and introducing people." Clea bats her eyes innocently, but her voice was dripping in sarcasm.
"That's not… We haven't been dating for very long! I don't want to scare her away." Verso clears his throat.
"You're seeing someone?" Maman asks gently, though her excitement is apparent.
"Yes- but, ah. It's so early." Verso says, trying to downplay the situation. He shoots Clea an annoyed glare, however Clea appears to pay no mind.

"Oh lovely! What's her name, how did you two meet? Oh, what do her parents do for work? What does she look like?" Maman asks a series of questions at a rapid fire rate.
"Ah, well-" Verso tries to slow the conversation down so he has time to think of a lie.
"First of all, she's pretty. Honestly too pretty for you, Verso." Clea teases with a snort.
"So you're telling me I could have some gorgeous grandchildren in my future?" Maman beams playfully, earning a groan from Verso as he buries his head in his hands.
"Haha! Last time you were teasing me about when I'm going to settle down, this is payback, Verso." Clea crosses her arms in mock triumph.
Verso was mentally exhausted after jumping through several mental hoops to dodge Clea and maman's questions. It led him to realise that continuing to hide the dynamic between you both is less sustainable and achievable than he first hoped.

'1 new message in your inbox - from the Council of Paris.'
Strange.

'…We have been following Envisager's efforts closely, and would like to extend a formal invitation for the Artistic Excellence Charity Gala from the Council of Paris to celebrate the efforts of the artistic collective across the country.'
Your eyes scanned over the email.

'did you guys get the gala invite just now? wtf, who sends out an invite on such late notice for an event like this' You text your group chat with Lune and Sciel.
'yesss! lol the timing pissed me off, but so exciting though. the venue is at hotel de baudelaire which i've always wanted to see' Sciel replies almost instantly.
'damn, I'm tempted to just spend the night there if they have any rooms available but can u imagine the cost? probs a whole paycheck's worth lol. not worth' Lune replies shortly after.
'i don't even have a dress i could use for something this fancy and it's only 2 weeks away, this is such short noticeeee' You complain.
'ugh yeah I need to get a haircut for this :(' Sciel agrees.

Your group chat made the decision - next weekend will be dedicated to preparing for the gala. 

...

By god, did the next weekend roll by way too quickly. You stepped off the metro and bounced up the stairs, buzzing with nerves and energy as you hoped to find a dress today. If not - you're kind of fucked.
"Yay you're here! Okay, I want to check for some dresses, we can start with the mall nearby and keep looking." Sciel declared her plan of attack.
The mall was bursting to the brim with designer and affordable labels, to which the three of you were having no luck so far on the second last floor.
"Why is everything so expensive? And made so poorly out of such shit material these days?" Lune sighs as you all trawl through the racks.
"Wait - I think I've finally found something nice. I think." Sciel gasps, pulling a beautiful square neck gown. The colour is mesmerising - it's a beautiful deep purple with golden beading throughout, as if the dress depicts a twilight sky.
"Woah - that is definitely your colour and design! You need to try it on!" You exclaim.
"I should! It's also under my budget which is fucking incredible!" Sciel grins, rushing off to the changing rooms.
"Since it's an event about the arts, I just need something a little bit more out there…" Lune hums, passing on a simple red gown. Your eyes flicker towards your rack, and you find a beautiful gown. It's a one-shoulder chiffon gown with flowing layers, as if to depict a cascading waterfall. The chiffon is delicately dyed with different colours, mainly streaks of sky blue and pale red, contrasting with the eye-catching corset detail in the middle. It's so gorgeous, but it's just simply not you.
"Lune, how do you feel about this one?" You pull the dress off the rack, and her eyes sparkle immediately.
"Wait, this is it! But you found it, maybe you should have it if you like it more…?" Lune offers, trying to rein herself back in.
"No no - it's cute but it's not really me. You should try it on." You smile at her, holding out the gown to her a little closer. Lune gratefully nods at you, before rushing in to the changing room next to Sciel. As they both emerged from their changing rooms, you could see they made their decision - they found their gowns. You smile as they both twirl and admire the fit of their gowns and how beautiful it looked on them.

"You haven't found your dress and the ball is tomorrow…" Sciel pouts at you before taking a sip of her matcha, and you shake your head, admiring the afternoon sun.
"I don't wanna buy anything I don't love. I do have an old backup dress, it's a bit plain but it would definitely serve the purpose just fine. I'm just glad you both found something perfect." You smile.
"At least you got your hair cut - honestly even if the dress isn't your ideal dress, hair and makeup can carry the fit through." Lune nods, sticking her fork into her shortcake.
"Mmm, true. I also cannot believe what a find that store was for gowns, you both chose impeccably." You hum as you bite into a strawberry.
"May good karma find you for finding the perfect dress for me." Lune jokingly puts a hand over yours, as if passing on a blessing.

…

Walking down the street as you depart from your adventure with Lune and Sciel, you sigh deep in thought. You could make your simple black bodycon dress work - it's almost a little more like a cocktail dress, but maybe with some accessories it could pass off as a formal dress. If only you found your dream dress - something flowy but not puffy, something elegant but not boring, something like… That dress in the display window of the vintage store right next to you. It's a sleek, khaki coloured gown. Oh wow. Lune, your blessing worked.
You knock and enter immediately, approaching the store owner. The waifish woman had her brown curls held together by a hair pin, her deep brown eyes greeting yours warmly.
"Hi, how can I help?" She smiles.
"I have a charity ball tomorrow evening, and I desperately need a gown - I think the one in the window is perfect." You say, your fingers crossed behind your back.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry dear. The dress was already bought…" She smiles apologetically, and you can't help but grimace. Damn. That dress would've been great for the occasion.
"Oh, that's all good! That someone else is very lucky." You smile, turning on your heels, taking it as a sign from the universe to save some money.
"-Wait! I have some new stock… If you like that dress, maybe this one could be even more suited to you. One second…" The woman smiles, wandering off into her storage room. Moments later, she comes back with a breathtaking dress.
"From a vintage designer in the 90's - the brand is no longer around. What do you think?" The woman asks, holding the dress. It's a beautiful backless light teal gown, that shifts in the light, reflecting a deep golden amber hue. The shifting tones cast a visually fluid effect. You notice the straps have delicate amber beading on the side, and it's tastefully backless. It's beautiful, and also sexy enough to wear to a charity ball without doing too much.
"It's perfect…" You gasp, and she ushers you into the changing room to try it on. And just your luck - it fits like a glove. "I'll take it!" You call out from the changing room.

You finish your hair and makeup after getting dressed, staring at your phone's clock. You can't help but sigh at the thought of not being able to go as Verso's date. After all, to the rest of the world, you're just colleagues. It would be highly inappropriate to be seen together like this. You swallow the thought down like a bitter pill and touch up your lipliner. You looked at yourself - forgetting how good you look when you go all-out. Pleased with your work, you head downstairs as you catch a taxi to the venue. Looking out the window, you can't help but wonder what Verso is doing right now and what he'll look like tonight. And will he even look your way considering the high-profile event? There's so many unknowns.

The cab slows down to a halt, and you take a deep breath, smoothing your dress down as your heels click on the stone. You're only hoping you can find Lune and Sciel as quickly as possible to quell your nerves and provide you with a distraction, considering there is no way you can be around Verso for more than 10 minutes without things looking odd to others. After you present your ID and ticket, you walk through the lobby. God this hotel was immaculate - the perfect balance of warm wooden detailing and bright cream-coloured marble was a beautiful sight. You continue walking as you feel some stares - perhaps due to how eye-catching your dress is? Whatever reason, despite the stares fraying your nerves even further, you continue to hold your head up high and make your way to the function hall.

Oh god. You can't see anyone you know right now apart from Verso, who is looking at you fondly from across the room with Clea at his side. You give him a small grin, and then watch out of the corner of your eye as Clea's eyes settle on you in surprise, and shift towards Verso, giving him a huge frown.

Shit. Fuck. It seems you both forgot Clea has no idea you're his employee. 

Chapter Text

"Ah, another stuffy gala for people to flaunt their tax evasion. Love it." Clea snorts, picking up another flute glass full of champagne from a passing waiter.
"Yep. The peacocking never gets old..." Verso chuckles to Clea. As he's about to open his mouth again to complain about this circlejerk of an event, his voice dies in his throat as he watches you walk in. You. Your dress. You look like a goddess. Like a fading bronze statue in a forgotten civilisation, the material flowing as if you carry the wind with you. And Verso notices it's not just him staring - plenty of other people in the room have their eyes on you too. He feels a small spark of jealousy flaring up within, watching people eye you, not knowing you're taken.
"Wait… Isn't that…?" Clea asks. "She's your date? She could've just come with us." Clea adds, snapping Verso out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh." Ah shit.
"Verso… If you're seeing her, yet you didn't arrive together and you're not already walking over there to greet her, what does that mean?" Clea narrows her eyes with an accusatory tone, and Verso immediately feels panic set in. He never told Clea you're his employee. Clea's glare is so icy it feels like she's poured a bucket of ice water over his head with just her glare and words alone.
"Um…" Verso briefly looks down at his shoes to find an excuse as Clea downs her flute of champagne in one go, placing it back on a passing waiter's tray as she folds her arms.
"Verso." Her tone of voice was like maman's when she scolds him. It makes Verso inwardly cringe.
"Yes Clea?" Verso purses his lips, unable to meet her eye.
"…You fucking idiot." Clea groans, slapping Verso upside the head, causing Verso to rub the back of his head.
"I didn't mean for it to turn out this way." Verso shoots Clea an annoyed look, but guilt is plastered on his face.
"What the fuck are you thinking?" Clea frowns.
"Uh… I wasn't...?" Verso downs the rest of his drink.
"Moron. Of course you weren't thinking." Clea side-eyes her little brother, looking at the desperation and yearning in his eyes. Not even her chiding was enough to stop him from ogling you.
"This is your mess to clean up. But I hope you realise just how fucking bad it looks when a CEO is sleeping with his employee. Especially a CEO from a high profile family, such as ours." Clea whispers to Verso, his eyes still fixed on you as you line up at the bar.
"Not sleeping with her… It's more than that." Verso whispers back.
"Really? Because as I see it right now, you're just fucking each other. Family isn't introduced and you're probably only spending time together in your office after hours. I actually feel bad for her, you're lucky we're in public otherwise I'd beat your ass." Clea whispers back, her voice laced with venom towards Verso. The venom in her words aren't poisonous, only meant to sting. And man - does it sting like a bitch. The thought of you being seen as a toy to him and nothing more makes him feel a little sick to the stomach.
"No, no. Not just in the office. I'd never do that to her. And I'll handle it, okay? It's not like I'm going to stay CEO at Envisager forever." Verso sighs.
"Yes. But in case you haven't realised, you kind of have no other choice but to handle it. Besides, I think she'll do just fine either way." Clea subtly gestures with a nod of her head in your direction, bringing Verso's attention to the two men speaking to you whilst you wait for your drink. Verso swears he just saw a flicker of an amused smile from Clea as the situation unfolds.
"Oh for fucks sake." Verso groans quietly, striding over towards you without hesitation.
"That's meant to be my line…" Clea sighs. "Waiter!" Clea calls out, flagging down a waiter with a tray of flute glasses filled with champagne, as she grabs another drink.

"Hey." A man greets as your gaze on the bartender making your martini floats to the source of the voice. A handsome man with dark features and skin smiles at you slightly, a glass of whisky in hand. Another man with light brown hair is standing next to Lucien with a small, friendly smile.
"The name's Lucien. From the Council of Paris. You're the one from Envisager I was corresponding with last year for the mural project, right? I could be wrong though, those email icons are pretty small." Lucien smiles.
"O-Oh! Yes, that's me. Wow! Nice to actually meet you in person! You're a lot taller than what I'd have assumed from your email profile picture." You lightheartedly note as you take your drink from the bar counter, craning your neck up to speak to him before taking a small sip.
"Haha, you're a bit shorter than I assumed, funny enough. So, did you just arrive?" Lucien asks.
"Yep, can't see any of my coworkers yet. Thought I'd just kill time getting a drink so I don't stand around awkwardly. And yourself?" You smile.
"I volunteered to assist with the decorating and planning. Don't know why I did that, it was just unpaid labour. But it also meant I was one of the first to get here." Lucien slightly shakes his head with a laugh.
"Really!? You did an amazing job, the function hall has such a striking colour theme, the decorations and everything else blend in beautifully." You compliment Lucien as you take another sip.
"Thank you. I'm glad at least you appreciate my hard work." Lucien thanks you smoothly, and it takes you aback. The phrase was innocent, yet it was something about his tone of voice and the way he's holding himself that made the sentence come off as flirty.
"Haha! Aww no. Surely there are others who have complimented you tonight?" You try to divert the conversation broadly.
"Well, maybe I'm just fishing for a co-"
"Ah, there you are." Verso's voice smoothly cuts in.

God. Even the sound of his voice is enough to ignite a warm and tingling feeling in your gut.
"Oh! Hello Verso." You smile up at him, your heartbeat beginning to race at the sight of him. He looks even more good looking than he usually does, which is downright unfair. Despite his dislike for layers and constraining clothes, he's donned a deep navy suit with a waistcoat and simple bowtie in the same colour. It seems he's tamed his waves a little more for the occasion too. He looks hot - it's a daily occurrence for the man, but the formalwear is really doing it for you. You gulp thickly, hoping nobody else noticed the hungry stare you gave him.
"Ah! You're the current CEO of Envisager, now right? Great to meet you in person. I've gotta go but, I'm sure I'll see you around." Lucien bids you both goodbye, walking off with the other man by his side.
"…He left fast." You note, and Verso gives you an unreadable look. You tilt your head to the side. "Huh? What's that look for?" You ask, your face morphing from an expression of curiosity to playful annoyance since Verso isn't telling you the reason for that look.
"Nothing, nothing. You look beautiful, by the way." He compliments, and your cheeks redden.
"T-Thanks, you too." His readiness to compliment you threw you off beat, and you stumble on your words momentarily.
"I'm beautiful too?" He quirks a brow playfully.
"Yes, actually. You might even be the prettiest girl at the ball." You tease, chuckling into your drink before you take another sip.

"Let's go for some fresh air alone, before more people turn up and others realise I'm missing for too long." Verso smiles softly, and you nod.
Stepping out onto the balcony, the first thing you notice are the red roses blooming against the trellis, the sweet scent permeating your nostrils - a welcome reprieve from the heady designer colognes and perfumes in the functional hall.
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you as my date." Verso clears his throat, looking off at the city skyline.
"Don't be silly - it wouldn't be sensible for us. It's just nice to see you at this event too." You reassure him, your forearms leaning on the balcony railing.
"Yes but, I'd actually like to be on your arm with events such as these in future. I don't want to hide you." Verso frowns, and you nod, feeling your chest flutter.
"On my arm? Haha. You sound like you want to be my handbag." You joke.
"I'd be anything you want me to, as long as I'm yours. You know that." Verso jests back, and it causes you to stare up at him, cheeks flushed. Even if he was joking, it was something about the way he so readily admits that you have him wrapped around your finger, and the fact that he likes it that way.
"Y-You can't just say those things! Well, I wouldn't turn you into a handbag at the very least." You joke, trying to take the sexually charged connotation out of the conversation.

"Oops." Verso chuckles, looking down at you with a gaze of admiration. You meet his stare, your eyes falling to his lips momentarily before looking back into his pale blue eyes. A small smirk plays on Verso's lips as he notices that particular way you looked at him, a playful expression that says 'caught you', wordlessly communicating that he wants you just as badly as you want him right now. God. You can't have a moment out here when it's so public. You can't. But you want to, achingly so.

"Verso." A woman's voice calls out from the balcony door. You notice her from that evening at the office… It's Julie. You gulp thickly, the sight of her like a ghost haunting the room, but she's here and it's real. Seeing her is like watching a sandcastle crash down from a single tidal wave; a reminder that there's a former flame trying to rekindle with him, and it makes you deeply uncomfortable. Yet you have no grounds to do or say anything since to almost everyone else in the world, you're just an employee. And he's just your boss.
"I'll, uh, give you two some privacy. I've gotta go find Lune and Sciel, they've probably arrived by now." You force a smile, barely maintaining composure as you head back inside. You brush past her politely excusing yourself, and she doesn't even look your way, let alone step aside to give you more space to squeeze by.

Chapter Text

"Oh. She's run off. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important." Julie clears her throat, taking your exact spot as she stands next to Verso.
"Didn't expect you and your family to take an interest in the arts." Verso comments.
"Hm? Well, papa's been expanding out from real estate and he's buying up a few art galleries. He wants to own a private museum one day, so this event is perfect for him. First invitation for our family." Julie explains, pivoting so that her back is against the balcony and she's gazing off into the function hall through the glass doors.
"I'm heading back in now." Verso says curtly, not bothering to entertain Julie for a second more than he has to.
"Okay. By the way, I didn't peg you for a guy who would sleep with an employee." Julie comments, pulling out a slim cigarette from her purse.
"What?" Verso narrows his eyes.
"Oh fucks sake, Verso. I'm your ex and I have eyes. You never even smiled that way with me. I'm admittedly jealous." Julie scoffs, lighting her cigarette and taking a deep inhale.
"Smiling at someone doesn't mean anything. It's the guilt you harbor, because you thought I'd never smile again after I saw you in bed with someone else. Go bother somebody else, please." Verso walks off, hoping his icy tone was enough to keep her at bay.

"Oh my god, you look gorgeous!" Sciel exclaims, giving you a little twirl.
"Hehe, thank you!" You giggle.
"Where did you get the dress? It seems my wish for good karma really did find you." Lune smiles.
"A vintage consignment store. Super lucky find." You gesture to your dress.
"I'll say! It looks like it was made for you." Lune compliments.
As you continue chatting and drinking with the girls, you can't help but sneak a glance Verso's way from across the room, only to see him already looking at you. You both exchange a small smile, your heart pounding in your chest.
"…You are so obvious." Lune snickers, and you force yourself to tear your eyes off of him.
"You guys are literally eyefucking each other from across the room. Why don't you go over to him to at least say hello?" Sciel encourages, but you shake your head.
"Already had a chat at the start of the function." You say, wary of the eyes that could be watching you in the room.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to you, Verso made his way to the seating arrangements with Clea.

"You're in such deep shit, my darling baby brother. What are the odds of your ex and your fling being in the same room?" Clea teases smugly. Although she's worried for Verso, the entire situation itself is scratching that big sister itch to tease her little brother about his new crush.
"Not a fling." Verso corrects Clea, momentarily pointing his finger at her for emphasis on his reply before walking towards their table as he plucks his name card off the table.
"I'll believe it when you take action." Clea crosses her arms, trailing behind Verso with curiousity.
"What do you think about sitting next to…" Verso spots your name card, and the name next to it. "…Amelie?" Verso places his name card down in place of Amelie's.
"Right, her seating position definitely won't look suspicious as she sits with a bunch of high-level CEO's and directors. I said take action, not take your brain out of your skull and drop it in the bin. Yeah, sure it'll work." Clea rolls her eyes.
"Of course it will. And I won't mind the error because I love spending time with my team, and you don't mind a little seating change. Right?" Verso asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"…You fucking idiot. You have a strange way of 'handling' things. But whatever." Clea sighs.
"Best big sister ever." Verso chuckles as they walk off from the tables.
"Duh. But you are being really obvious in the worst way possible. Also, did I mention you're a fucking idiot?" Clea chides.
"Dammit, am I really?" Verso sighs sarcastically, paying the second half of Clea's sentence no mind as they both slink back into the crowd.
"Yes, and your ex has been looking more and more pissed off throughout the night. Try to survive this one, yeah?" Clea pats his shoulder in mock comfort before walking off to mingle.

 

"Oh! I thought my seating arrangement in the email said I was next to you…" Amelie furrows her brow in confusion. You lean over, perplexed. Verso's name is on the plate instead. Next to yours.
"It looks like someone got confused and thinks you're the CEO… Congrats on the promotion!" You joke to Amelie.
"Is everything alright?" Verso asks, walking up to you both.
"Ah! Hello Verso. Everything is ok, just that I'm not where I thought I was assigned to sit." Amelie gestures to his name card sat on top of the plate.
"Oh? That's odd. Let me go check…" Verso momentarily walks off.
"Honestly? Could be lucky for me if I could sit at that table and network." Amelie giggles to you as Verso returns.
"Yeah, it looks like someone accidentally mixed up the cards when they were assigning the seats. But they said they're happy to have you at the table, Amelie. If you're fine with it of course. I'd love to sit with my team if the error works for you." Verso offers.
"Honestly? That's totally fine. I don't mind. Thanks Verso!" Amelie smiles, walking off as you take your seats. You shoot Verso a look as if to say 'did you do some tampering?' but Verso only shoots you back a sweet, innocent smile. Huh.


"No way, our CEO is sitting with us so now we've gotta be on our best behaviour, huh?" Minh chuckles, and Verso gives him a small smile and a shake of the head.
"By all means, please cut loose. It's the only way you can survive such functions." Verso replies, taking a sip of his wine. You look across the table, spotting Lune and Sciel sitting just about opposite to you and Verso, and the three of you exchange a look. At times like this, you wish you had telepathy.

Two courses in, and everyone has let loose a little and has almost forgotten that the CEO is sitting at their table. Just as everyone is laughing over a joke Sciel made, you spot Lucien striding towards your table during the break between the 5 and 6th final course.
"God you lot are having way more fun than our table." Lucien chuckles, leaning down between you and your other coworker, Colette. Instinctively, you lean to the other side as Lucien ducks in the space between you and your coworker seated next to you, Colette. Lucien slotting himself in between you two practically has you practically leaning aginst Verso now. You try your best to ignore Lune and Sciel's stares, and the faintest feeling of Verso's breath on your neck.
"Bahaha! Yep, maybe your table could achieve the same if they match drinks with ours." Colette laughs. Lucien departs afterwards, and you immediately straighten yourself up.
"Your posture is quite rigid." Verso whispers to you, and you shoot him a look.
"I'm behaving myself." You mutter back into your wine glass.
"Good girl." He whispers, so quietly that it's only audible to only you. God that fucking phrase. That fucking phrase in his stupidly hot and deep voice.

You splutter, red wine almost escaping from your lips as you smear the back of your hand across your lips as you swallow. Verso looks on in faux surprise as you take a big gulp of water.
"Are you alright?" He asks, feigning concern as he pours a little more water into your glass.
"Yeah, fine, I'm all good. Thank you." You cough out as you take a smaller sip of water now. Thankfully, the final course of the night arrives just as you got over your embarrassing bout of choking from Verso's comment. You don't even have to check - you know that his lingering looks and touches, coupled with that specific comment, has your underwear sopping wet. You cross your legs as you continue to eat dessert, chatting away with everyone at the table. And that's when you feel it, just for a split second. Verso places his hand on your upper thigh for just a moment before he pulls his hand away and continues his conversation with Minh. The bastard is riling you up on purpose… But you're certain you've got this under control, no matter how much he enjoys teasing you.

As dinner ends, everyone disperses for the final hour of drinks, dancing, and socialising. You make a very tactical plan to dodge being in the same area as Julie, spending your time with Lune and Sciel dancing to the live band's covers of early 2000's pop songs.
"Does it not bother you? That girl has been lingering around Verso for a while." Lune notes, subtly gesturing to Julie with a nod of her head.
"Ah, that's his ex." You say, swaying to the beat of 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' as you take a sip of champagne.
"Fucking hell, his ex is here?" Sciel clicks her tongue, taking a big gulp of her red wine.
"I believe she comes from a property mogul family so… Yeah. Must've been easy for her to get an invite." You purse your lips into a thin line.
"I guess you can't do anything since you can't reveal that you're seeing each other… But still. Why am I getting mad for you right now?" Sciel asks rhetorically.
"It's okay… Really. I don't have control over it right now. I trust him. If he wants to go with her, I'll just cut it off." You reply.
"No offense, but I have more trust in an adhesive strapless bra than men." Lune snorts.
"Oh, no offense taken. Trust me." You shake your head, letting the alcohol dull the pang of jealousy in your chest as you sing along to the lyrics with Lune and Sciel.

"Haha! Oh my god, that's too good. So she actually did it?" Clea laughs alongside some important executive. Verso truthfully has no idea what was just said, but he fakes a chuckle so it isn't obvious his mind isn't present in the conversation.
"And then what?" Julie pipes up, standing in the middle between Clea and Verso. Clea covertly shoots an icy glare over her shoulder at Julie, causing the woman to practically wilt on the spot.
"Well, after that, we went on to winning the best mobile gaming app of the year! It goes to show that an untapped audience will jump onto every bit of media and art that caters to them." The executive nodded.
"That's so true - it was a totally untapped market!" Julie nods along in faux-excitement, squeezing her way into the circle, her shoulder barely brushing against Verso's. He fights back an expression of disgust attempting to surface to his face, opting to shirk his body further away from her.
"Oh Julie, I need to ask you something personally about an idea I have…" Clea chimes in suddenly, her voice affable as if she didn't just shoot Julie the nastiest side eye of her life a moment ago.
"O-Oh? You can't just ask me here?" Julie falters, attempting to establish dominance in the exchange.
"Oof, afraid not. It's a creative pursuit that I want only you to hear!" Clea smiles, and Julie unwillingly trudges to Clea's side.
"What is it, Clea?" Julie frowns, crossing her arms.
"Do you mind not coming near us? Verso looks like he wants to throw up when you're near him. Quite frankly I do as well, at the sight of your face." Clea quips.
"Clea…" Julie scowls, her tone darkening as a sign of a warning.
"Julie." Clea narrows her eyes. "Best not to make a scene. I trust you'll make yourself scarce, if you know what's good for you and your reputation." Clea's tone was much darker and fiercer than the tone Julie used.
"Whatever. You've always been a bitch." Julie rolls her eyes.
"And you've always been a cunt. Buh-bye!" Clea waves Julie off, turning her back on her and walking back towards the group, leaving Julie in her wake.

***

"Hey, you're one of the team leads of Envisager, right?" Clea approaches you as you grab your drink from the bar. Fuck.
"Y-Yeah… Hi…" You nervously sip your gin and tonic. Up close, you can really see that Clea's eyes are a little bit darker than Verso's, and they're also much sharper in shape. If you compared their features, you'd confidently determine that Verso has the eyes of a deer, while Clea's are akin to a panther. She's even more intimidating talking to her one-on-one in this setting, which is truly saying something since your first encounter with her was when she busted you and Verso post-coitus in front of their family heirloom on the couch.
"Jeez, you're much more nervous than I remember. Which is funny because I would assume you'd be more scared the first time considering the position I caught you and my little brother in." Christ, she's straightforward as hell! You almost choke on your drink in surprise.
"Sorry… Normally I'm more composed than this…" You cough, and she laughs, patting you on the back to help you release the liquor that slid down the wrong way.
"I'll bet. Come on, let's get a bit of fresh air." She leaves you no choice to follow her, but it's a gentle tone.
"So, um… You probably found out I'm an employee because I didn't go with Verso." You clear your throat as she shuts the glass balcony door behind you both.
"Yeah… Are you okay? I think I would've torn the place apart if I were in your shoes right now. I fucking detest Julie." Clea says Julie's name as if she's tasting something bitter on her tongue.
"I don't know her very well. She showed up at the office once. It was really awkward." You reply, suddenly becoming aware of how easy it was to talk to Clea about something like this. It feels like confiding in a big sister, which is weird, because it's exactly how you talk to Claude when he's got something on his mind.
"She showed up at the office? She's got some fucking nerve. What did Verso do afterwards? I hope he's treating you well. I've failed as a big sister if he's making you feel miserable." Clea looks into your eyes, her gaze still as intense as ever.
"Oh, no no, he was a complete gentleman." You recall the absolute mess you were on that night. Yeah, maybe you won't tell her the details of that part. "I was pretty upset, but we weren't even together at the time, so I had no right. He just made sure I got home safe and locked up for me." You divulge.
"Whew, okay, good…" Clea sighs in relief. You realise that she's definitely had a few to drink, but even when she's more relaxed, she's still somehow so easy to be misinterpreted as intimidating.

"You've done a good job, believe me. From one big sister raising her little brother to act right to another." You smile at Clea.
"Ahh, you're a big sister too then?" She smiles.
"Yeah. I got lucky though. He bats for the other team, so I didn't have to worry about him falling down those 'blue haired feminist owned' compilations. He was too busy watching beauty tutorials instead." You chuckle.
"Oh my god. Yeah, luckily Verso grew up just before all that stuff took off. I used to beat him up as kids, if he was watching all that stuff he'd be getting beat up on the daily." Clea talks about beating her little brother up as if it were a badge of pride, which amuses you.
"Oh I don't doubt that. He showed me the scar your shoe left on his head." You chuckle.
"He's such a baby! Look at this." Clea tilts her chin upwards and you see a faint line on her jawline about the length of a coin. "Evil little shit, we were pretending to be knights sword-fighting to the death, and he actually scraped me." You inspect the scar.
"Ahh, it makes sense why you pushed him into the pond playing chasey now." You nod as if you're deep in thought.
"Oh of course. He wouldn't stop showing off about how fast he was. He had it coming." You and Clea share a laugh before falling into a brief lapse of silence.

"…Thank you, Clea. I know you don't know me well and you probably did it because you hate her, but thank you for telling Julie to fuck off." You thank Clea, noticing a brief expression of surprise before her face settles into a small grin.
"You're right, I do hate her and I like telling her to get lost. But also, you seem nice. Verso won't stop talking about you - well, he doesn't stop talking about you yet he so conveniently omits the fact that you're an employee." You can't help but outwardly wince at the mention of your dynamic with Verso coming from Clea's mouth.
"Ahh… Yep. That part is definitely a problem, isn't it?" You sigh, drinking the last bit of wine from your glass.
"It's a problem that can be fixed, though. We're always temporary CEO's. We step in, ensure the company aligns with our parents vision, and step out as we hand over the title to someone else for the long term. So I hope you both last the mile. I've never seen him this happy since… Well, for a long time." Clea notes.
"He makes me just as happy." You shyly admit.
"Good. Anyway, that's really all I wanted to confirm. That he's not being a dick, and that you're okay." Clea gives you a small smile as you both head back inside. You have to admit, you were scared of Clea when she first approached you. You thought she'd rip off your head and accuse you of going after their family's money. The exchange left you pleasantly surprised.

After your chat with Clea, you go back to the dancefloor with Lune and Sciel. Both women checked if you were okay before you began to dance and chat with each other once more. As the music fades, you hear the feedback of a microphone.
"This will be the last song of the night. Thank you everyone for being such an energetic crowd! Hope you like Justin Timberlake's Cry Me a River!" The lead singer of the band calls out, as everybody momentarily claps. The bass guitarist begins to play the chords as the singer begins to hum the very beginning of the song.

"I think you three are the only ones from Envisager actually dancing." Verso approaches, almost practically appearing out of thin air. Lune and Sciel exchange a look with you.
"Make it two! She's been complaining her feet have been hurting for the last ten minutes, but she loves early 2000's pop too much to stop." Sciel laughs, her lie was smooth and expertly crafted; she's the best wingwoman you could ever wish for. You laugh as Lune pretends to shoo you off, and give them a small wave as you step off the dancefloor with Verso at your side.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get out of the situation sooner." Verso apologises in a quiet voice.
"Don't worry about it. We chose the predicament we're in." You reassure him.
"But still…" He trails off.
"But still, it's okay. We actually managed to spend a lot more time around each other than I expected we would. Anyway, enough with the apologies… Congrats on getting Envisager to its first gala. What do you say to a final celebratory shot to end the night?" You offer, as you both walk over to the bar for one final drink before the evening wraps up.
"What are you having?" Verso asks.
"Tequila. Want to do a shot with me?"
"Yeah, why not. Two tequilas please."
"Ah-ah! It's on me." You playfully smack his hand as he tries to reach for his wallet.

And with your shot glass in hand, lemon in the other, you look up at Verso through heavy eyelids as your tongue darts out to lick the salt off your hand, just a little too long and slow, as you keep eye contact with him, before tilting your head back to throw the shot down your throat, head tilted back, exposing your neck for a brief moment. 
"…Fuck." He mutters under his breath.

Fuck indeed.

Chapter Text

Clea can spare Verso the scolding and judgment for tomorrow morning. Right now, it's you and Verso alone in his hotel suite, and nobody else in the building matters.

"Do you know how much restraint I had, to watch everyone eye you wherever you went? It took every fibre of my being to not just kiss you in front of everyone else." Verso whispers breathlessly, drinking in your appearance, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as if he is about to devour you.
"Ha. That makes two of us. It was so fucking annoying hearing other women talk about how hot you are." You retort, but there's no edge to your tone.
"Guess we've both got some frustrations to relieve then." He comments with a small smile as he pulls you in by the small of your back, his thumb tracing over your spine delicately as he kisses you once more. You note the taste of lime and salt on his tongue, his last drink of the night. Determined to meet Verso's ardor, you place your hands on his chest as you gently push him down onto the bed, your tongue flicking out to the corner of your mouth at the sight of him shrugging off his suit jacket and waistcoat. You look as if you're about to eat him alive.

"Just lay back." You whisper as your hands settle on the inside of Verso's thighs, leaning forward in between his legs. Your hands roam over, from his muscular thighs that are flexing under your touch, to the obvious bulge in his pants. You lower yourself to your knees as you undo his belt buckle, the soft clink of metal and Verso's heavy breathing being the only sounds to fill the air for a brief moment. You look up at him through your eyelashes as you impatiently unbutton and unzip his trousers, watching him roll his sleeves up and loosen his tie along with the first three buttons of his dress shirt. "You always take care of me so well. Let me take care of you this time." You say in a low tone, grabbing his cock through his underwear. You spot the small patch of precum where the head of his cock is through the black cotton, and you eagerly hook your fingers under the waistband, just past his hips, freeing his huge cock from the confines of his underwear.

He's watching you as you drag your lips from the base of his cock to the very tip, your tongue flicking out to collect the beads of precum. Verso immediately moans, and the whiny, needy pitch ignites a pool of heat in your stomach. You engulf the entire tip in your mouth, holding eye contact with him as he rasps out a small whimper, his large hands delicately wrapping your hair into a makeshift ponytail with his hands. You breathe out, lowering your mouth down onto him so you can take more of his length in your mouth.
"Fuck, just like that…" Verso barely stifles his moan as you bob your head up and down. You feel his thumb caress the side of your cheek briefly as you hollow your cheeks, savoring the taste of him, your hand moving in tandem with your head. "W-Wait, no… I'm getting close. Not like this…" Verso breathes out, his hands gently prying your mouth off his cock, your lips releasing from his tip with a soft 'pop', a string of saliva connected to your bottom lip and his cock breaking as you stand up.

"Let me get you out of this dress first, at least. As much as I love looking at you in it." Verso murmurs, his hand brushing from the bare skin of your shoulder blades down to your lower back, as he finds the zipper and releases you from your dress, the cloth dropping to the floor with a faint thud. As you pull your panties down and kick your heels off, Verso rids himself of the rest of his clothing too. "Fuck, I'm one lucky man." He whispers, as he gently grips his hands on your hips to draw you closer. His hands are warm, the tips of his fingers dimpling in your flesh as you allow him to guide you down to the bed.

"Please, Verso… Touch me…" You softly whine as he maneuvers your body to sit in his lap, realising that he's got you faced directly in front of the mirror. The sight of yourself perched on his lap has your heart beating leaps and bounds, the implications of what you're about to do sending a bolt of pleasure up your spine.
"Do you want to watch yourself?" Verso asks, his fingers brushing against your thigh as you instinctively open your legs with a slight nod of your head. His head bends to leave a small lovebite at the junction of your neck and collarbone, whilst his hands readjust your legs to make room for his arm. He drags his index and middle finger from your sopping wet hole, spreading your wetness across your cunt as he lazily draws circles on your clit slowly. Achingly slow.
"Stop teasing…" You whimper, making eye contact with him in the mirror, feeling the faintest grin of his lips against the skin of your shoulder.

"I'm not teasing. Just admiring you… Look at how wet you are for me already." Verso notes in a low voice, his index and middle finger parting you slightly as he hungrily gazes at your cunt, his pupils fully dilated. You let out a shaky exhale, suddenly feeling shy and tilting your head away ever so slightly to divert your gaze. "Ah-ah. You have to look." Verso whispers into the skin of your neck, his free hand now cupping your chin to force you to watch yourself as his fingers slowly sink into your cunt. He treats you so nice, takes such good care of you… You didn't realise he had such a perverted streak in him. But maybe you're just as perverted for enjoying this.

"Fuck… Verso…" You moan as he begins to pump his fingers in and out of you, forcing you to watch as he curls his fingers slightly to brush against the spot that makes you clench around his digits wildly.
"Such pretty moans… I wonder if I can hear more if I do…" Verso pauses his sentence, "This." He drives his fingers into you at a harder and faster pace whilst his thumb rubs against your clit, coaxing a loud moan from your throat. You can see the smug expression in his eyes, yet you're too busy succumbing to the feeling of heat pooling in your lower stomach to come up with some kind of witty retort.
"I'm… 'm… Gonna cum…" Is all you can rasp.
"You wanna cum? Ahhh. Let it out. You poor, needy little thing." Verso whispers as he maintains the pace of his hand.
"Fuck! Verso…!" You wail his name as the coil in your lower stomach snaps. Verso's other hand, which is still cupping your chin, delicately strokes against your jawline as you come undone, all over his fingers.
"There we go... I've got you. That's my girl." His voice is low as he slows the pace of his fingers as you ride out your high with soft whimpers.

You're panting as Verso licks his fingers clean, still staring at you in the mirror.
"Now… Let's go again." He breathes out raggedly, as you visibly come down from your high, nodding as you shuffle back onto the bed using your hands and knees. The bed shifts slightly as Verso kneels to the back of you, his hands gripping onto your hips as he sinks his cock into you, slowly stretching you out as you adjust to his size. You mewl at the feeling of him slowly splitting you apart, tiny little beads of sweat beginning to form at your hairline.
"F-Fuck… So full…" You whimper as one of his hands snake to your jawline once more, only this time Verso is cupping you by your chin, his thumb resting on your lower lip as you part your mouth to suck on it.
"You're taking me so well. You're doing such a good job…" He coos as his thrusts become harder and faster.
"V-Verso…" You feel hot tears of pleasure prickling at your eyes as you watch him fuck you from behind in the mirror.
"I've got you…" Verso mumbles your name as your walls squeeze around him tighter.
"D-Don't think I can last much longer." You stammer as your breathing becomes heavier.
"Good, because neither can I…" As soon as the sentence leaves Verso's lips, he moans at the sensation of you tightening. The feeling causes Verso to pound into you at a vicious speed, and you bite back a scream in pleasure.
"F-Fuck… G-gonna…" You're practically wailing now.
"Bite." He instructs in a husky voice, as his thrusts drive against your body, and you instinctively bite down on his thumb to stifle your incredibly loud moan, your walls fluttering around him as you cum. The sensation of your cunt gripping against his cock causes him to moan almost as loudly as you just did, his cum flooding inside your sensitive cunt. Verso pulls himself out of you, kissing the side of your face as you buckle under your hands and knees. He hands you a wad of tissues as you both clean yourselves up.

"Fucking hell. You're more of a perv than I thought." You playfully scoff as you both step into the shower, welcoming the feeling of hot water rushing against your back.
"I… Hm. I can't defend myself in this situation, can I?" Verso scratches the back of his neck.
"No need. It's a welcome surprise." You chuckle. "In fact, I'm interested to find out exactly how depraved you really are." You add, cocking your head to the side with a puckish glint in your eye.
"Odd, I thought I was the deviant out of the two of us. So… Why do I suddenly feel like your prey?" Verso asks in a low voice, head dipping to the crook of your neck, planting a featherlight kiss. As you loop your arms around his neck to bring him in a little closer, the sound of rushing water suddenly becomes background noise as your heart heavily thuds against your ribcage.

"Round two?"
"Round two."

Chapter Text

Verso seemed tight lipped on giving away where your date will be tonight. Your only clue was to dress casually and comfortably, to which you opted for a pair of relaxed jeans, a fitted shirt, and your favourite sneakers, putting emphasis on your hair and makeup since you're dressing plainly. You almost feel a little bad - you've only planned one date with him so far, the rest have all been his idea. But Verso doesn't complain, in fact, it seems that he enjoys planning and taking you on dates. It's something you still need to grow accustom to, since you're used to being the one doing most of the planning in your previous relationships. He's much more romantic than you previously assumed, which has been a very welcome surprise.

Your doorbell rings, and you scurry towards the door, opening it to reveal Verso in a plain striped shirt, black pleated wide pants, and sneakers.
"You look beautiful." He compliments as you lock up your flat, reaching for his hand as you walk the short distance to his car.
"Thank you, although I'm just in jeans and a shirt." You smile, sliding into the passenger seat.
"It doesn't matter what you wear. You're beautiful." Verso glances at you, sticking his keys in the ignition.
"Hm. When did you get so romantic?" You tease, playfully poking his bicep as he shakes his head and chuckles.
"Just saying what's on my mind…" He replies in a smaller voice now, his cheeks taking on a slight pink hue.
"Haha, sorry. Didn't mean to tease. You look very handsome yourself." You return a compliment, to which he gives you a small smile as he continues to drive.

"You've been very secretive about this location. I didn't realise we'd be driving out of the city, I would've packed us some snacks or something." You note as the silhouette of sycamore and oak trees blur into one long line beneath the dusk horizon.
"Hm, snacks? I already took care of that, don't worry about it. I think you'll like this place, it's one of my own favourite spots. Although, maybe I should've also told you to take an anti-histamine before coming. I don't actually know if you get hay fever." Verso says as the car slows down, pulling onto a gravelly road, a dense thicket of more trees creating a canopy that almost enshrouds you in total darkness if it weren't for his headlights.
"While I appreciate you for all your efforts, I can't have you plan, drive, and organise the food! I'll make it up to you on our next date." You practically chide him for taking on the entire effort of the date, but the fact that he's more than happy to go to such lengths makes you feel a little mushy inside. After a short uphill travel, the canopy of trees thins out and the deep blue night sky comes into view. Outside of the city and in nature, the stars now shine brightly, like golden freckles scattered across the skin of the nighttime horizon.

"I can't remember the last time I've seen so many stars." You comment in awe as Verso parks the car.
"Right? We only see satellites or planes back in Paris. I thought a change of pace would be nice for us both." Verso agrees as you hop out of the car. Scanning your environment, you're almost shocked that nature spots like this still exist. It's a beautiful hilly spot, with a breathtaking lookout spot at the ledge. The tall sycamore and oak trees provide some coverage as they rustle in the slight breeze, and the ground is scattered with fully bloomed violets and other wildflowers that gently sway around you. Verso places down a picnic blanket and a basket, full of snacks and a bottle of wine. You have to give it to him. Verso is great at planning dates.

"How did you find this spot?" You ask as you sit down next to him on the blanket. The lookout spot was stunning. Directly in front of you both is a large lake, mirroring the full moon and stars, the still body of water only moving when the breeze momentarily picks up. Beyond the lake were several rolling hills framing the nearby town. The orange glow from the streetlamps and homes from such a far distance looked like gleaming amber gemstones in the quiet night.

"Clea was the first to get her driver's license, she loves hiking and nature; she found this spot herself. She took me and Alicia along for quite a few hikes and drives." Verso explains.
"I never expected Clea to enjoy hiking, I'm not sure why. For some reason I thought of her as a more formal sports type of person, like fencing or tennis." You comment absentmindedly as you dig into the basket, looking for cups. "Ah, I can't find the cups." You add, rummaging through the basket as you lay out the other snacks.
"Really? Shit, I must've forgot." Verso clicks his tongue at his forgetfulness. "Funnily enough, Clea did tennis when she was younger. She would've gone to nationals during her high school years, but she cared more about painting and art." Verso adds on to your earlier comment.

"Why do I get the feeling she's a very competitive person? Actually scratch that, I get the feeling you're both competitive." You chuckle as Verso unscrews the lid of the wine bottle, taking a swig directly before handing it to you. You do the same, letting the taste of the red wine coat your tongue. "Hm, that's good." You hum as you both begin to snack.
"Hah, would you believe I was the least competitive out of the three of us? I don't like to be beat, but Clea and Alicia were on an entirely different level." Verso recalls.
"Oh yeah! I remember when you said you've always been the fastest out of your siblings and they got upset that they couldn't catch you playing chasey, so they pushed you into a pond." You laugh.
"Hey, are you laughing at me? It was a pretty cold morning that day you know!" Verso playfully tells you off before taking another sip from the bottle.
"Gah, speaking of cold, this lake actually brings a cold breeze in." You note, popping a grape into your mouth. Wordlessly, Verso extends his arm out to you as a gesture for you to shuffle between his legs. You immediately scoot into your spot, the inside of his legs touching the outside of yours as you lean your back against his chest. You feel him kiss the top of your head as he passes you the wine bottle.

"Verso…" You begin in a sing-songy voice, the kind of playful tone that says 'I know what you just did'.
"Yeees?" Verso repeats in the same tone you just gave him, your name playing on his lips as you take a sip of wine.
"Why do I have a feeling you forgot to bring a blanket on purpose so we'd end up in this position?" You let out a small huff of amusement as he wraps his arms around you.
"Guilty." But there's not an ounce of sheepishness in his voice.
"Silly. You can have a cuddle whenever you want." You pass the bottle of wine back to him.
"Can't a man make up a dramatic excuse to cuddle his girlfriend?" Verso asks playfully.
"Hmm, yeah okay. I'll let you. Just as a little treat." You chuckle as he takes a long sip and passes the bottle back to you. The word 'girlfriend' rolls off his tongue so naturally. It causes you to blush.

Time passes as you both continue to chatter and eat well into the night. You notice the moon has gotten higher up in the sky as the evening draws out further, and you open your phone camera to take a picture of the still lake and the huge, yellow moon.
"Hmm, it's pretty." You smile at the image.
"Yeah? I'll take a picture of it too then." Verso says, momentarily scooting back. You don't notice his absence of warmth until you turn around and realise he's already taken a picture of you sitting, looking out at the lake with the full moon. The soft yellow moonlight creates a glowing outline of your silhouette, the lake and the night sky serving more as a background while you're the focal object.

"Wha-? No fair! I want a photo with you, not just one of me!" You pout. Verso lets out a short chuckle in response and hands you his phone, the camera app still open.
"You can be the director this time then." He smiles.
"Alright, hmm… Let's swivel around so the moon and lake are in the background." You instruct, as you hold the phone up. The both of you take a few photos - a traditional smiling one, followed by you kissing Verso on the cheek (and upon reviewing the photo, you can tell this happily caught him off guard), and a final playful photo with you both pretending to hold the moon in your fingers, but being completely inaccurate. You send all of the photos to your phone as you laugh at the last one you took.

"Do you even have a bad angle, Verso?" You can't help but gawk as you review the photos.

"I've got plenty, I'm sure." He shakes his head with a small laugh as he pops a jelly snake in his mouth, eating it whole.

"Ooh, can I have one?" You ask as you lock your phone.

"Sure." Verso holds his hand out, but as you move to grab it, he tucks it in between his teeth with a grin.

"Hey! That was meant to be mine." You pout, scooting forward.

"You can come and get it then." He teases, the jelly snake slightly garbling his words as he keeps it held between his teeth.

"So evil." You comment playfully as you move between his legs, attempting to grab it out of his mouth. At the last second, Verso pulls part of the snake up into his mouth, and as a result the only thing your fingers pinched is a light breeze.

"I said you can come and get it?" He teases with an amused, relaxed grin. He's sprawled out on the picnic blanket, propped up on his elbows as he looks at you with a challenging glint in his eye. You force yourself not to stare at the way his chest looks especially broad in his current position.

"I don't think I can! There will be nothing left at this rate!" You whine, shuffling so close to him that you're practically on top of him now as you try to bite the end of the jelly snake. You chomp on nothing but thin air instead. Verso lets out an amused huff as you straddle his hips and loop your arms around his neck to keep him in place. You go for another bite, your timing now more precise as your lips follow last quarter of the jelly snake, as you bite down on the remaining piece whilst your lips lightly brush against Verso's. You don't even care for the orange jelly snakes.

"Fucking finally!" You laugh as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you gently down to the blanket as he kisses you once more. The kiss is soft and gentle, your tongues barely brushing against each other, but when they do it tastes of that familiar tangy artificial orange flavouring. Breaking away from the kiss, you look down at him, his white and black hair slightly fanned out as he's laying down, looking up at you with a fond gaze.

"Just for your knowledge… This is a very secluded spot. Do with that information what you will." Verso whispers, his hand grazing against the side of your waist causing you to shudder under his touch.

"What exactly would you like me to do with that information?" You ask, but your hips are already grinding down against his.

"Anything you want." He replies, his hand snaking up your shirt just a little further.

Away from the wind and open air, you and Verso are now in the back seat of his car, with Verso sat back comfortably and you straddling his lap, kissing his neck.
"Remember when you left all those marks you left on me a while back?" Verso whispers, cradling the back of your head with one of his hands while the other hand remains on the side of your hip.
"Ahh, my turn to hold up my end of the bargain is it?" You grin, tilting your head back a little to expose the skin of your neck. Verso slowly licks a line from the base of your throat, trailing up to the spot underneath your earlobe, as if tasting a meal. It makes you quiver in anticipation. Your fists ball the cloth of his shirt as he leaves a wet, open-mouthed kiss on the side of your neck before sucking at your neck with firm pressure. You bite your lip, taking a deep, shaky inhale at the sensation.

There's something about the way he's marking you. The fact that you know if you don't hide the marks he's making well enough, others could see the way he's marked you. Pulling your shirt over your head, Verso unclasps your bra, his lips never leaving your skin as he continues to suck and kiss at your exposed flesh. You feel his tongue dart out your nipple, his mouth enclosed against the sensitive bud as you begin to grind down against his hips in pleasure. For a moment you hear the sound of another car whizzing by on the road beyond the trees, yet you pay it no mind, your body only focused succumbing to pleasure as Verso leaves yet another love bite on the top of your chest.

"You've left at least five now. You're really getting your payback, huh?" You smirk as he releases his mouth from your flesh.
"Just getting a little carried away. You look good, marked by me like that." Verso breathes out. You dip your head down to kiss his neck once more, your index finger delicately tracing a vein up his forearm before you both discard your layers of clothing, remaining in only underwear as you straddle him again.

"…God, you look so-." You biting your lip. "I have half a mind to record this, you look so fucking hot right now." You softly laugh.

He quirks a brow in curiosity. "Then why don't you?" It appears Verso isn't phased by the idea of being recorded at all. You blink owlishly, as if the lewd idea didn't come from your own mouth just then. He plucks your phone off the adjacent car seat, handing it to you as a wordless dare. "Go on." He challenges, his voice low and smug.

"Do you realise how indecent you sound?" But your facial expression easily betrays your mock-scolding, your hand gently pushing Verso's chest down as he lays back further across the back seat, your knees now resting over either side of Verso's head. Your clothed pussy is hovering over his face, and he's looking up at you now.

Verso pulls your panties to the side as your phone is now in your hand, capturing every second. "Good. Then keep your phone steady." He replies looking up at you from between your thighs, dragging his index finger over your bare pussy. You let out a soft whimper as he plants a hot, wet, open-mouthed kiss on your pussy before licking a long, slow stripe from your hole to your clit. The sensation is dizzying, and your thighs begin to tremble as Verso's tongue flicks against your cunt, while he plunges two fingers inside of you, coaxing a soft whine from your lips.

"Break for me." Verso mumbles against your pussy, the sound of his tongue lapping you up echoing in the humid air as you struggle to keep your phone steady.

"…Pervert." You playfully retort, gasping as he curls his fingers against that sickly sweet spot that makes you moan his name loudly.

"Mm. Says the one recording me eating her pussy, moaning my name like this." Verso grins smugly, and now you're all out of verbal ammunition for a witty response. Your mouth is formed into a small 'O' as you ride his face and fingers, chest heaving as you grind your hips against Verso's face while you feel the familiar coil in your stomach on the verge of snapping. You can't help but glance down into his eyes, drinking in the sight of him sprawled underneath you, so eager to make you orgasm.

The sound of his mouth slurping against your cunt greedily as he moans puts your brain into overdrive, and your body turns rigid. "F-Fuck! 'm cumming…!" You tremble as you cum all over his tongue and fingers.

You cast your phone aside after you come down from your high, and crawl to settle your hips on top of his as he sits up.

"I need you. Badly." Verso whispers against your neck whilst you palm his cock through his briefs.
"Patience." You giggle, adjusting your legs while you free his cock from his underwear, noting how slick his tip is with precum. You slowly run your thumb over it, unable to contain your smug expression as he moans softly in pleasure. Verso reaches for your phone again as you line yourself up on his cock, the phone now leaning against the interior of his car door and flipped to the front camera. You can see yourself straddled on top of Verso; for a split you feel the tiniest bit flustered, suddenly aware that this act is being immortalised. That feeling is quickly replaced by how inexplicably obscene this is, and how turned on you are because of it.

You sink down on his cock - slowly, achingly. You breathe out in pleasure as you adjust to the feeling of how big he feels. Fuck. He feels perfect.
"Oh, god, fuck, Verso…" You moan as you bounce your hips at a slow pace, savouring the feeling of his hard dick dragging against the walls of your cunt, his hands roaming to grip your ass as you increase the tempo of your hips.
"Yeah… Yeah that's it. Use me." Verso hisses in pleasure, his words making your pussy squeeze his cock a little harder.
Gently holding Verso by the chin, you gaze down at him with a borderline feral grin. "You like it when I use you? Then open your mouth." You instruct, and he obeys immediately. Parting your lips, you let a small string of drool fall from your tongue and into Verso's mouth. He watches you with those pleading puppy eyes as he savours the taste.

"Holy fuck." He groans as you continue to ride him, panting and moaning all over his dick.
"G-getting close… W-Wanna go faster…" You stammer.
"I can make it faster. You want that, princess?" Verso asks, and you nod furiously. That's all the response he needed. Verso grips onto your ass as he lifts his hips, holding yours steady while he fucks into you from below. Instinctively, you practically scream his name in pleasure, the sudden drastic increase in pace and pressure driving you wild.
"F-Fuck! Verso… Make me cum… Please make me cum…!" You're practically begging him now, and it only spurs him on to fuck you even harder. You suddenly feel hyper aware of how steamy and humid the inside of the car has gotten, the thick air only making everything impossibly hotter and indecent.

"Yeah, since you're begging so nicely, you can cum all over my cock baby. That's it…" Verso pants as his thrusts slam into that sweet spot deep inside of you, causing your body to tighten and writhe as heat blooms throughout your body.
"C-cumming…!" Is all you can muster as your walls clench around his cock, your body going taut as you orgasm.
"'m gonna cum inside of you now, 'kay?" Verso rasps needily, his hips thrusting up even harder into you.
"Y-Yes… P-please… Cum inside of me…!" You stammer as your climax begins to taper off, your body becoming oversensitive, but you don't care.
"Fuck, yes…" Your name spills from Verso's lips over and over again like a prayer as his cum paints your insides, dripping out from your pussy and onto his cock.

"What a mess we made…" You breathe out, hitting the big red button and locking your phone as you collapse into Verso's lap.
"Don't forget to send that to me later." Verso reminds, kissing your cheek as you both catch your breath.
"I won't." You reply, gazing out the car window. "-Shit, we should've packed up before we did all of that." You chuckle, remembering the picnic blanket outside.
"Mmm, let's go do that after. Just 5 more minutes in here with you first." Verso nods, his fingertips gently grazing up from the small of your back.

You're going to have to plan the next date that will rival this one, which will be rather difficult to do.

Chapter Text

The next morning, you and Verso go your separate ways to disguise any suspicion and avoid being seen. Since you were never a registered guest, it makes the most sense for you to dash away at the crack of dawn since you had no concern with the checkout process. Thankfully, you didn't need to leave in your ballgown, as Verso has packed it with his belongings. You're borrowing one of Verso's button-downs and trousers, held together by two safety pins. Luckily, right now business casual is back in full force and your look doesn't seem very out of place. As the elevator doors close on you, you notice a delicately manicured hand wave the sensor, opening the doors again. Julie. You avert your gaze and slink back to the wall.

"…Hi." Julie greets you.
"Hey." You greet back pensively, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Seems like you and Verso had fun last night. Both your noises me up for most of the night next door. He's a good lay isn't he?" Julie asks as if you're good friends sharing a little secret between each other, and your eyes narrow momentarily. She's being condescending. She's confronting you as if she's a child who's had her toy stolen from her.
"I really have no clue what you're talking about." You know better than to indulge a petty ex, especially when it's painfully clear she's just trying to get under your skin. Admittedly, it sort of does. Her admission that she could hear you both next door seemed intentional. It's likely that she booked her room next to Verso's, possibly in the hopes of knocking on his door at night to see if a rekindling could happen. The thought of her trying to sabotage what you have going with Verso makes you feel sick to your stomach.

"Haha, don't keep it to yourself now. We don't have a lot in common - at all. But we could agree he's probably got the best cock either of us have ever-"
"Ew! Stop talking about my boss like that. God, it's so gross and dehumanising to talk about someone that way, even worse when it's the person I'm working for." You cut her off with a frown. You can be a messy person, but you know better than to get involved in this type of mess.

Julie doesn't seem to take your attempt to disengage her confrontation too well; she returns your expression with a frown of her own. "Hm. You're really good at acting the part of the innocent employee, so let me remind you of something. Verso's world is so different to yours, you're a visitor - a blip on his radar, until he's had his fun slumming it up with the lower class. You will never be able to keep up the act for a part that was never meant for you. All of the brushing shoulders with the elites, and what it takes to speak our language… You're simply not cut from the same cloth as us, and you'll forever be a bumbling fawn in a den full of lions. So just bow out now." Julie spiels unprovoked, her initial congenial tone morphing into a remarkably cold one.

"Whatever, you psycho. Leave me out of it." You shrug her off, refusing to give her a reaction. However from the corner of your eye, you notice that she's following you out from the foyer to the portico. She's well and truly starting to get on your nerves now.

"Don't be this way. I'm asking you nicely to hand in your resignation and disappear from his life. Is it money you want? I can give you two million euros instantly if that's what you want. I don't want to have to go to more extreme measures." The final sentence of Julie's tone has a razor sharp edge to it.

"…Are you threatening an innocent person right now? Please get a fucking life. I don't want your fucking money." You scoff.
"Innocent?" She quirks a brow, shoving her phone into your face. It's a picture of you and Verso at the dinner table, his hand is obscured under the table cloth, but it can easily be interpreted for what it was - him touching your leg.
"We were all drunk, everyone got into each other's personal bubble a little bit. That image doesn't mean anything." You brush her off, opening your rideshare app. It does look very bad though, you hate to admit to yourself.

"Taking it to the media means you can make anything out of very little. I would know since my family are well connected with the Magritte's. I'm sure you've heard of them." Julie name drops with a sneer before digging into her purse. "Here's my card - email or text me proof of your resignation by Monday afternoon, will you? Otherwise I'll have to take more… Drastic measures. Against both you and him. After all, I've known the man for a while, there's a few things I could do to retaliate." She makes a tight-lipped smile, a sadistic glee radiating from her.

"…Leave Verso the fuck out of it. " You narrow your eyes at her, snatching her card from her hand.

"I'm glad you see reason. Oh - and don't tell Verso about it. For both your sakes." She remarks, before sauntering off back inside. You sigh, looking down at her business card.

Is she full of shit, and threatening you as a last-ditch effort? Does she really see you as that much of an obstacle?

Continuing to stare at the phone number on the business card, you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear as the wind softly tussles your hair, gently whipping it in random directions. Even if Julie is full of shit, she has enough money and enough spite to continue pursuing Verso. And that's even with Clea intervening. It would be okay if you had enough money to go up against the only child of a real estate mogul, but you don't. With your mortgage, you wouldn't even be able to afford more than an hours' worth of a lawyer's consultation if it goes down that path. And to ask Verso to cover whatever may happen to you financially is out of the question; too many things can go wrong.

"…Come in." Verso calls out, his eyes lighting up as you enter the room. You realise he hasn't seen you since the work week began. You become painfully aware of the single sheet of A4 paper you're holding behind your back, tightening your grip momentarily as you approach his desk.

"Hey…" Your voice is much smaller and weaker than you intended for it to come out.
"Hi… I haven't seen you around all day today. You alright?" Verso warmly asks, and you want to burst into tears on the spot. This isn't fair. Everything has been going so well.

"Yeah, yeah. Just tired and a bit busy." You pause. You need to rip the band-aid off now. "Anyway …I-I'm resigning. I'll do my final four weeks to see the internship-graduate project through, and then I'll be leaving." Your jaw is clenched as you force your lower lip to stay in place, in fear it will tremble. The announcement is abrupt, totally left field. But if you stay in here for too long, you know that you'll ball that resignation up in your palm and shove it deep in your pocket.

His confused expression painfully gnaws at the edges of your conscience, but it's either this, or you both get hurt. "Wait, what?" He asks, dumbfounded.
"Here's my resignation." You communicate with as little words as possible to stop yourself from breaking down. You place the slightly crumpled sheet of paper on his desk. "Verso, I think we should stop seeing each other. I, uh, I can't see this ending well. I need to put a stop to it before something bad happens." You continue, not being able to meet his gaze.

"I-I know… It's a situation far from ideal. But I have some plans in place-" Verso begins, visibly on edge.
"No, Verso. You can't. This… I know how things like this end for people like me. If we keep going like this, we both already know what will happen. This needs to end." You sigh, finding your footing in your voice to come off as flippant and cold.

Verso looks so hurt, you can see it in his eyes, and you almost want to take it all back, then and there. But you worry that more destruction could come to him and his family if you act selfishly.

"Are you sure? You seemed so agreeable to wanting to take things further on the weekend." The dejection on his face is so evident, and you instantly regret using such a harsh tone with him.
"Verso… I just came to my senses, okay? We shouldn't make it more than a fling and move on from this. This is a really, really inappropriate relationship for us to have."
"From the start, I thought I was pretty clear in the way I communicated with you that I didn't want it to be just sex." Verso frowns.
"Yes, but there's so many layers to this. You're my boss. When we were at the charity ball, it was so uncomfortable acting like we're all just coworkers, then I went and snuck off to your hotel room. It feels… Wrong." It doesn't feel wrong. Nothing about being with him feels wrong, even when you're breaking rules. But you lie anyway.

Verso glances at the window before turning back to you. "If this is what you truly wish for… I understand. I'll process it by the end of tomorrow." He adds, taking your resignation letter and slipping it into his drawer without reading it.
"Thank you." You blink, willing your eyes not to water in front of him. While this outcome is what you wanted, the way he's accepted it and tried to communicate with you so gently has made it even more painful. If anything, you wish that he would just be angry with you. It would make everything easier.

"I feel like there's something you're not telling me, but I won't push it. If this is what you feel is best, then... I respect your wishes." Verso's tone is still gentle despite the hurt you're putting him through. Although the whole resignation process is going seamlessly, your heart is shattering into a million pieces like glass. You can't bring yourself to reply immediately, a stretch of silence filling the room as you're both stuck in your own heads.

"So then… We'll go back to being strangers in four weeks." You're the first to speak again, turning your head to look out the window to avoid Verso's stare. You can see it out of your peripheral vision, and it feels like a knife is twisting your insides. Hurt. Betrayal. Sadness.
"As per your request." His voice is steady. Though you can tell he can't be in the room with you right now.

You got the exact result you needed, but why does it hurt so much more than you thought it would?

Returning to your desk, your coffee is now completely cold. You trudge off to the staff kitchen, dumping your cold coffee into the sink. It feels like the sound in the office has been drowned out, as if you've been plunged into a cold lake of water.

"H-Hello?" Lune waves her hand in front of you to get your attention, repeating your name. Ah, she's been in here and trying to talk to you this whole time.
"I just resigned. I'll be gone in four weeks." You whisper to her, unaware of whatever she was previously talking about.
"Right… Okay. Bathroom, now." Lune whispers back, eyes wide in shock.

You and Lune meet with Sciel at the toilets near the fire escape, the one which hardly anyone uses. Sciel looks straight at you, her eyes filled with sadness and empathy. You know that there's an unsaid notion from the two; their greatest worry for you came true - that you got involved with your boss, and it's now come crashing down, and the consequences may end up being something you can't repay. But they don't speak it out loud, knowing it's not the right time or place.

"Oh god…" Sciel brings you in for a hug, and you begin to cry. Lune wraps her arms behind you as well, as you cry into both of their arms.
"I had to end it. It was getting too messy…" You force your lips to stop quivering as the two break away from you, with Lune grabbing you a tissue from the dispenser.
"You did the right thing. You had too much at stake, but I'm also devastated we won't be working together soon." Sciel sighs.
"I'll be fine, I'll be getting a letter of recommendation and I have access to a lot of connections now. It's just… Ugh." You want to talk about what happened with Julie so badly. But it's never worth endangering your closest friends.

"…Something has happened, hasn't it? You both seemed fine over the weekend." Sciel comments perceptively.
"Yeah. Something happened. But I can't talk about it, I'm scared to put you both in danger too. The person threatening me has a lot of money and technically has access to the control over majority of the Paris property market." You divulge.
"Okay, if you're really concerned about our safety, we won't push it. You must have your reasons. But let's focus on what happened - did he try to make you stay? Did he take it well?" Lune asks.

"He didn't try to make me stay, although he was really nice to me about it. But that just makes it hurt even more." You wipe away a tear, your chest rising and falling dramatically as you try to steady your breath. It barely works.
"At the very least it means you have closure and you can move on from this without things being dragged out. This sucks so badly though, we were rooting for you both." Sciel pats your back gently.

"It's fine… It needed to happen." You take a deep inhale. "Fuck's sake. Always when I think things are going well." 
"It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? The moment it feels like we have something good, either we or something else goes ahead and destroys it all, and then we're back to rebuilding ourselves." Sciel comforts you.
"Yeah. I should've seen this moment coming from a mile away, I don't know why part of me believed that it could possibly end better for me. I'm so unbelievably stupid." You mumble, throwing the tissue in the bin.

"But Sciel has a point. You will rebuild yourself, whether that's in a month or a few years. And you'll be stronger." Lune consoles, and you nod.
"Thank you both for being here. I don't know what I'd do without you both." You say gratefully, tears threatening to spill from your eyes again as you feel your mouth wobble between a grin and a frown.

That felt… Fucking awful. You were hoping that by saying very little and treating Verso with indifference, he'd get angry and lash out. A twisted part of you was hoping to see an ugly side to him, and it would make leaving a little easier to stomach. He's too patient, too nice… He's a good partner, through and through.

It's going to make the next four weeks just that much more disgustingly painful.

Chapter Text

Three weeks to go.

You've managed to dodge Verso to the best of your ability over the last week, using up your sick leave and avoiding common areas he could pass through. But of course, your luck runs out, and now you're here in the group conference room, sitting at the table with Minh, Amelie, and Verso, discussing strategies to minimise team workload for when the graduate program launches.

Despite Amelie and Minh being in the room with you both, and a huge discussion is being had, it feels like the only people in this room are you and Verso. It's been a week since you broke things off, and it hasn't gotten any easier. His expression of confusion that contorted into hurt as you used such an icy tone is seared into your brain. When you try to sleep at night, the only thing that you see when you close your eyes is his face. It feels like somebody has shoved their hand right through the skin of your chest, and they're poking around your ribcage, trying to wrench your heart free from your body and rip it out.

"…Hey, are you okay?" Amelie whispers softly.
"Huh?" You blink, removing your chin from your hand.
"You look really unwell, maybe you should take more sick leave. You've barely spoken up this whole time." Her voice is soft, full of concern.
You bite on your bottom lip, momentarily staring at Verso's hands that are directly across from you, currently fiddling with a pen. You can't help yourself, it's almost as if your eyes have a mind of their own right now. You momentarily look up, and you see he's already staring at you. The way Verso is staring at you right now… It's gentle, and a little sad. Not an ounce of disdain or anger. He's been patient - waiting for you to come around and talk to him. Guilt begins to seep into your bones.

"-so perhaps we could delegate certain people to such roles instead? That way, it's somewhat of a seasonal thing and they can be enticed to do this for extra TOIL or a bonus." Minh proposes, and you force your eyes to focus on him.
"That's a good consideration - something we'll take into account on launching the program. Now, I think we'll conclude the meeting and see how this integrates with our other plans. Thanks for coming along, everyone." Verso nods definitely as everybody begins to pack up. You're rushing, trying your best to be the first one out of the door so that Verso doesn't even get a chance to ask you to stay back. First your laptop, now your drink bottle, and finally your wireless mouse…

Thwack!

It's like everything is happening in slow motion right now. The plastic rattle of your mouse spilling onto the floor echoes in your eardrums. You watch the cover over your single AA battery inside of your mouse bounce off the carpet, watching the battery that was once inside of your computer mouse now roll all the way to the opposite end of the room. "Shit…" You mumble under your breath, only loud enough for yourself to hear. You hear Minh and Amelie chatter as they leave the meeting room, and it's only you and Verso. Fuck. You ignore Verso's stare, placing your laptop and water bottle back down on the table as you walk over to the corner your battery has rolled off to. And of course, the battery also has to be black, matching with the carpet. You're standing still, your body practically frozen as you scan the carpet.

"You can take your time. The room isn't booked directly after." Verso's voice is gentle.

Your back is still turned as you take a slow step forward. "T-Thanks. It's quite hard to see, it's all blended in with the carpet." You internally curse yourself for stammering.

"Wait, I think I see it." Verso calls out, and he briefly crouches, plucking the battery only two metres to the left from you from the carpet, as if it had never been lost.
As you both stand up, Verso hands the battery to you. There's no expectancy or impatience, his hand is simply steady and willing. You gingerly retrieve it, trying your best not to make any physical contact with him. But of course, your fingertips brush against his, just ever so slightly. It makes you internally wince.
"Thank you." You whisper, throat feeling raw despite barely saying a word.

"Can we please talk? You've been avoiding me for the last week." Verso asks as you brush past him, making your way to your laptop.

You just want him to hate you so it's a little less painful. "Is there anything else to say?" Your question carries an edge to your tone, scooping your laptop into your arms.

"I just want you to know you can talk to me. I know something is going on that you're reluctant to tell me, but it's not fair to simply shut me out." His voice is low, the final sentence tinged with sadness. Verso takes a tentative step closer to you, now only an arms length away. Somehow, that's still too close for comfort right now.

"I-I…" You can't find your words. Your mouth opens and closes, jaw trembling a fraction. "Verso… It's too much. I'm sorry." Is all you can muster as you snatch your drink bottle and walk off, keeping your head down. If you look back, you know you'll crumble the moment you look into his eyes.

Two weeks to go.

"Hey, you've barely been eating since you returned." Sciel is the first to pipe up. Bless your friends; you know you're a miserable grey cloud, dragging droplets of sorrow across any atmosphere you're in. Despite it all, Sciel and Lune remain by your side.

"You're worrying me as well, it's clear you're not sleeping well… I don't blame you, but it's getting concerning now." Lune follows up.

You take a sip of your water. "I can't help it. Food is just… Off-putting to me right now."

"It's okay, I've been there too. Surely you can have something small though, right? Maybe a soda and a packet of chips? It would be a nightmare if you collapsed in exhaustion on the ride home." Sciel offers, and you nod.

"You're right, I'm going to feel even worse if I don't at least try to look after myself. I'll go to the vending machine. Does anybody want anything?" You ask the girls as you rise from your chair.

"I'm dying for chocolate - any chocolate is good chocolate." Sciel nods.

"I'm all good, thanks though." Lune smiles at you.

"Alright, I'll be back soon." You give your friends your best reassuring grin; but you know it doesn't fool them in the slightest. As you begin to walk off, the fatigue and pain from all those sleepless nights and such little food seems to catch up to you once Sciel and Lune had pointed it out. You notice the dull, throbbing ache in your head. It feels like a vice grip around your skull, squeezing you until you explode. Trudging towards the vending machine, you fulfill Sciel's request first, followed by your own order of chips and a drink.

The vending machine whirs as you punch in the code for your snack, when out of the corner of your eye, you spot him. You crouch down, un-tucking your hair from your ear to create a makeshift curtain to hide yourself, even though you know it's futile. You hear the soft click of his boots, your eyes fixed on your bag of crisps dropping to the bottom of the machine, although you can see his figure in your periphery. Wordlessly, you hear him punch in a code and swipe to pay for something. Moments later - your favourite soda, without fail, drops down at the bottom. You look up, already knowing it's Verso.
"…Oh." You mumble. You've never seen Verso drink soda before - it's definitely for you.

"Shit, sorry. I'm a creature of habit." He mumbles an apology as you pull the soda out from the vending machine. The can is practically freezing cold, yet the warmth that strikes through your clammy, hot palms almost instantly takes the chill out of the aluminum. "I should probably stop assuming you need me for that." He adds, the sentence barely reaching your ears as you stare at him.

"I- no, it's okay. I don't want to owe you though, I can get you something in return…" You trail off. This is the first time you've had the chance to properly look at his face since the meeting room last week; he looks tired, but not the sort of tired that's associated with work. This is a different kind of tired you've seen him wear, an expression of exhaustion that appears foreign to you. You're not used to seeing this emotional exhaustion on his face. And while you feel this expression seems foreign on Verso, it seems painstakingly familiar to you; because you realise that for the last two weeks, this emotional exhaustion is what you have been seeing in the mirror.

"Don't worry about it." Verso replies - it's in an impersonal tone, as if he's now resigned to your decision, and he's now just trying to give you what you want; which is to go back to being strangers. You watch him walk off, his retreating figure becoming smaller as you feel your stomach drop. Watching Verso walk away hurts. Even though he's right there, and more than likely willing to let you tell him exactly what's going on. Despite the pain you've put him through, you have no doubt he'd hold you and tell you everything is okay. He's so close, yet so far away. You blink away a tear that threatens to blur your vision, walking back to Sciel and Lune on the upper floor.

You hand the bar of chocolate to Sciel, your grin wobbling as you clench your jaw to will yourself from sobbing.
"Thanks." Sciel smiles as you sit down and pop a crisp into your mouth. While your body has been screaming at you for any form of sustenance, your throat remains dry and seized up.

"…Did something happen?" Lune asks gently, and you shake your head, deciding to shovel a few more crisps into your mouth in the hopes of avoiding to talk.

"Okay. We're here to talk when you need to." Sciel reassures, and this time you nod, your eyes fixed on the wooden grain of the table, as you try to smother the guilt that is blooming within you.

Upon returning home from work that day, you almost instantly collapse on your couch - partially out of physical fatigue, partially out of feeling emotionally overwhelmed. You're not quite sure what possesses you to do it, but you unlock your phone and decide to look through your camera roll until you find the photo of you and Verso together, both pretending to hold the moon in your hand but intentionally failing miserably. You then swipe to the next photo - a photo of you kissing his cheek. Your fingertips brush over your lips, as if trying to recall the sensation. The trash can button looks so tempting right now - but you can't bring yourself to delete it. None of it. Julie can take away your relationship with Verso, but you won't let her take your memories with him away too.

You cried yourself to sleep that night. You've been crying yourself to sleep most nights, but this is the hardest you've sobbed.

One week to go.

Your phone dings. It's Claude.

'hey are u ok? haven't heard from u recently. asked sciel and lune and they said ur dealing with some stuff but they said it's not their information to tell' (3:09pm)

'i'm okay, yeah. i just have some complicated things going on right now. thank you for checking in' (3:16pm)

'u don't wanna talk about it? not even to ur lil bro? :(' (3:21pm)

'i'm not sure if i can, not that i don't want to talk about it' (3:36pm)

'try me!! pls, i will be the world's most useless sibling if u can't even vent to me, even if it's just a little' (3:41pm)

'just don't judge…' (3:45pm)

'never' (3:45pm)

'i got… involved with my boss lol' (3:46pm)

'oh, like "involved" involved' (3:48pm)

'yeah… not just hooking up though. dating' (3:48pm)

'i was nosey and looked up ur boss. verso dessendre?' (3:51pm)

'that's him' (3:52pm)

'this whole time u were dating the son of a billionaire family and i didn't even notice' (3:53pm)

'to be fair, nobody was meant to notice. since i am/was his employee lol' (3:55pm)

'was?' (3:57pm)

'i had to resign. he has a fucking crazy ex who threatened me and said she'd harm the both of us if i told him about the threat. i had no choice but to break up with him' (4:01pm)

'i'm so sorry… that's such a shit situation to be in. so if not for her, things would've gotten more serious with him?' (4:03pm)

'i guess so. idk, maybe u wouldn't like him tho' (4:05pm)

'why?? is he an asshole?' (4:06pm)

'no but he's rich and yk… eat the rich' (4:09pm)

'if he's genuinely a good person that makes u happy, then i have no business to comment on money. even if that makes me a bit of a class traitor' (4:11pm)

'he's actually a really good person. i've been trying my best to make him hate me but he's still so nice to me. so yeah im just really bummed' (4:16pm)

'if he's ur dream guy then why r u letting the psycho ex gf win. go get ur man' (4:22pm)

'cuz this psycho ex gf is the only child of one of paris' biggest real estate moguls and she could very well make our entire family homeless if she wanted to' (4:28pm)

'ahhh… wouldn't verso be richer than her? surely it wouldn't matter' (4:32pm)

'but having to ask him to potentially financially cover me for something i can't pay is really… ugh. also she said she's got stuff against him. i'm taking the path of least resistance' (4:38pm)

'hmm if u say so. but i think if u really love someone, u would take the risk. besides, u said he's a good person. maybe communicating for once in ur life wouldn't hurt, food for thought xxxxx' (4:41pm)

'oh what was that? sorry, i can't hear you. you're cutting out. i'm doing overtime so i'm stepping away from my phone for a bit. we'll catch up later, see ya!!' (4:47pm)

[Claude skull emoji reacted to your text.]

You put your phone down, continuing to type away, intentionally trying to hide from Verso and be the last one to leave the office. You checked his calendar, and he was meant to end his day a bit earlier. Sighing, you watch the clock tick past the 5pm mark. Your gaze flickers back to the screen as you continue to type away, trying to wrap up as much work as you can before Friday rolls around.

It's getting too real now. You're so close to the end of your time here, and leaving is going to be painful. Along with building up Envisager, you had also built yourself up in the process. Whether you want to admit it or not, your work became a very large part of your identity. For it to be unwillingly taken from you… It just makes you want to cry. But you can't cry - not here. You need to keep going.

…

"You need to wake up. I'm heading off now, you're the last one left in the building." A deep voice calls out to you. You blink your eyes as your vision pulls into focus. Huh? When on earth did you end up falling asleep? You've been having many sleepless nights lately, but you didn't think that you slept that badly last night.

You jolt upright, wiping the drool from the corner of your mouth as your eyes dart to the source of the voice. "Fuck." You mutter, index finger swiping side to side on the cool metal of your track to wake your laptop, your eyes briefly settling on Verso. He doesn't say anything back to you, just a resigned look in his tired eyes, with his lips pressed into a thin line. It's unnerving at how little he says, and the selfish part of you wishes he'd still look at you with those gentle, sad eyes, rather than the stone-cold poker face he has on. "Yes, sorry, give me two seconds, I'm just preparing a handover resource. It's already pending on the printer." You clear your throat, brushing past him as you print the abundance of papers, now hyper-conscious that Verso is waiting on you. You pull the papers together, swiftly stapling them as you dash back to your desk. "U-Um, here's the handover resource booklet for whoever takes over my position and pending projects. I'll, uh, handle any further revisions before I go, just so you don't need to worry about more stuff when I'm gone." You internally curse yourself for stammering; this isn't what you need right now.

Verso's jaw ticks, crossing his arms as his gaze doesn't quite settle on you. "Right." He replies flatly, "Because god forbid I think about it." His words are a little pointed, full of dejection. It suddenly becomes clear that the scarcity of your words and presence has given him little to cling onto, so with every remaining word you have left with him, he's absorbing fully.

"That... Is not what I meant." You can't help but gulp thickly as the booklet drops to your desk with a soft thud. Your eyes meet his, and you see it. He's at the end of his tether, and you finally see a little sharpness in his eyes, a different look to what he would give you before. For the last three weeks, he was looking at you as if you were breakable, like he needed to keep his arms open for you when you'd finally come around. But you can see it now; he's given up on hoping you'd talk to him. He looks like he's finally done breaking on your behalf.

"Is it not?" His voice is a little clipped, and very, very tired. "Because that's what it sure feels like." Verso's posture is rigid as you try to say something, anything, but despite attempting to speak, no words leave your mouth. "You've made things perfectly clear now. You don't want me to worry, you don't want me involved in any way, so… I'm trying." He says while you pack your bag up, desperately trying to avoid his piercing gaze as you sling your bag over your shoulder. "…Believe me, I'm trying." He whispers the last part. You hate the way your chest clenches at his words.

"I'm sorry." Your voice is barely above a whisper as you both approach the main office door wordlessly. You know that sorry isn't good enough; you can see it in Verso's face that he was hoping you'd say more than just a short apology.
You lock up the building, turning on your heels as you both walk towards the exit points, only Verso turns his back to you, mutely opening the door to the stairwell as you stand at the elevator. Oh god, he doesn't even want to be in the same space as you if he can help it now.

The elevator door dings open as you walk in, your chest somehow searing with pain yet the rest of your body feels cold and numb. As the elevator door closes, you finally let out what you've been holding in. You smother your mouth with your hand as you let your head hang low, silently sobbing as the moment you've been dreading finally happens - he's too tired. He's done with you now.

Wednesday. Three days to go.

"Hi, yes sorry to contact your number! It's Anne from UoP, Claire's assistant. We've been trying to get a hold of Mr. Dessendre, but it seems he's been in a meeting. Would you two be available to come in this Thursday for a once-over on the internship-graduate project? Sorry to burden you with this request as it's so last minute! We need confirmation as soon as possible, since Claire will be going on a business trip soon and would like to tie this together…" Anne asks.
"Mmmm, sure. I'll let him know. So Thursday, what time?" You ask, pulling out a notepad and pen.
"Thursday, 4:30pm. Thank you so much!" Anne thanks you before you hang up. You want to throw yourself out of the window. That tired, resigned gaze from Monday is still seared into your brain. You're not sure how you can face him right now.

'Received a call from UoP. They're requesting a meeting on Thu @ 4.30pm with Claire for the internship-graduate project. [RSVP] (4:47pm).'
'Invite accepted by Verso Dessendre (4:54pm.)'
You stare at your chat channel, clicking off of it before you succumb to the urge to scroll back on your past chats with him. It reminds you that again, you need to delete your photos and videos with each other soon. But you can't bring yourself to do that just yet. Right now, you need to focus on getting through this.

...

Thursday. 3:20pm.

You glance at Verso's office door. You glance back at your laptop screen. There's no way in hell you're going to go in his car this time again.

You begin to pack up, heading down the elevator and to the Metro and bus. You're slated to arrive 10 minutes prior to the meeting at the latest, which is perfect. As you emerge from your Metro stop, you notice it begins to drizzle a little. You haven't brought an umbrella today, but that should be okay, it's only a light sprinkle.

You eye Verso's car as you walk up the path, you internally groan at the thought of being stuck in a room with the man again, but at least Claire would be there too.
"Hello! You'll be pleased to hear we've patched the central hall up, so no cramped room today!" The chancellor greets, her klein blue sweater a great contrast to the dreary and grey afternoon sky. You wave at her as you hear Verso's car door open. You don't even want to look behind you.
"Thank you again, Claire. Our full proposal has been finalised, so we'll go through it once more and hopefully we can get everything signed off and ready so we can begin a partnership." Verso says. You can see him in your peripheral vision and your jaw clenches, your shoulders stiffening a little. You immediately relax them as to not give anything away in front of the chancellor.

Upon entering the meeting room, you note that it is thankfully, far more spacious. You debate on your seating arrangement with Claire at the head. Should you sit next to him? Ugh, too close. Opposite him? Eye contact is too much right now. But sitting further away would look weird… Ah, opposite it is. You pull up the files as you notice the rain beginning to smatter in thicker, heavier globs against the window. Summer rain is so gross and humid.
Verso leads most of the project proposal, to which you expertly filled in the blanks and tiny details.

You're meant to be broken up, but your body betrays you. Despite telling yourself you need to remain indifferent, that doesn't stop your eyes from roaming to sneak glances at his forearms. The way his chest is so muscular that you can see the outline of it through his button-down. The way his hair is dropping forwards to frame his face makes him look like a delicately carved marble statue. And his lips…

For fucks sake, you need to snap out of it. He looks up at you momentarily, catching you staring. You immediately look away, turning your attention to the chancellor. Merde. You're meant to act as if you're completely over him yet you're staring at him like you want to eat him. How fucking embarrassing!
"I think this is wonderful. Our students often struggle to get such quality internship opportunities. I'll admit, I've not heard much of Envisager, but I can see the vision your company has and how much it will help with giving our students job experience. I cannot thank you both enough for reaching out to me." Claire smiles as she scribbles her signature on paper, along with signing an electronic copy. Silence fills the room for a moment, the sound of a pen on paper echoing before everybody decidedly concludes the final meeting. The chancellor appeared very pleased throughout the project's final draft, which made you breathe an internal sigh of relief. The project can now be copied and applied across all the other universities since it's up to the UoP standard now. Perfect timing for everything to be wrapped up as your final day is tomorrow.

"Ah, such awful weather! I'm so glad you could both come on such fairly short notice. Take care in this dreary downpour!" Claire gives you both a friendly wave before shutting the door, as you begin to step out of the awning.

"…You can't be serious, you're going to walk all the way to the bus station in the rain?" Verso surprisingly pipes up first. You ignore him, unable to bring yourself to look at him or reply. You begin to walk, and he jogs along to catch up with you.
"I can handle myself. Just go to your car." You mutter, crossing your arms. You can see the rain droplets splash against your white collared shirt, ironically looking like tears on a crisp white pillowcase.
"You'll catch a cold. And it's getting dark." Verso comments.

"Verso, we ended things. You need to stop caring about me. Remember?" Your voice is slightly pointed, and your legs begin to pick up the pace, however Verso is easily keeping up with his longer legs.

"I can't, and I don't want to." Verso steps closer to you. Rain droplets are beginning to cling to your hair and skin as you stare at him. He looks sad again.

"I thought you've finally given up, besides, I cut things off." You mumble.

"Exactly - you cut it off. I was talking to you about wanting to take things further and I even wanted to introduce you to my family, then a few days later you stroll into my office and said we can't keep seeing each other. By the way - you resigned on your own accord too. What am I supposed to think?" Verso asks, his lips curving downwards into a frown. The frown you can handle, but the worst thing to look at are his eyes. They're filled with pain, his eyebrows furrowed in a way that makes him look so vulnerable.

…He's hurting. You know you've hurt him. But you say nothing. You both continue down the path, his car coming into view now.

"I… Ugh. It's complicated, Verso." You mutter, your volume barely louder than the rain.
"I'm trying my best to respect your wishes and to stay away, but I'm just so confused. What could be so complicated that you decide to just walk away - not just from me, but your job too?" Verso asks.
"Verso…" You sigh.
"So then… I don't matter to you anymore?" His question plucks a chord within you, and you feel your heart sink to your stomach.

"No! You do matter, and you will always matter to me. But we can't… We just can't." You know you're not being fully honest with him, but you don't know how else to communicate. "Please… Just let it go, Verso. We're not together anymore. Trust me, it's better this way for everyone." You plead, trying your damnedest not to look at him.

"I was hoping you would come around and talk to me… But it seems it wasn't the case. If you walk away now, I'll truly give up for good. I won't chase you. But I just need to know… Did I do something to make you want to leave me behind?" Verso's voice cracks sadly.

You falter. "Verso… I don't want to leave you behind…" You feel a tear run down your cheek, thankful that the rain washes the stray tear away quickly.

"Then… Why won't you talk to me? Over the last few weeks, I haven't been able to sleep. I keep tossing and turning, wondering what I could've done differently or if I missed something. It hurts, you know? Being abandoned by somebody I love again…" Verso's eyes are glassy as he lays his bare feelings out in front of you.

"No… Fuck. I never intended to hurt you, I've been doing this so you don't get hurt." You shake your head, taking a step closer to him.

"But you've already hurt me. You're leaving me with nothing - not a reason, choice, or closure. Just... Nothing." Both of you are now fully drenched in the evening summer rain as you stand there, staring at each other apprehensively.

"It's a different type of hurt I'm trying to protect you from. And it's hurting me too." You admit, still ambivalent on whether it's wiser to walk away, or give him proper closure.

"But what do you mean by protecting me from being hurt? If you need to walk away, I'd at least like to hear the truth. Please… I at least deserve that much." Verso's eyes search yours desperately.

You can't tear your gaze fast enough. Fuck. Tears escape your eyes, and your sobs are drowned by the rain. You can't help yourself now, he's too sad, he's too hurt, and despite it all, he's still trying to understand why you're choosing to abandon him. He does deserve at least that much.

"I-I'm so sorry…" Your chest aches with regret at the way you've treated Verso over the last few weeks. Every syllable tumbling from your mouth feels like a fresh bruise being pressed in places you've been trying to ignore. "…Julie threatened me. She approached me the day I was leaving the hotel after the charity ball. She told me I needed to resign and disappear from your life, otherwise she'd make mine hell. But she told me if I talked to you about it, she'd hurt you too. I never wanted to do this to hurt you, I thought I was protecting you." You explain yourself, releasing a breath you didn't even realise you were holding.

For a long moment, Verso's face was unmoving. Until you spot his jaw tick. His eyes shifting away, and for a second, his expression becomes unreadable. You suddenly become hyper-aware of the thick, humid atmosphere as the sound of rain fills your ears. Then finally, Verso expels a sigh, his eyes softening as he looks at you once more.
"…I now understand that you were trying to protect me, but that also meant you took the choice away from me. If you gave me a chance, I would've stood beside you." You can hear the frustration in his voice, but his tone has lost that guarded edge to it now. His reaction feels like a catalyst, and you feel your heart cracking into pieces as you realise that he loves you this much - that he'd fight for you this much, yet you thought he'd easily replace you if you try to disappear. You feel another stab of guilt in your chest.

"But I would risk you getting hurt, she was implying she would smear your reputation, or maybe even go to more extreme lengths if that didn't work. You've already been through so much, Verso." You sigh, and he takes another step closer to you.
"If there's a risk, we face that risk together. You don't get to be the only one who decides what I can bear, okay?" His voice is gentle, but firm. You nod in acknowledgement as his thumb wipes a tear off your cheek.

"Okay." You whisper, leaning into his touch. You've been missing this warmth. Oh god, you've missed him so much.

"I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to just reach for you, but I waited because I didn’t want to push. And now, knowing why… it hurts even more." Verso whispers, his arms pulling you into an embrace as you begin to sob into his chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I never wanted to abandon you. I'm so fucking sorry…" You murmur apologetically, feeling his hand thread through your hair as you continue to cry.
"Shhh… It's okay." Verso's voice is soft and soothing, his hand moving to the small of your back to steady you. The feeling of his warm hand rubbing small circles on your back sends a shiver up your spine, and it's not because you're cold. And that's when you realise - your body is trembling under his touch. Your breath hitches in your throat, painfully aware of how delicate things are between you both right now, so instead you simply look up at him, pressing your body just a little closer to his.

"I missed you." Your words are innocent enough, but it's the way your body is pressed closer to his, and your hands are gripping his muscular arms through his rain-soaked shirt.

"Seems as though your body does too." Verso remarks, his tone shifting into something playful yet beguiling. You look at him sheepishly, a red flush blooming across your cheeks. Verso leans in just a little closer, your lips hovering over each other, your breath mingling with his. Your hands subconsciously roam from his biceps to his shoulder blades, coaxing a subtle shiver from him. You stare into each others eyes once more - this time all anguish is gone, now replaced with yearning. The rain is still pouring, the droplets of water sliding down your bodies, making everything feel so impossibly slick and close.

You can't bare it anymore.

His lips crash down onto yours.

Chapter Text

It's not a gentle kiss, it's a kiss where teeth clash and your entire being is consumed upon contact. You feel his hands circle around your waist, as he pulls you closer. His tongue pushes against yours, and you fight back with equal fervor.

Miraculously, you both pull each other into the small thicket of trees and bushes, Verso gently pushing you up against the tree as he kisses your neck before biting down on it with gentle pressure, leaving a mark. You're thankful for the downpour muffling your whimper. Your fingers lace through Verso's hair before tugging on it, as you feel him unbutton your blouse a little more, your chest exposed to him as his tongue flicks against your nipple.

You mewl, your body turning into jelly as you lean back further into the tree for more support. Verso hitches your leg up, your skirt pooling to the top of your hips as his fingers rub against the dampened, thin fabric of your panties. His fingertips quickly find your clit, rubbing it teasingly in small, slow circles as he greedily kisses your mouth, swallowing your moans.
"Ah. I thought so." Verso whispers against your mouth.
"Hurry up and fuck me." You grit out impatiently, receiving a smirk from him in return. Wordlessly, he unbuckles his belt, whilst you slip your underwear off your ankles, slyly placing it in his pocket.

You feel his hand against your hips, the crook of your knee held up under his other arm. Verso hisses in pleasure as he sinks his cock into you.
"Fucking missed you." He whispers against your skin, leaving another mark on your neck. Your eyelids flutter at the feeling of being full and stretched out by his cock. You mumble his name breathlessly as he begins to rock his hips into you. Despite the heavy rain, you're both so close to each other that your ragged and loud exhales against each others skin fills your ears.

You feel Verso begin to pick up the pace, his thrusts becoming faster and harder than you've ever felt before. The force rocks against your body as your pussy greedily takes his cock to the hilt.
"F-fuck… I-I'm gonna cum so fast if you keep this up…" You breathe out.
"Good, because I can't last much longer now either…" Verso pants, barely keeping the rhythm of his hard and fast thrusts. You gasp out his name as your walls tighten, his name tumbling out of your mouth as he spills himself inside of you.

You look at each other for a minute, the world pausing as you both catch your breath. Both your cheeks are flushed as you push yourself off from the tree, and Verso reaches for your hand. You don't pull back. You're happy to finally feel the warmth of his skin on yours once again.
"Come on, let's get you home." He says in a gentle tone.

The car ride was mostly in silence, the sound of classical music softly playing from the car stereo served its purpose to smother the slightly awkward silence.
You're unsure of what to say or do - you've resigned, you said you want to exit his life. And that lasted for roughly… Three weeks. But Julie's threat also weighs on your mind; at some point in time, she's going to realise that you and Verso are still together, and she'll probably retaliate. But Verso seems confident he can handle the situation, and over the last three weeks, you've been far too emotionally and physically tired to fret over the future right now.

Verso pulls into your driveway, parking his car. "Thank you for telling me what really happened." He says to you, and you glance towards him.
"I should've been honest from the start. Instead I put us both through agony over the last few weeks…" You trail off.
"It's okay. You weren't doing it because you wanted to." He says, his hand reaching for your knee as he gently rubs the exposed skin with his thumb.
"…I'm scared she's going to go crazy. At some point she'll realise we're not broken up; it's only a matter of time." You mumble tiredly.
"She's a fucking idiot, and her family have more scandals than I can count with my two hands. I would never let her touch a hair on your head." Verso reassures you.
"So then…" You purse your lips. Is it even appropriate to ask Verso to get back together? What exactly is meant to happen now?
"I hated every minute of those last three weeks. I don't want to risk losing you again." Verso whispers. You nod in response.
"Can we pretend like those last three weeks never happened? That was… Well that was fucked." You exhale tiredly.
"Agreed. We can fuss about the other matters later tomorrow." Verso nods.
"And… Is it okay if I ask you to stay over tonight? I've been getting paranoid ever since she threatened me. Even if it's an irrational thought, I'm scared somebody is watching me." You glance at him.
"Of course I'll stay with you."

…

You're both in your shower, ridding yourselves of the rain and grime from the day. Despite being naked under the steaming hot water, there's no sexual undertones to the action. You begin to sud your hair with shampoo, and you feel Verso's hand on your wrist.
"Let me." He says gently, his fingers raking through your hair and massaging against your scalp. Afterwards, you return the action in kind for him, eyeing his white streaks with curiosity.

"I can feel you staring." Verso chuckles softly.
"Sorry, it's very interesting to look at. I'm glad you don't dye it over, I think it looks good on you." You mumble as he rinses the shampoo from his hair.
"Thank you." Despite his back turned to you, you could feel a sense of shyness from him. In the middle of it all, it suddenly dawns on you that this is the very first time you've had the chance to study the scar on Verso's back up-close. Your eyes fall on the burn scar across his muscular back. You can tell that it healed incredibly well, the scar was quite flat and was only a shade different from the rest of his skin. It sprawls across the bottom of both his shoulder blades in thin spindles. You remember when you once clung onto him, digging your nails in his back and dragging them down, just stopping where the scars begin. The thought of almost hurting him there makes you internally wince, even if he didn't seem to care.

In a macabre way, the burn scars across his back fan out, almost in the formation of angel wings. Instinctively, your fingertips gently trace across his shoulder blades, causing Verso to subtly flinch.
"O-oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." You apologise, withdrawing your hand.
"It's okay. It just caught me by surprise. It's a bit unsightly to look at, isn't it?" Verso asks, head hanging low.
"It looks like it was incredibly painful, but I would never say it's unsightly." You pause. "Do you think it looks unsightly?" You ask gently.
"A little. It's a reminder that I couldn't save her." Verso says, his voice barely above a whisper. You're unsure of what to say in the situation - you've never experienced what he has. You decide to wrap your arms around him from behind, instinctively placing a small kiss on top of both shoulder blades.
"That tickles a little." Verso comments, but he doesn't pull away. He simply further relaxes into your touch.
"I wish I could've been there for you before." You whisper.
"…Thank you." Verso pauses. "You make me so happy… But sometimes I feel undeserving of happiness."

The hot water continues to roar as steam envelopes you both. "What do you mean you don't deserve it?" You ask gently.

"I don't know. Ever since Alicia died, Clea and I have had suspicions about the fire, and who might've been behind it. It wasn't an accident, we're certain of it." Verso explains. You gesture him to continue explaining with a small nod. "Alicia was so young, she wanted to see the good in others. She's always been inquisitive too. Unfortunately, giving people the benefit of the doubt and being a naturally curious person was something that others took advantage of. Fuck, she was just a kid. She was only sixteen."

You sweep a stray white hair clinging close to Verso's eye. "So you can't forgive yourself because whoever did it hasn't been found and punished?" You ask, and he nods.

"I can't move on, no matter how hard I try. And I'm always worried that perhaps they'll go after me, Clea, or even maman and papa. They shouldn't get to terrorise us and live their life freely." Verso mutters bitterly.

"By any means necessary, they deserve to get what they did to you and your family by tenfold. But… I hope I'm not overstepping here; I think it's okay to be happy while you're grieving. The way you've spoken about Alicia all this time, they're all such happy memories. It doesn't mean you're abandoning the cause, but if your entire family succumbs to grief and sadness, it means they've not killed one person, but they've succeeded in destroying your entire family too. It would be letting them win." You speak your mind, though you're a little hesitant with your words since you're hyperaware that you have never experience such a tragedy in your lifetime.

"You're right. I don't want to let them win." Verso's jaw clenches, but there's no anger in his eyes. He's just tense, teetering on the verge of breaking down.

"You've gotten this far. So has the rest of your family. And you can go further, I know you can. I know you can do this." You encourage.

Verso's muscles relax under your touch as he turns around, holding you with his arms wrapping around your shoulders. You glance up at him, his pale blue eyes glassy as you watch a tear spill down his cheek. You hold him tighter as he buries his face into the crook of your neck, his body wracking with silent sobs. Although you were aware Alicia's death haunted Verso, you truly didn't understand how affected he and the rest of his family have been until this moment. Alicia's murder completely shattered their family, and he's just been trying to do his best to keep the family together, despite all the fractures. "Thank you." He whispers. "I've forgotten what it feels like to be believed in." He adds, and you hold him tighter in your arms, under the hot stream of water. You stay like that together until the water almost runs cold.

Chapter Text

The first half of your day was miserable, with Verso helping you shift all of your remaining belongings out of the office. Quitting and laying low is the best course of action you could do - especially considering Verso is officially handing over the CEO title over within the next few months, the last thing that is needed is the potential for extra drama to come in and destroy Envisager's reputation, and leave the new CEO running for the hills.

"Oddly enough… I thought I wouldn't do well in the corporate world." You ponder out loud as you place what you hope is the last notebook in your box.
"You weren't always working in corporate?" Verso asks.
"No. Actually, when I first graduated, I was barely scraping by as a freelance illustrator and selling prints. I knew it wasn't stable, so I went corporate. The first place I worked for, they treated me like dirt. The second place, they set unrealistic standards and I burnt out quickly. Envisager was like my unicorn. I'm not sure if I'd go back to corporate now, maybe I wouldn't survive in those kinds of environments." You say, hoisting the box close to your chest.
"Where are you thinking you'll head to next? Make sure to give yourself some downtime though." Verso says as he scans his worker ID at the door and swiftly locks up behind you.
"I don't know entirely. But I've always been interested in doing something with galleries or museums. So maybe quitting isn't all bad." You hum, your weight shifting between your feet as the elevator door closes on you both.

Verso has been mostly quiet since the day started; he seems a little lost in thought, but also a little bit sad. "Hey… Talk to me." You grab Verso's attention in a gentle tone, voice barely above a whisper. Verso turns to you, his eyes soft and filled with a mix of sadness and guilt.
"I should've handled things better. I could've been more careful to make sure she didn't find and threaten you." Verso sighs.
"Don't beat yourself up over her actions. Besides, you're the CEO and inherently much more prolific than me. You've also got your own skin to worry about too." You reach your hand out, your thumb softly stroking the edge of his jawline in reassurance.
"Yeah." Is all he can muster as he leans into your touch, unable to bring himself to use more words without faltering. It was a short conversation, one that provided reassurance, but you can tell Verso has more on his mind and he's struggling to find his words. You have half a mind to push the topic further, but decide against it since the car engine has been running for a while now. After a brief lapse in silence, Verso begins to drive out of the parking garage. You notice he keeps one hand on your knee almost the entire time as he drives you home.

Pulling into your driveway, Verso wordlessly scoops your box of work belongings under one arm as you unlock the door.
"Are you busy for the rest of the day?" You turn to Verso as he sets the box down.
"No, I've got nothing on." Verso replies.
"Can you stay for a little while, then? I'll make us lunch." You offer, and he wordlessly nods as you walk over to your kitchen. You open your fridge up, staring at the condiments and vegetables. You pull a loaf of fresh bread and farmer's market cheese, along with fresh vegetables and a few deli meats, beginning to construct a quick charcuterie board.
"…Thank you." Verso says after a few minutes of silence, with only the sound of the knife hitting your wooden cutting board filling the room until now.
"Haha, I usually buy too much at the farmer's market and then I barely get through it all. I'm happy to share." You smile, not looking up as you slice a mini cucumber lengthwise.
"Well, the food, but also… Everything. I, uh, I wasn't convinced that I was worthy to be loved for quite a while." Verso's voice slightly trembles at the last sentence. You pause your cutting to look at him.
"Worthy to be loved?" You ask.
"I don't know. I mean, this whole situation just had me thinking. I often feel like I'm a tornado of bad luck, and anybody I get close to will get swept up." Verso's eyes are filled with sadness, the hatred towards himself subtly peeking through in the tone of his voice.
"I understand what you mean. But I'd take having some bad luck over not being together with you. Any day. And I know my words won't drastically change the way you think, but I want you to know that I'll always choose you." You respond, resuming your meal prep.
"I'll always choose you too." Verso smiles softly.
"Now… Monsieur tornado. I need your advice on the dressing for the tomatoes." You smoothly transition the heavy conversation into a lighter one.

It didn't take Verso much convincing to stay another night - especially since he's already keeping a few pairs of spare clothes and a toothbrush at your place. You were secretly glad that he was so easy to convince, because despite the reassurances and pleasant atmosphere over the weekend, it was plain to see that his mind is still wandering off to a dark place. If you had to wager a guess, despite your optimism towards the situation, he is probably feeling immense guilt and mentally reprimanding himself, over and over again. While you know Verso usually keeps it together, he has a hidden habit of tormenting his own mind when he can't help others. You look up from your book as Verso exits your en suite, a few droplets clinging to the tips of his slightly damp hair as he approaches the bed. You softly smile at him, placing your book face down on the current page.

"Tired?" You ask him.
"Very." He replies, making himself comfortable under your sheets. You pick up your book once more, beginning to thread your fingers through his black and white hair as you continue to read. "What book are you reading?" Verso asks.
"It's a fantasy book. Quite interesting, it's about a girl named Maelle, who falls into a painting and basically becomes reborn in a universe where a deity paints a countdown on a monolith, and the number on that countdown kills everybody who is of that age." You reply, still absentmindedly stroking his hair while you continue to read your novel.
"Killing? Hmm, maybe I won't ask you to read that to me as a bedtime story." Verso chuckles softly.
"Haha, don't worry, I'll find you one of my favourite books from my childhood for next time instead." You pop your bookmark into your novel and switch the lamp off, the room suddenly becoming pitch black as you shuffle into your spot. Verso's arm instinctively throws over your waist, tucking his chin over your head.
"Goodnight." Verso whispers your name affectionately as he kisses the top of your head.
"Goodnight, Verso." You whisper back, snuggling further into his warmth.

The feeling of erratic thrashing around rouses you from your sleep. You blink a little, noticing it's still dark.
"N-No!" Verso's voice is full of panic.
"Verso? Are you okay?" You call out, adrenaline suddenly coursing through your veins as you prop yourself up on your elbow to face him.
"Alicia…!" His voice cries out in terror, and that's when you realise he's having a nightmare. You sit up, hesitating for a moment whether it's safe to wake him up as he continues to thrash. But it's so difficult to watch and wait it out. The moonlight illuminates beads of sweat against his forehead, his face contorted in anguish and sorrow as his limbs restlessly fidget under the sheets.
"Verso." You call out a little louder this time, but he's still trapped in his nightmare. He's in too deep of a sleep, it would be disorienting for you to wake him up. You wait a few more minutes, watching on in worry as he mumbles Alicia's name a few more times, as tears begin to slip past his closed eyes. Shortly after, Verso jolts awake, and gasps for air, clutching at his chest.

"Hey, you're okay." You whisper as he sits up, wiping his tear-dampened cheeks.
"S-Sorry. That you had to see that. And for waking you up." Verso apologises, raking his hand through his hair in distress.
"Don't apologise. You're okay. It was a nightmare. I've got you." You whisper as you shuffle onto your knees and heels, wrapping him in a hug. Verso wordlessly buries his face into the crook of your neck, and you feel your skin dampen with tears as he silently sheds tears.
"I couldn't… Save her… And it replays in my dreams, over and over again." He whispers through snivels.
You stroke his back gently in response. "Does this happen most nights?" You ask, a twinge of sadness overcoming you as you think about the amount of times Verso has been having nightmares lying next to you, and you had no idea.

"…They haven't happened as much when I started sleeping next to you. Usually I don't thrash around as much, I'm sorry. I don't want to wake you up." Verso admits as you both shuffle back to lying down together. You keep your arms around him as his body slowly releases the tension its been holding in.
"No need to apologise. I'd rather you wake me up. It hurts my heart to think that you've been keeping it in all this time because you don't want to bother me." You whisper, thinking about how many times Verso has had a nightmare sleeping right next to you, keeping his thoughts and worries to himself.
"Okay. Only if you're truly fine with that…" Verso whispers back as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, holding you close.
"Shhh. I'm more than fine with it. You're not an inconvenience. Now come on, let's get a few more hours of sleep in. I'll sleep over at yours tomorrow night too, if it means you get a little more rest." You reassure in a hushed tone.

You're not sure exactly how many more hours of sleep you got once Verso finally relaxed again. You've never seen him in such a state before - he's always been the big spoon, the one who holds you when you drift to sleep. While you've known him to be considerate of others emotions, that night it dawned upon you just how much he's taken on the emotional burden of others, while quietly suffering in his own head. All that pain he's holding in, just so he can see others smile.

...

You're currently sitting on Verso's sofa as he cooks dinner, scrolling on your phone as some upbeat jazz music plays from his speaker system. Suddenly, a notification pops up.
'You have been invited to an event: Sophie and Gustave's Wedding.' You practically grin from ear to ear - it's finally here.

'Jesus, they're onto it' (Lune | 5:01pm)
'SOPHIE AND GUSTAVE WEDDING MENTIONED' (Sciel | 5:01pm)
'i think being high school sweethearts they probably had stuff planned ages ago too. she's been talking about colmar even before she got engaged bahahah' (You | 5:02pm)

You tap on the reply to the invite, and realise there's a plus one option. From your position on the couch, you glance over to Verso. Maybe this is a good chance to attend things as a couple… Now that you're finally able to.

"Hey Verso…" You call out as you watch him place the roast in the oven.
"Yeah?" He replies after shutting the oven door.
"I have a question for you… I won't be offended at your answer." You begin, and he raises a brow with a small smile.
"Uh oh." His eyes widen a little.
"No no! It's nothing like that. Would you like to be my plus one for a wedding that's coming up in about three months?" You ask him.
"Yes, of course." He smiles warmly.
"Sciel and Lune will be there too. Since you won't be CEO of Envisager for much longer and we've hung out as a group a few times, I feel like it won't feel awkward." You reassure him.
"Yeah, that sounds good." He nods in approval.
"I'll actually message them right now so they get the heads up. I'll RSVP, and you'll be my plus one. It's in Colmar, it'll be a two-day stay." You explain as Verso nods, giving you a quick kiss to the forehead as he gets up and returns to the kitchen.

Three months… Now that you think about it, that's not very long at all. You shelf that thought for another day - right now, you're trying to mentally prepare yourself for meeting Verso's parents.

"Fuck, I'm so nervous." You exhale shakily, hyperaware of every sense in your body right now.

"I wish I could have words of encouragement for you, but unfortunately, I don't. I am also nervous as fuck." Verso admits, although he has a general air of lightheartedness about him. You, on the other hand, are about as taut as a freshly strung violin.

"Not comforting!" You hiss playfully, although his admission does slightly put your mind at ease.

The door creaks open, revealing Clea. You've not seen her since the charity ball - she's wearing a linen blouse, long pleated skirt, a black headband, and a tired expression.

"Renoir and Aline have already started on the red." She rolls her eyes, before her gaze settles on you. "Ah! Hello again. It's been a little while, Verso told me you've just started a new job." Clea smiles, ushering you both in.

"Haha, yep. That mess is thankfully all tied up now. I'm not working in corporate anymore at all now, my new job is actually restoring paintings. A complete switch-up, but I'm really loving it so far. How are you anyway?" You smile as you enter the home. The Dessendre manor is beautiful from outside, but it's even more stunning inside. There's a prominient art deco style throughout the manor, with plenty of beautiful paintings adorning every wall, much like the bungalow you visited before. The floors and walls sport intricate geometric patterns with gold detailing, which gleam brightly against the dark wooden features of the manor. You feel dwarfed by the foyer alone.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. As for me, well, nothing's new. But that's how I like it." Clea responds as she leads you up the stairs.

"Nothing's new? Really?" Verso pipes up, a mischevious little brother-esque tone in the undercurrent of his voice.

She shoots him a sideways glance from atop the stairs. "Yes… Nothing is new." Clea crosses her arms.

Verso folds his arms and smirks. "I caught up with Simon the other day."

"Shut up, twat." Clea snips, although there's no real anger in her voice. You look between the pair of siblings as you reach the top of the stairs, unknowing what was implied by Verso's comment.

"Maybe it'll be us greeting you and him at the front door next time." Verso grins smugly.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, you look like an idiot. Keep that shit under wraps around Aline and Renoir, otherwise I'll start asking when the engagement is going to happen at the dinner table." Clea childishly threatens. It only causes Verso to snicker, but you're desperately trying to fight back the blush rising to your cheeks at the thought of an engagement. You've never mentioned that to each other before.

"Come on, they're probably a few glasses in. They're a little, uh, repressed. And that's coming from me. But they don't bite." Verso smiles as he and Clea lead you to the dining area. His parents (assumedly Aline and Renoir - which you momentarily question why Clea calls them by their first names instead of maman and papa) are lazing by a smaller, circular table, with glasses of wine in their hands.

"My boy! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Aline beams, setting her glass down. Her eyes are the same shade of pale blue-grey as Verso's. Renoir also acknowledges Verso's presence with a small smile.

"Sorry, I should've called in a bit more, but it's been a busy work period for me. Already drinking, huh?" Verso shakes his head with a small grin, but the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. You know him well enough to know when he's putting on a mask, and this is one of them. You speculate that perhaps his parents may have poor drinking habits based off of this alone, but you know it's not your business to assume, so you shelve that thought and bring yourself back to the present.

"And you must be…" Aline begins, and you give her your name. "Oh, that's a lovely name. And Verso is right, my goodness, you are beautiful." Aline smiles, and her readiness to compliment you makes you blush. You begin to relax - Verso is right, you don't have anything to really worry about with his parents.

"I've made bourguignon, take a seat everyone, we'll bring it out." Renoir smiles warmly as you all begin to sit down and chatter, making conversation at the dinner table as Renoir brings the big pot of steaming bourguignon to the centre of the dining table. The aroma instantly hits your nostrils, the savoury smell of slow cooked beef and vegetables and the rich smell of red wine sauce stoking the hunger you've been ignoring.

"Bread and butter as well." Aline announces, putting the loaf and butter to the side of the pot. First, Renoir and Aline serve themselves, followed by Clea. Clea hands Verso the spoon, who in turn, looks at you.

"Want me to serve yours? You can hand me your plate." Verso offers, and you nod, handing him your plate. Oddly enough, you really appreciate the offer. The act of being the last one to serve your own food when meeting his family for the first time feels like too much attention on you. You're not used to having a partner as considerate as Verso.

"Mmm, this looks amazing. Thank you again for cooking." Clea says, wiping a stray smear of sauce from the plate, licking her finger for a taste test whilst Verso serves himself. The moment Verso sits back down, everyone begins to eat.

The food is even better than it smells - if that's even possible. "Woah - this tastes great, thank you so much for inviting me over." You compliment, and both Renoir and Aline smile.

"Do you enjoy cooking?" Renoir asks.

"Very much so. Although I make pretty simple meals right now since work is quite busy." You mention.

"Ahh, what do you do for work?" Aline asks before taking a sip of her wine.

"I work as a conservator. I like it - I'm currently working with a team on Courbet's Les Demoiselles des bords de la Seine." You respond.

"Oh wow, I love Gustave Courbet's work. What an opportunity to work on something like that!" Aline responds. "Well before I become too absorbed in talking about paintings and art - Verso, you must tell me, how did you end up meeting?" You've both rehearsed this several times in the car on the way, but there's only one you cannot rehearse nor predict - his parents reactions. You turn to Verso, letting him take the lead on this one.

"At work." Verso responds cautiously.

"Oh - as in, you came across each other on a project?" Aline asks. Verso shakes his head.

"No, she was the team lead for Envisager. That's how we met." Verso clarifies. You watch the scene unfold - Aline's eyes widen and her fork drops to her plate in response. Renoir's gaze shifts between you and Verso a few times, his mouth shifting from a small grin to a thinly pressed line of feigned neutrality, but you know what it truly means - he's holding back the obvious signs of disapproval. Your stomach does a flip as you peer down at the food on your plate. Suddenly, you feel incredibly undeserving of the food served to you.

"Was? Erm, so, you were spending time outside of work once she left?" Aline was clearly trying to give Verso an out.

"I don't want to be dishonest with you both so I will answer truthfully - no. We were spending time together for a project, and I fell for her. And now that she's left the company too, there is no risk for continuing our relationship." Verso explains. Aline and Renoir turn their stare to you, and you shift in your seat uncomfortably.

Aline sighs. "I- I don't… Hmmm. Verso. I'm disappointed in you for doing this. That was a major gamble." Her tone is stern as she rearranges her fork to balance delicately across her plate.

"While I'm sure you're lovely-" Renoir begins with a slight gesture of his hand to you before turning to Verso. "An employee and a boss is never a good look together. There are a lot of assumptions that can be made of a single young man who is a CEO and his employee." Renoir states matter-of-factly.

You don't know what to say. You're not sure if words will even be of use right now. The worst part is, there is no clear cut and dry in this situation. You can't see a real reason to be upset with Aline and Renoir, because you recall exactly how Verso said he was treated by Julie.

"…I think we should take a big step back and look at this in full." Clea unexpectly pipes up. You look towards her, unsure of where she's going with this. "I get it - you both want the best for us. You both don't see it often since we're not visiting that often, but god. You can at least remember when Verso came around the last time, right? At the family function about two months ago? Look at him now. He looks happy. Healthy. I know for a fact nothing else has changed in his life except meeting her." Clea begins.

You and Verso exchange glances as she talks, shocked that Clea would advocate for you so readily. "Besides, Verso told me that Julie was blackmailing her. Instead of taking the money and running, you know what she did? She shouldered the entire burden on herself because she cared that much about not wanting Verso and our family name to potentially get smeared by Julie's media connections. When on earth was the last time someone outside of our family has stuck their neck out for any of us like that?" Clea leans back, folding her arms. If you weren't so tense, your jaw would have dropped onto the surface of the dining table right now. You've barely really spoken with Clea, yet she defended you.

"Thank you, Clea." Verso whispers to her, and she returns his thanks with a small grin.

"Aline, Renoir, with the utmost respect I have for you both as my parents, but I don't agree with what you're implying. She's proven her loyalty to Verso, and by an extension, us too. Let's not make this any more awkward than it already is." Clea adds.

"Well... It seems things were kept discreet. And your happiness is what matters the most. Aline?" Renoir turns to Aline, who is delicately dabbing the corner of her mouth with her napkin.

"I…" Aline clears her throat. "We apologise for our reaction. We've just seen you get hurt before Verso and... We can't help but worry as parents." Aline adds on to explain, her gaze settling on you both. She still refuses to look at you both in the eye, and it unnerves you.

"Worry as parents?" Clea scoffs into her wine glass, the fleeting warm moment between Verso and his parents now replaced with an icy atmosphere in the room. It seems Aline's phrase struck a chord within Clea. "When was the last time you acted like parents?" She rolls her eyes. Verso stays silent but gives her a pleading look; you can sense he's embarrassed that he's brought you to dinner and a show, even if that show is his own family's drama and baggage.

"Clea." Aline shoots Clea a warning look with a small frown.

"What? You know, Renoir I can forgive. At least he wants to see us happy. But you? You? Let's be frank for a moment, Aline. You hardly gave Alicia the time of day, you have only one painting of hers hung up in his enormous fucking manor, yet you're the one harping on about grief and worry, but where the hell were you!? Where the fuck were you when she stopped spending time with us and she'd lock herself in her room to write on her laptop all day!?" Clea shouts, Aline frozen in place with an expression that carried both immense guilt and anger.

"You don't know what it's like to be a parent, Clea." Aline's voice rumbles with furiousness, but it only stokes Clea's fiery temper more.

"Actually, I do. I know exactly what it feels like, because that is the role that was forced upon me, wordlessly. And I love my siblings, don't get me wrong. I love them so much. But enough is enough. She makes Verso happy. Stop picking and choosing when want to be parents, or when you want to care. Just let us choose our own path and live for ourselves." Clea hisses, draining the last of her wine in the glass as she storms off.

For a few seconds, it was so silent in the dining hall that you could hear a pin drop. Renoir is the first to speak again. "Clearly there have been a lot of things left unsaid for a long time. I'm sorry we haven't put our best foot forward for first impressions." Renoir apologises to you sincerely. Despite the intense verbal altercation between the family, your mind can't help but briefly wander off as you study his features up close. Verso looks almost exactly like this father to the point where it's a little bit startling.

"It's alright, I appreciate the invitation." You reply with a nod. "I… I think I'll go check in on Clea. Maybe it'd be nice for her to talk to somebody that isn't family." You excuse yourself, walking off to the direction Clea had stormed off in. The manor is much bigger than you initially assumed; but from the sound of her footsteps, Clea didn't seem to walk off too far. You softly knocked on a few doors, but no sounds or answers were coming from the rooms. You walked ahead until you find a door slightly ajar; gingerly, you open the door and step in. The smell of freshly cut tomato leaves and the juicy, tart smell of strawberries fills your senses. The hanging ivy cascades from the glass roof, casting jagged little shadows across the floor. You gently clear your throat, making yourself known to Clea to avoid surprising her.

Clea whips her head around briefly, her body language softening again as she sees you've come alone. "Oh. Hi." She greets, turning back around to stare at a pot of thyme on a bench.

"Hey." You greet quietly, walking over to stand an arm's length away. "I know you don't know me very well, but thank you for sticking up for Verso and I." You thank Clea. She turns to you with a brief grin that doesn't reach her eyes. A sign her anger is still fresh.

"That's kind of you to say. Although, it wasn't out of altruism. I was being self-serving. Don't get me wrong - Verso looks like he's actually been eating and getting more sleep since you came into his life. But I have my own motives for that outburst too." Clea explains.

"Do I dare ask?"

"Hah - sure. If you don't hear it from me, I know you'll hear it from Verso… I, uh, I'm rekindling an old flame, so to speak. His name is Simon. He's coincidentally Verso's good friend from his university days, which I had no idea about. Woops." Clea exhales through her nose with an amused expression. "I brought Simon around a few months after Alicia had passed. Simon… He's everything I've ever wanted in a partner. Charismatic, supportive, funny, handsome… The only issue is that he and his family aren't from money. They work, they have a mortgage, they worry about the difference between a few dollars when it comes to buying brands at a supermarket. That has never mattered to me; but it matters to Aline and Renoir. He served no use to the family name, and they became wary of outsiders or people with ulterior motives since Alicia's death." Clea steps forward, her index finger tracing the smiley face etched into the terracotta pot.

"Oh… That sounds like a similar situation me and my family are in." You respond, suddenly feeling small.

"In a way, your situation with Verso mirrored mine and Simon's a lot. They were so disapproving of him, even though they didn't outright say it or show it to us. I decided it would be better to call it off. I regretted it, every single day. I'm seeing him again now, behind their backs. I just… I'd hate for Verso to suffer the crushing weight of their disapproval like I did. But, then again, Verso has always been Aline's favourite." Clea chuckles sardonically.

"Even if it's for a self-serving reason, you spoke up for us and I appreciate it." You smile at her softly.

"Haha, I can't be bothered hiding the chip on my shoulder anymore. Yeah. Sometimes it feels like they had me so that they could outsource their parenting to me. It feels like the emotional weight of the family, especially Aline and Renoir's, is the baggage for my poor, aching back to carry." Clea sighs.

"It's not fair on you. You should be able to live for yourself too." You note.

"When we find out who did this to Alicia, maybe I'll be able to relax enough to live for myself." Clea responds.

"Interestingly, Verso said something quite similar to me before."

"Really? What did you say?"

"I told him that sidelining your feelings and happiness means whoever set out to destroy your family has won both the long and short game. It's up to him if he wants to step up or down." You explain.

Clea turns to you with a small smile, this time, a genuine one. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"If your parents aren't fond of me, I still don't plan on going anywhere. I survived his crazy ex, Julie, I think I can survive anything else thrown at me now." You joke. You're actually scared shitless that they could be even more vindictive than Julie, with more than twice the amount of money at their fingertips.

"Hah! Fuck I hate Julie so much, I'm glad she's gone. Anyway - it's okay. It's not like they don't like you - it's not like they didn't like Simon for that matter either. It's because they don't really know how to be parents." Clea sighs. "They get all anxious and they catastrophise, but instead of just fucking communicating, they springboard to irrational and questionable decisions to try and keep us safe. But it's also why it pisses me off so much." She shrugs, turning around as you both begin to walk towards the door.

"You're more mature than me for returning to the table. I mean, shit, I would've just stormed out the door and gotten into my car if I were in your shoes." You empathise.

"Oh believe me, I almost did."

…

You return to the table with Clea, who is now smoothing down her hair as she settles into her seat again.

"Just so we're all on the same page… Renoir is right. Your happiness matters the most. And we… We haven't been acting like parents. And we're sorry." Aline apologises.

"…But?" Clea asks in a defensive tone.

"No buts. We're sorry." Aline stares into Clea's eyes.

"…I appreciate the apology, but it's not going to undo all those years of trauma." Clea responds after a brief pause.

"We don't expect either of you to accept our apology and carry on as if nothing has happened. We've already lost one child… We don't want to lose another. We'll work on ourselves so you can proudly call us your parents again." Renoir places a tender hand on Aline's shoulder as she nods.

"…Okay. We'd like that." Clea turns to Verso, who nods in support. Her voice is uncharacteristically quiet and wobbly, as if she were about to break.

Despite everyone managing to stay in the same room now, dinner was still quite awkward, and understandably wrapped up shortly after everybody ate the last of their food.
The silver lining was that the atmosphere became much warmer once everyone finally laid out their differences. You and Verso leave feeling quite drained, but also having a strong sense of hope that your relationship with Verso's family and their relationship with each other is only going to strengthen with time.

"…Fffffffffuck." You exhale as you turn back around from waving goodbye.

"That was entirely my fault, I said they don't bite. Turns out, everyone was biting tonight." Verso sighs.

You stare out the window for a moment, taking in the lush canopy of trees and amber streetlamps. "It's okay. Besides, I feel like I got to know Clea a lot better tonight. And it seems like your parents really want to improve on themselves." You reassure him.

"Yeah… It's not something I wanted to mention before or during, but the both of them drink quite heavily. It's something else I raised with them when you were with Clea. I mean, I guess now you know that's why I said I needed to get a few drinks in when I attend family functions when we went out to the jazz bar that night." Verso shakes his head with a slight chuckle.

"Oh… Yeah I don't know how I got through tonight without a drink honestly. Ironic, huh?"

"Very ironic. Though I promise I'm not bound to repeat the same mistakes they have. If anything, I'm just… Really embarrassed it all had to happen in front of you." Verso sighs.

"Well, in a fucked up way, I think the whole situation unfolding kind of minimised the story of how we got together. I'm thankful for Clea, though."

"I'm thankful too. I think she needed to speak her mind." Verso nods.

"I noticed she doesn't call your parents maman and papa. She calls them by their first name?" You ask.

"She's been doing that since high school. She's quite distant with both maman and papa. Probably because she's felt like she's had to act as the parent many times." Verso explains.

"She deserves happiness too. She actually told me a bit about Simon. Hopefully things work out on their second try." You say as you queue up a few of your favourite songs on Verso's car radio.

You hum to the tune softly for a moment, before feeling a buzz in your pocket. A private caller ID. "Hello?" You answer. For a second, it's quiet.

"…You fucking bitch."

Chapter Text

"…You fucking bitch."

You know exactly who's voice this is. Julie. As much as you want to cuss her out and hang up on her, for some reason, you freeze instead. Why won't your mouth move? Why won't you say something? You open your mouth to respond, but only a shaky exhale comes out.

"You cunt. You were supposed to stay out of his life. I've been fucking watching you, you know? You're so done. The both of you. You're both so fucked." Julie seethes. You're not in the same room as her, yet you feel as if the walls of Verso's car are suddenly closing in on you. Verso glances your direction, registering the voice and your frozen reaction. Verso slows the car down as Julie continues to berate you, pulling the car over to the side. Wordlessly, Verso presses the mute button and gently takes your phone out of your shaky hand.

"Do you feel like you've got a handle on this, or would you prefer if I step in?" He asks gently. Your fingertips fly to your mouth, pressing on your lower lip in an attempt to stop it from trembling.

"I don't think I can do it tonight." You whisper, trying to steel your nerves. While Julie continues to shout through the speaker, Verso quickly leans over and presses a quick kiss to your forehead.

"It's okay, you don't need to." Verso whispers back, before turning his attention to your phone.

"You have no fucking clue what you're in for, do you know it wouldn't even take a fraction of my family's wealth to squash yours like a bug? In fact, I'll-"

"Julie." Verso says in a firm tone.

"Verso." Julie greets.

"I'm only going to tell you this once. Stop threatening my girlfriend, and leave us both alone." Verso's tone is icy. You sometimes forget that Verso has the confidence of a corporate nepo baby and the ability to be absolutely ruthless and cutthroat when the time calls for it; a trait he's had to take on to survive the corporate world.

"Is that your final answer then? Her over me?" Julie asks. While she all but hisses the question, you sense something in her voice - insecurity and desperation.

"Why would you even ask such a question? It would be her. I'd choose her over anybody else on this planet a million times over. How many more ways could I possibly phrase that, so that it finally sinks in?"

"So it's her." Julie pauses for a moment.

"Yes." Verso responds, without missing a beat.

"Okay." Is all Julie says before the call abruptly ends.

"…Is it over?" You ask, releasing a breath you didn't even realise you were holding.

"Honestly? I doubt it. But I'm not concerned about her threats. Her family are real estate moguls, but I know their company is in massive debt. Her father is being investigated for embezzlement, and her mother is in and out of a drug rehabilitation facility constantly because of a coke addiction. Their shareholders are pulling out and not investing as much. She might think of you as an easy target, but she was betting on the fact that you wouldn't say anything to me." Verso's explanation makes you blink in surprise.

"Wow. But she puts on such a good front, I would've never known so much was going on with her family. I recently noticed she's been all over the internet with her influencer career." You remark.

"Yup. It's all for show. So if anything happens… Just leave it to me, okay?" Verso reassures.

"Okay." You nod, but the feeling of uneasiness in the pit of your stomach doesn't seem to ebb.

If anything, throughout the drive back to your place, the air in the car has gotten thicker, which doesn't make much sense considering you had the window down for majority of the drive. Why isn't the air getting any fresher? Why does your skin feel like a thousand little invisible bugs are crawling all over you, making the hairs stand up on their ends? You hold your palm against your chest, noticing how heavy and fast your heart is thudding.

"We're here." Verso announces, yet you don't budge an inch. "Hey… Are you okay?" Verso asks. You blink a few times, swallowing thickly as you try to rid yourself of your awfully dry and tense throat.

"Y-Yes." Your voice cracks. It's clear you're not. "No. I think I'm going to throw up." Your voice is restrained as one hand flies to your mouth, your free hand unbuckling your seatbelt and pushing his car door wide open. You jump out and hurl, but only bitter spit lands on the grass. You heave, desperately trying to steady your breath as you keel over.

"Was it anything you ate?" Verso asks, and you shake your head.

"No, sorry… I think I'm having a panic attack." You try your best to steady your breathing, still clutching your chest as you rise from your knees.

"Let's get inside, quickly." Verso instructs as he locks his car, helping you through the front door.

You sit on the couch, still trembling and fighting against your seizing lungs as you struggle to keep your breath. Verso grabs a large metal mixing bowl, filling it with ice and cold water from your tap, along with a fresh small towel.

"W-What's this for?" You ask, forcing your diaphragm to steady as your heart continues to stubbornly race. Your mind still keeps flickering back to the threats Julie made, and what she could do to harm you.

"I'll explain it soon - just submerge your face into the water for 30 seconds."

"Alright… Putain. I'm willing to give anything a try right now." You mumble, tying your hair up and grabbing the bowl. The metal bowl is cold against your palms as you steady it on the table, dipping your face into the cold water and counting to thirty. You re-emerge, grabbing the towel from Verso's hand and patting your face dry.

"Ever heard of the mammalian dive reflex?" Verso asks, and you shake your head. "After I got out of the hospital since Alicia's death… No amount of deep breathing exercises or meditation could stop my daily panic attacks for the first few months. But I was taught that we can trick our body into slowing down. Plunging your face into ice cold water mimicks that reflex." Verso explains, and you nod. Shit, it actually works.

"That's useful. I've had panic attacks before, but I never felt something as intense as that." You comment as your breath continues to even out. You both fall into a lapse of silence as Verso takes the bowl and towel away, cleaning it up in your kitchen. You're momentarily left by yourself with your thoughts, and your mind wanders to what he just said. He was living what you just experienced for days on end. "That was an awful feeling… You lived through that for months." You mumble as he sits back down.

"It sounds a bit fucked up, but it became part of my daily routine. It didn't make the panic attacks less intense though. Some days, it truly felt like I was dying. Most days, I was hoping I was going to die." Verso admits. Instinctively, you reach for his hand, and he chuckles softly. "I promise I'm not like that anymore. The furthest from it." He reassures.

You nod in response before glancing over at the clock. "You should probably go… We've both got work tomorrow." You note.

"Will you be okay in here, on your own?" Verso asks.

"I should be. I'll let you know if I'm not feeling well again."

"Okay, I'll let you get some rest. But really, if you feel the slightest bit of unease, let me know, yeah?"

"I will."

…

You wake up, not to your alarm, but to the constant buzzing of your phone. Sciel's name flashes on your screen, and you wipe your eyes. You are not a morning bird at all, and much prefer the quietness of the night. Sciel on the other hand, has an entire 5 to 9 routine before her 9 to 5. You have no idea how she does it.

"Merde, Sciel, it's barely 6 o'clock." You mumble.

"I know, I know! I'm sorry. But I really needed to call you. Verso is all over the internet right now. What's going on?" Sciel asks hurriedly.

"What do you mean he's all over the internet? Did something happen to him?" You ask.

"Uh… Not happen to him… Julie is pregnant. She went public, and she's saying Verso is the father." Sciel explains.

The blood in your veins suddenly runs ice cold. "Hooooly fuck." You gasp. Logistically, it would be near impossible for Julie to be pregnant this far along, unless he hooked up with her right before he started working at Envisager. Your brain is being torn in two - on one hand, you distinctly remember Julie's threats from last night. On the other hand, what if he was seeing her right before or just when he started at Envisager? What if that was why she was so confident?

"H-Hello? Still there?" Sciel asks.

"Sorry, yeah… Just processing all of it. The timeline barely makes sense, I mean, Verso wouldn't have been seeing her when we started to get closer, but it would be possible he saw her before that… Ah, fuck. I hope to god she's lying." You sigh.

"Maybe you should try to find out… I would give Verso the benefit of the doubt though." Sciel says.

"I- yeah. If it happened, it wouldn't have happened while we're dating. But this is still… A lot. I should talk to him now, thank you for letting me know, Sciel." You say before you bid your goodbyes to each other.

Your hands are still shaking. They won't stop, no matter how hard you try to steel your nerves. You begin to check your social media platforms, finding her profile and clicking on the newest post. It's a photo of her, holding her very real looking pregnant stomach in a flowy white linen dress, sitting on the grass under the sun.

'Pregnancy Announcement.

I know I've been posting all about the beautiful parts of my life - the trips, the brand collaborations, the vlogs, but what I've been hiding this whole time is that I've been nurturing a little bub inside my body for the last seven months. I'm almost due now, and although I'll be entering motherhood for the first time, I know it's going to be full of love, light, and laughter. Even if it means doing it on my own.'

Jesus fucking christ. You open the comments, and see they're flooded with support, some already name-dropping Verso and speaking poorly of him in the comments. Others are berating the 'mystery woman', which you can only assume Julie is talking about you, writing vile hate comments in support of Julie. You begin to feel sick and close the app, taking a deep breath. You press Verso's name on your contacts, and after two rings, he picks up.

"Good morning… It's pretty early, are you all good?" Verso asks in a husky, sleepy tone.

"Sorry if I woke you up. Did you check the news, or just, any social media platform today?" You ask, your fingers absentmindedly picking at a piece of dead skin on your lips.

"Hm? No. Did something happen?" Verso asks, still sounding groggy.

"Verso… Julie went on social media and to some big news outlets. You've been seen together publicly before and… Yeah. She made a pregnancy announcement on her socials." You explain, sitting upright in your bed, tense.

"What?"

"Yeah… Julie is very pregnant. Seven months." That's barely two months from before you and Verso began to date.

"So she's saying it was me?" Verso asks.

"Yes… Well, implied." You say. You pause for a moment. Why hasn't he said anything? "Verso… Is it true?" You ask.

"No, one hundred percent, without a doubt in my mind, no." Verso replies. You feel a sense of relief wash over you, but the doubt has already permeated your mind.

"Then… Why didn't you deny it immediately? I'm getting scared." You mutter, ripping the dried skin off your lip. Your tongue darts out to immediately lick the wound, the metallic taste of blood hitting the tip of your tongue.

"Putain- I've only just woken up, and the first thing I hear is that my ex who I haven't seen in over 2 years is heavily pregnant and claiming it's mine. I just needed a moment to process." Verso sighs.

"…I'm sorry. It's not exactly news I was expecting to wake up to either." You suck on your bottom lip to stop the bleeding from your lip from spilling out too much.

"No - ah, merde. I don't mean to sound harsh. You're right, it's equally as awful to wake up to. Are you okay?"

"I don't… I don't know. I don't think I am." You mumble.

"It's okay, you don't have to be. Just wanted to check in."

A silence falls between you two.

"I'm here for you." You whisper.

"Thank you. I'm going to go through my PR and legal team. Make sure you keep all your accounts on private, otherwise you may be harassed by reporters." Verso warns.

"Okay, sure. I'll do that now."

"Do you want to come over later? It would be better to speak in person." Verso suggests.

"Can I? I'm worried there could be people around your complex."

"Tight security, nobody is allowed to loiter at the front or in the foyer. It should be okay."

"Alright, I'll see you later after work."

"See you."

You hang up and bury your face in your hands. You want to cry, but you can barely make heads nor tails of the situation right now. You only feel confusion.

You head back to your place from work to freshen up, only to find a large group of people swarming the entrance of your house from a distance. What the fuck? You turn on your heels, walking back to the metro and keeping your head down, hoping nobody spotted you. As you wait for the next train to come, you hear a group of university students talking nearby.

"Did you see Julie Durand's post today? I can't believe she's being a single mum. As if she was pregnant walking runways though! She looked so skinny, she literally had abs even while pregnant. I would've never known." One girl says.

"Oh yeah! She was dating Verso Dessendre, that billionaire family's son. I wonder who he left her for? He seriously fumbled her. They were such a good looking couple." Her friend responds.

You swallow thickly as you hear the train approach, thankfully draining out the rest of their conversation. You pop your earbuds in, desperately trying to filter out their conversation. Suddenly, Verso didn't feel like Verso anymore, despite speaking with him this morning. It feels like overnight, he's become some sort of public figure, who feels just as unattainable to you as he does to those university students. This feels ridiculous. He's your Verso, nothing has changed aside from Julie going public with a blatant lie. Well, it must be a blatant lie, right? Verso denied it, and that should be more than enough. You trust him, right?

You step off the platform, trying to shake the doubt from your mind as you walk towards his complex. He was right - nobody is nearby at the front of the complex or around the foyer. You exhale tiredly as you walk into the elevator, staring at yourself in the reflection. You look worn-down. Suddenly the thought of being seen photographed next to Verso makes you feel a little queasy. People have already begun a witch hunt for you, and it's unclear whether Julie had tipped reporters off, or you were doxxed by people on the internet. Either way, the thought of your tired face at an unflattering angle being plastered all over the internet and tabloids for people to see with a ruthless comment makes you feel a deep sense of dread. What could the headlines say? 'Gen Z's Charles and Camilla'? 'Mistress of Verso Dessendre Revealed'? 'Lowly Employee Seduced Her Former Billionaire Boss to Leave the Mother of His Child'? The possibilities are endless.

You stop writing the tabloid titles in your head and bring yourself back down to reality as you knock twice before swiping the keycard and punching in the security code to Verso's apartment. You step inside, shutting the door. All it takes is the mere sight of him, and you start to crumble already.

"This has been such a shit day." You sigh, and he approaches you.

"I saw your text. They found your home?" Verso asks.

"Yeah, I don't know how, but they did. I'm not sure when it'll stop, but I can't go back there right now. They seem to be camping right on my doorstep."

"For the time being, stay here with me. It's not safe to go back right now."

"But… If we're ever seen leaving this complex together - shit, if we're seen together right now, this could be so bad for you."

"Bad for me? I don't care what others think. I'm walking around with my girlfriend, there is nothing wrong with that. My name was barely googled aside from Alicia's death in the news until now - the media didn't give a shit about me until Julie turned it into a public spectacle. I'm not going to start pretending like I'm some prolific figure." There's a strong sense of conviction in Verso's voice, but the anxious side of you gnaws away at your mind.

"Verso- it's different this time. They're not just prying, they're out to smear us, especially you. This could totally fuck over your family's stock. You may have a label stuck onto you for the rest of your life as some kind of child abandoner. We have to be careful. Julie said she has media connections, and she's using them to the very best of her ability, and right now, it's working." You caution.

Verso unbelievably pissed off; clearly not at you, but at the situation. "You're right." He sighs. "It's not worth responding immediately, it's probably what they want."

"So… She is actually pregnant, though. Do you know who the father could be, if it's not you?" You ask.

"If?" Verso asks tiredly. You purse your lips.

"Well, I believe you. But, you know, I don't know what your life was like before me. She mentioned at one point you were willing to take her back, I'm just seeing things from a pragmatic point of view." You shrug.

"She cheated on me, and I was willing to take her back when I was isolated and in recovery for a total of four months before realising how stupid that would be. So yes, it's true, I was willing to take her back, but she was omitting details of the story. And I never did see her during those months apart from one instance - when she saw me for the first time out of hospital. She, uh, said she couldn't look past my unsightly disfigurement." The last sentence Verso utters a little awkwardly.

"So since then…" You trail off.

"Since then, never once made contact. Actually, to be honest, it's a bit odd. The fact that she suddenly wants to be in my life and destroy it so much. She discarded me like trash and we never made contact again until now. And she's going as far to get pregnant and take it to the media? It's bizarre." Verso ponders out loud.

You feel like a single cog has been set into motion after hearing the second half of Verso's sentence.

"Wait, she said she has media connections. At first, I assumed that's because she's been growing her influencer career. But… Let's pull up all the first few articles that were written." You say, opening your work laptop as you sort the articles by their date. You open a bunch of tabs. "Monday Times, Paris Weekly, The Star, Celebrity Radar… Who owns all of these companies? Who are their subsidaries? Fuck. Julie mentioned the family name she was connected with, but I'm struggling to recall it."

"Well, there's a few companies that own these newspapers and websites… But they should mostly fall under one conglomerate." Verso notes.

"Do you know which one?"

"Putain… That would be the Magrittes."

"That's it! That's the one! She mentioned the Magrittes!" You exclaim animatedly. "She would be working with the Magrittes."

"That's… Bad. Really bad." Verso momentarily rubs his jaw as he sits forward.

"Wait, why?"

"Their conglomerate is solid. I'm not worried about the Durands, but the Magritte family? They could actually go toe to toe with us. Even worse, maman and papa seem to have a strong distaste for them. They didn't mention much other than 'they have a history of playing dirty'. I'm not really sure what that means, though." Verso explains.

"Shit, but why is she even connected with the Magrittes?" You ask.

"That part, I don't know. But what worries me is we're on the radars of somebody who has gotten close to our family before and a family that maman and papa are very wary of." Verso sighs.

"So for now, what do we do? Just lay low?"

"Just for now, we'll talk to Clea tomorrow afternoon."

"And here we have our special guest of the day, Julie Durand! Julie, you have to tell us more. What was it like, finding out you were pregnant?"
"Oh, Mary you have no idea. It was like my world was turned upside down in an instant. You know - it really just shows that I was looking for the wrong type of man. I was all about that corporate ladder life, thinking I'd be the careerwoman with her CEO husband, but then I realised… This life just isn't for me. And that's what I really miss. Men with traditional values, Mary! Because I realised that I myself am a traditional woman. I was looking for traditional values in a man who simply wasn't traditional himself. It's all about knowing what you really want in life-"

"Oh shut that shit OFFFF." Clea groans loudly, grabbing the remote and smacking the red power button. "Sorry, I couldn't watch another minute." Clea makes a fake gagging sound, drawing a short laugh from you and Verso.

"So she went on Morning Mary to… Promote tradwife content?" You raise a brow.

"It's smart though, if you think about it. There's this whole media trend of confusing the masses - she makes a social media post about being a single mum, but she'll get onto a talkshow and spout that she wants the tradwife life, it's how you net a very wide audience and keep people confused enough that they don't immediately cancel you." Clea rolls her eyes. "Tactless strategy, but many lack media literacy these days."

"Wow, I hate it when something stupid actually works." You scoff.

"Right? Mentioning the corporate ladder too. Like, whatever, as one nepo baby to another, she has no idea what she's talking about. We have everything handed to us, but at least we're not lying about working." Clea snorts.

"She's making a huge fuss on the media, with no intention of slowing down. If we do the same, we'd be playing into her game. We'd be like Sisyphus." Verso notes.

"What do we do? Making a bigger scandal wouldn't be the way to go… Hmm…" Clea taps her chin.

"If you think about it, millionaire and billionaire family drama is a spectacle. But many people always want to come off as classy as possible with celebrity gossip. Your upper hand is that your family haven't been much for the media - what if you held an exclusive event with a strict guestlist to throw Julie and the Magrittes off balance?"

"But how?" Verso asks.

"If it's an exclusive event, then… Let's paint, Verso." Clea turns to him with a smile.

"We're in the middle of a PR crisis and a blatant smear campaign, and you want to paint?" Verso stares at Clea as if she's grown a third head.

"Yep. We're going to hold a private art exhibition - we've got contacts of those we can trust, and we'll only invite the independent and smaller journalist groups who don't have ties to the Magritte family. It doesn't matter if the coverage is in a positive or negative light, as long as they report on the message of our paintings."

"What exactly is the message, though?" Verso asks.

"That we know it wasn't an accident. That Alicia was murdered." Clea affirms. "I've been compiling things over the last few years - I'll comb through my files to find the perfect bit of evidence to use - that is the real signal to the killer."

"So, how exactly should we go about this exhibition - any overarching theme?" Verso asks.

"We will hold an exclusive art exhibition - we're going to create a few big works. The installation will subtly recount what happened to Alicia. And you don't need to overthink it - just paint what comes to mind, and your experience that you're willing to share." Clea instructs Verso. Your gaze floats to him - you recall the paintings in their family studio, and how he often paints characters within his world, like that marshmallow looking character that has a lazy smile on its own. You've rarely seen literal depictions of Verso's thoughts and emotions on a painting. He seems a little nervous by the task of creating something that shows his vulnerability in a literal sense, especially when it'll be on display for the public to see.

"Yeah, that's okay. I'll come up with something." He nods. You give him a small smile of encouragement, and he returns it with a small smile of his own.

…

You wake up to the bright glow of sunlight filtering through the blinds of Verso's bedroom. The amount of sleep you got last night was poor because of all the worries flooding your brain. And to make matters worse, you've only got about enough clothes to last for another day, though you're still too anxious to head back to your place first thing after waking up. Shelving that thought for now, you grab your shorts that you flung off before you hopped into bed last night and brush your teeth whilst you will yourself to stay upright and awake. Yawning, you walk into the kitchen area and realise Verso's not there - the place you'd usually find him when he wakes up before you.

Your footsteps softly echo against the hardwood flooring as you peek into his study. While you know everything is going to shit right now and it all feels a little scary, you can't help but momentarily gawk at your boyfriend's appearance. The morning sun is bright, filtering in on one side of Verso's face, a few strands of his white and black locks falling forwards on his face, almost touching his nose. He's currently mixing a few paints together, seemingly so focused on the task that he's unaware of your presence.

"Good morning." You make yourself known. He smiles, setting the paints down as you walk towards each other. Verso gives you a chaste kiss on the lips in greeting, before pulling away and giving you a small smile. Fuck, your stomach is doing flips at the sight of him.

"Morning. Sorry for sneaking away, I need to psyche myself up for the exhibition task."

"No that's okay, I understand. I got the feeling it's not your usual thing to paint."

"Definitely not." Verso shakes his head, walking back towards his paints before stopping momentarily. "I rarely paint subjects that aren't creations from my own world."

"Your own world?" His wording piques your curiousity.

"Yeah. Ever since I began to paint, I've been painting as if I'm creating a small universe. The subjects are like the residents of that small universe."

"Oh! Like the cute dopey marshmallow character."

"Esquie?"

"Yeah, that's the one!"

Verso lets out a small chuckle. "Yeah, like Esquie."

"Well, when was the last time you painted something based off a real person, or real life experience?" You ask. Verso looks at you with a slightly meek expression, his mouth momentarily parts as if he were to reply, but then he purses his lips. "Verso?" You blink.

"Not that long ago." He answers cryptically, his cheeks turning an obvious shade of red. Normally you'd tease him, but with Clea wanting to tie the art exhibition together in just under a month, you decide not to put him under the extra mental distress.

"Hmm, okay, well I won't push." You say, and Verso gives you a small smile of gratitude, the redness in his cheeks beginning to die down. "Anyway, I'll leave you to the creative process on your own for a little bit. I'm going to go and pick up more of my stuff. Just the essentials to tide me over for the next few weeks." You add.

"Are you sure you'll be okay to go by yourself? I don't need to complete this painting right now." Verso asks.

"I'm sure it'll be okay - besides, it's been a few days and there's no activity by my house. I'm sure an hour or two at my place will be okay. I'll ring you if there's any problems." You give him a reassuring smile.

…

The autumn breeze is crisp now, and it makes you wrap your cardigan around your body just a little tighter as you spot your flat up ahead. You keep your head down, feeling like the cap, sunglasses, and face mask were all a bit overkill and would give you away immediately if someone were still trying to find you, but it would at least mean your identity is hidden.
Thankfully, you don't notice any suspicious cars or odd people loitering; it seems they got bored and gave up trying to spot you. You take a deep breath as you head up your stairs - while Verso's place is beautiful and spacious, this flat is your pride and joy. You scrimped, aggressively saved, and devoted yourself to countless hours of overtime to make owning your own property a reality. You feel a bitter pang in your chest - your peace, your achievement, a place that is meant to be your own sanctuary, is being observed, prodded, and invaded by strangers just looking for an article. The possibility of being watched makes you feel slimy. Shaking the thought off, you step inside.

It smells like home… And the rotting bananas on your counter. Gross. You address the maintenance aspect first - throwing away all perishables, unplugging devices from sockets, and making sure there are no other hazards. You address the next big issue - packing what you need for the weeks ahead. Throwing your suitcase onto your bed, you begin to haphazardly shove the necessary things inside - clothes, passport, and other valuables before aggressively zipping your suitcase up. Dusting your hands off, you immediately lock up and hurry down the elevator.

…Maybe it would've been a better idea to get a cab instead of lugging your heavy suitcase along the metro, but you're too committed to back out now. You lug your suitcase over the lip of the train door, and practically collapse onto the nearest chair. Your mind circles back to the possibility that perhaps Julie's unborn child really is Verso's. Despite Verso showing great conviction that he hasn't made contact with Julie in over two years and no evidence pointing to him being anywhere near her in recent times, the pit of doubt has already been swallowed and it's sprouting a sapling of paranoia in your gut. If it were to be true, it would have been his past and you weren't a part of his life in that moment - yet you can't help but the pinch of uncertainty and jealousy it brings. You hate it. It makes you feel sick.

Your phone buzzes whilst you hang your clothes in your spot of the closet. Well, it's barely a closet. It's a full-on separate room, larger than your own bathroom. Verso had cleared out an entire rack and cabinet for you, leaving you with more than enough space to move your own things in. You ignore it, clipping a hanger onto another pair of jeans.

Bzzzzzt.

Ah, fine. You pick up your phone, noticing Sciel's name. "Hey, what's up Sciel?"

"Hey! Um… Have you checked the internet in say… The last one or two hours?" Sciel asks.

"Nope, I went back to my place and packed a suitcase. I haven't had the time to sit down on my phone for quite a while." You pause. "Wait, why? Did something happen?"

"Yeah… There's photos of you all over the internet now. And some sites didn't even bother to blur out or hide your address. Oh! But luckily your face hasn't been totally revealed. But are you holding up okay? Lune and I have been so worried about you." Sciel asks, worry filled in her voice. Fuck. You've essentially been doxxed.

"I kind of guessed this would happen… But I'm with Verso and I'm physically safe right now." You pinch the bridge of your nose. "Can't say I'm psychologically safe." You bark out a short, bitter laugh.

"I'll bet…" Sciel trails off. "Do you reckon it's his…? Actually, no. Forget I asked that. I'm sorry, that wasn't an appropriate question from me." Sciel corrects herself.

"No, no it's all good. The truth is, he's said it's definitely not, the evidence I have says it's not, but I just can't help but feel like maybe he could be hiding something from me. I don't know, maybe it is his." You sigh. "The dates could technically overlap with when we started being more than just coworkers. Fuck. I don't know. Sometimes you just don't really know who somebody is until it's too late." You bite your lip. Turning around on your heels, you see Verso standing in the doorway. You clear your throat as he looks at you with a look in his eye… It's not anger, but it's hurt. Maybe a little bit of betrayal.

"Yeah, I totally get it. But it's better to put your trust in him rather than Julie right now." Sciel says. You lock eyes with Verso, and suddenly Sciel's voice becomes background noise.

"Yeah, thanks, Sciel… I'm really glad you're checking up on me. Say, uh, I have to go, I just realised I've got way more unpacking and stuff to deal with right now. I'll message the groupchat later." You respond, hanging up the phone.

Silence. Total silence as you stare at each other after Verso overheard your phone call. Neither of you willing to utter the first word just yet. You swallow thickly, averting your gaze. "Your own friends seem to trust me more than you." Verso mutters.

"Hey… You know that's not what I mean, right?" You pick up a shirt, looping it onto another hanger.

"I know, but… I can feel it. You don't fully trust me, do you?" Verso asks.

"…No I don't. But I want to." You mumble.

"Why can't you?"

"I'm not sure. I know that logically, the timeline would mean it would've been impossible for this to happen because you cheated on me. But, fuck, I don't know. The thought of you being tied to that woman forever through a child, and the possibility of me being a stepmother to that child is really overwhelming." You can't help but ramble your anxieties.

"Well that would be impossible because I haven't made contact with her in over two years - if you believe all the lies she's telling all of these media outlets, she's going to get what she wants. We're going to end up breaking up over this." Verso sighs. His last sentence leaves you feeling vulnerable.

"Breaking up…? Look, I had my doubts and I'm trying to fight them, but breaking up never once crossed my mind." You fold your arms. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's the likely possibility if we let what we see and hear get into our heads. But that's the last thing I want!"

"…Yeah, okay. I don't know why you'd mention that at all then." You mumble, shoving your phone in your pocket as you brush past him.

"No, please I don't mean it like that. Please." Verso trails behind you. "Please, I just cleared an entire space in my wardrobe because you're moving in right now. I don't mean any of it to come off like this." Verso pleads. You feel confused and a little hurt - when you had your first round of troubles because of Julie before, you recall how badly he didn't want to let you go. How much he was trying to keep you close. But suddenly he mentions breaking up so casually? It's fucking with your head even more. Maybe he really does have something to hide…?

You bite your tongue, holding yourself back from speaking your volatile thoughts. "I'll be back in a few hours. I don't think I should be in here for a little while. I need to clear my head before I say something bad." You mutter, swiping your cap and sunglasses from the nearby drawer as you walk off, shutting the door behind you.

You wish your brain wasn't like this. You can't even tell which one of you had more grounds to be upset, which is a telling sign that the argument could've been avoided. But right now, you're too tired and you can't bring yourself to keep replaying recent events in your head. You just need to get out for a while.

Chapter Text

You're not all that familiar with the 16th arrondissement, so you let your legs carry you wherever you decide feels best. You're barely taking in the sights around you, scrolling through your phone, peering at all the photos that were taken of you. Close-ups of your suitcase, noting that the suitcase had no brand and appeared to be a little scuffed and cheap looking - signs of a woman who doesn't have enough funds to afford brand names. Several zoom-ins of your face that you had no idea were being taken flood your screen, with people comparing your face to a variety of different celebrities and influencers. You shove your phone back in your pocket - you don't need to keep reading that right now.

What the hell are you even meant to do in this situation? The realisation that you've walked out because you're feeling so heightened has just hit you. A wave of embarrassment washes over you - truth be told, you're not sure who started the argument between you both; if you could even call it an argument. All you know is that if you stayed, you might've said something you'd come to regret. It's not characteristic of you either - a topic like this usually gets smoothed over in the moment. Perhaps it's the paranoia, the thought of so many people rooting for your demise when they don't even know you, the forced uprooting of your own space… Every layer of torment is smothering you, and you feel like you can't breathe. You have half a mind to just turn on your heels and walk back, but you don't feel like anything is resolved…

"Shit." You wrack your brains. Not a bar. The last thing you need right now is to fall back into a bad habit when you're feeling low. You open your phone again, clearing all your opened apps full of news about Julie and the speculation of Verso being the father, tapping on the green phone button.

"Hey, what's up?" You hear Lune's voice over the sound of her kettle roaring.

"Do you mind if I stay over yours for a bit? Verso and I had a fight… Kind of?" You rock back and forth on your heels as you stare at the metro sign from across the street.

"Kind of a fight?" Lune asks.

"I suppose. Hard to make heads or tails of who started it." You chuckle wryly.

"Yeah, you can come over, for sure. Are you staying the night?" Lune asks.

"Probably not, I just… I'm really tense." You admit, beginning to walk across the street.

"I'll bet. Yeah, just give me a buzz when you get here." Lune says.

"Thanks. I'm not far, I'm staying with Verso in the 16th arrondissement until this dies down. I'm about to head into the metro, should be there in like, 20?" You peer at the scheduled board.

"Yeah, all good. See you in a bit!"

Lune opens the door and gives you a small smile, which you return. "I don't pity your circumstance. One of the biggest influencers in the city is going after you, and it feels like almost every media outlet under the sun is lapping it up." Lune begins as you take a seat. She brings you a glass of water, which you gratefully accept. You didn't realise all that walking left you more parched than you first realised.

"I feel like my brain is being split into two. On one hand, the timing basically doesn't match up at all. On the other hand, what if I'm being naive and blindly trusting Verso? I mean, shit, she looks very pregnant." You sigh.

"Is that what you were both arguing about?" She asks before popping open a bag of crisps, beginning to pick at the bag and gesturing the packet to you. You take a small handful as you pause to think.

"Yeah, I guess. I was talking to Sciel over the phone, and I told her that I don't know who or what to trust. Verso overheard me and he got a bit upset. That's understandable, but it was the fact that he mentioned we'd be on the path to breaking up if I keep entertaining the thought that he really is the father. I guess it's mostly bothered me because if he had nothing to hide, surely he wouldn't bring the topic of breaking up so readily like that, right? I mean, why even mention it at all?" Your mind is spiraling whilst Lune takes in your explanation.

"At the crux of it, it's the suspicion, isn't it? You have to blindly put your trust in him. But has he given you any reason to not trust him?" Lune tilts her head in questioning - a habit of hers since you've known her.

"You know… I don't actually have a reason to doubt him." You admit.

"Then what's the harm in trusting him for now? If it really is his child, maybe that's a bridge to cross when you're there."

"Because I feel so invested. I don't think I've ever felt for someone so intensely as I do with him. It's scary. To have Julie in the picture forever if that's his child… I don't know if I can handle that. Especially knowing the media outlets are going to have a field day about it until the end of time." You sigh.

"So… What do you think you want to do? Would you prefer to get out while you still can, or do you want to stick by his side and see this thing through until you can't anymore?" Lune asks. You hesitate for a moment. "You know…" Lune clears her throat, giving you a soft look. "When you two were going through a rough patch, Sciel and I did check in on him. It was the most awkward experience ever, but he didn't even miss a beat when he said he didn't want to give up on you." Lune divulges. You feel a stab of guilt in your chest, but it's quickly replaced with a mental defense.

"But he mentioned breaking up so readily today." You mumble.

"You're both not getting a lot of sleep and experiencing an extreme amount of stress. Maybe he mentioned it, but I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. From my point of view anyway." Lune shrugs, and you nod silently. Maybe you did jump to conclusions a little quickly.

"Shit… Maybe I'm an idiot." You grumble, briefly pinching the bridge of your nose. You feel grateful towards Lune; both for your friendship and her advice. "Anyway. I think I need to know what to do. On the other hand, this entire time I've entered your house, we haven't talked about anything other than men." You scoff at yourself, feeling a little embarrassed that you've only been talking about yourself and Verso since you arrived. "We are so not passing the Bechdel test at this rate. Tell me how you've been so far." You give her a smile as you go to refill your cups.

"Huh? It's just you in here?" Clea asks as she steps inside, Verso closing the door behind her. He keeps his lips pursed, giving her a shrug.
"Had a fight… Sort of. She went to Lune's to have dinner there." Verso admits.
"You can't just sort of have a fight. You either did, or you didn't. It's getting to her, isn't it?" Clea asks.
"I think so. I overheard her on the phone, saying she felt like she couldn't really trust me. That the baby could be mine." Verso confides.
"Hell would have to freeze over before that's true." Clea crosses her arms. "Right?"
"Clea. Even if hell froze over, I'd still want nothing to do with her. You don't need to question it." Verso gives an exasperated sigh.
"I know! I know… But, I mean shit, you were like a lost puppy for the first five or so months when you got out of hospital. Maybe the rest of us were to blame, we openly disliked her even before Alicia's death. Maybe we were all subconsciously pushing you towards her. And then you never dated after, until now." Clea shrugs. "Can you blame me for second guessing?"
"I don't, but I'm getting tired of people second guessing my character over what she's posting." Verso looks towards the ground for a second, his jaw clenching momentarily before relaxing. "It's frustrating knowing that it's kind of working. I think I let it get the better of me."
"You mean the rumours she keeps posting?"
"Yeah. I don't know… Hearing the person I love say she doesn't know if she can trust me, it hurt more than I expected it to. I think I let my initial reaction get the better of me."
"Sorry, I know we're having a heart to heart about your fight with her here, but did you just say love?" Clea asks, ears perking up. Verso's face begins to redden, his gaze avoiding Clea's.
"…Yeah."
"You never use that word lightly. I take it you haven't said that to her yet?" Clea asks.
"Wh- definitely not!" Verso stammers.
"Are you stupid!? You guys literally moved in together before saying I love you!?" Clea throws her hands in the air.
"The moving in is circumstantial! And technically we've only really been official for what, just shy of four months? I don't want to scare her off." Verso reasons.
"…Hmmm." Clea quirks a brow.
"Don't say anything more." Verso jokingly warns, and Clea rolls her eyes a little.
"I won't! I'll stay out of it. I'm here mainly for the paintings anyway, let's see how it's coming along." Clea changes the subject, which Verso gratefully allows her to do so.

 

You're almost back at Verso's now, ready to talk things over with your renewed perspective, courtesy of Lune's rationale and support. You make a mental note to buy her a bottle of wine for the next time you see her.

"…That wasn't part of the agreement!" You hear a familiar shrill whine from up ahead. You blink, wondering if you're imagining things. It's Julie. She's yelling at a glossy black Porsche with the brake lights on, but you can't make out a single figure or detail of who's inside. The windows are absolutely tinted to hell. You quickly realise you're gawking and can be spotted at any moment, quickly turning off the street and taking the long way around. You're not keen to find out what will happen to you while you're alone at night in a situation like this.

…

You punch the code into Verso's penthouse, setting your items down before making your way to his office studio room. The faint sound of classical music that you can't name plays behind the shut door. You take a deep breath, knocking on the door.

"You can come in." You hear him call out. You crack the door open, eyeing Verso. His hair is pulled into a half-bun, though there's a stray silver strand escaping from his fringe. For some reason, you feel as if you're intruding. "You're being so shy." Verso looks up from his canvas, wiping the brush with a cloth. You step inside, shutting the door. The windows are open to ventilate the studio from the fumes of turpentine.

"I just assume you'd want a little more privacy for this sort of painting." You purse your lips as he stands up from his stool, walking over. You eye the tiny smudges of white and grey on his hands.

"Thank you, but I don't mind if it's you." Verso gives you a small smile.

"…I'm sorry. Walking out so quickly was immature of me. And I should've given you the benefit of the doubt instead of scrolling through the media outlet posts." You apologise forthrightly.

"I'm sorry too. I heard only part of your conversation, but I let my frustration towards the situation get in the way of communicating." Verso apologises in kind. You both stare softly at each other for a moment, relief washing over you both that the tense atmosphere is completely gone. "…Wanna take a look at what I've painted so far?" He offers. You give him a nod and a grin, walking towards the canvas. It's a half-finished portrait painting of Alicia in grayscale. Her hair is tied in a ponytail and she's wearing a frilly blouse.

"God, it's so realistic, it's like a photo. And it's not even done yet." You gasp, studying the portrait.

"Thank you. It's the 'face' component of the exhibition. Clea thinks I'm better at bringing people to life on paintings than her. I think she's just outsourcing work though, personally." Verso scoffs. You lean your head on his shoulder.

"Probably. But I do think she's right. This is a beautiful portrait of your sister." You never met Alicia, only saw a photo in passing on the news during the initial report of her death. But even in grayscale, you see it. Her and Verso have such similar eyes. "…Do your parents know about the exhibition?" You turn to him.

"We're going to tell them when everything is finished. There's concern they might try to deviate from what Clea and I have planned, so we're going to finalise it so they can't make any last minute changes that could derail the ulterior motive for the exhibition." Verso explains, and you nod.

"I see." You pause. "I saw something weird, by the way. When I was walking home. I saw Julie." You note.

"Merde. Did she spot you?" Verso asks, voice laced with concern.

"I don't think so. She looked really angry, she was yelling at someone in an expensive car, but I couldn't see because their windows were tinted and I was coming from behind the car anyway."

"That's probably for the better, means her and whoever was in the car probably didn't see you."

"Yeah. She was yelling at whoever it was - said something about something not being part of the agreement. I didn't stick around after that though." You recall.

"Agreement? Hmm." Verso folds his arms in thought. "So my suspicions are probably correct. She's made a deal with someone so she can pay off her family's debt."

"Wait. So she's a puppet for someone else?" You ask. This explains why she chased after you like a rabid dog in the hotel lobby. It's why she wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Likely. And she's getting paid for it. All the more reason why this exhibition needs to work and lure whoever is really pulling the strings out of hiding."

"I think Clea is one of the most clever and calculated women in Paris, maybe even in the world. That makes her a little scary, but it also means this is guaranteed to succeed." You reassure with a yawn.

"Time for bed?" Verso asks, and you nod.

"Yeah, after I have a shower. I feel gross. You still working for a while longer?"

"Yep, I won't be up too late though."

"Mmmkay. Goodnight." You stand on your tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

"Goodnight." Verso smiles. He watches your retreating form as you walk towards the hallway. "I love you." He adds with the faintest whisper once you're certainly out of earshot.

"Hey! You can't fall asleep on us, come on, you need to get up!" You hear an unfamiliar voice shouting at your side. You blink, unable to get your bearings for a moment. It's dark in here, the rays of the golden afternoon sun barely filtering through the rubble from high above. There's a loud thudding sound close by, causing you to shudder. Strange… You feel like the floor is completely wet. Did you fall through a bridge into a river?

You look down at your hands. It's not water. It's fucking blood. You gasp, sitting upright as your head pounds, but you ignore it. You're more worried about the fact that you were laying in a puddle of blood. Your vision pulls into focus, and the sight before you makes your jaw drop. Bodies. Everywhere. Not just slumped, lifeless bodies, but bodies that died frozen in time. A lurid scene of corpses piled several metres high above the large pool of blood. You shudder. Glancing over your shoulder, you notice the corpse of a man in a similar uniform to yours is next to you, his hand outstretched and his face contorted in a fearful yell, as if he just watched the one he loves die in front of his eyes, right before he met his own end. You swallow thickly, clambering to your feet as the young orange-haired girl guides you to the sound of the thudding.

That's when you notice the others nearby. "V-Verso!?" You exclaim, dumbstruck.

"Yes? Quickly, we don't have much time." That husky, deep voice. That's Verso alright. You glance over to the two women. Sciel and Lune. You notice Sciel is wielding a dual-headed scythe, with intricate geometric patterns welded near the blades. Your gaze flickers to Lune, who is holding a floating talisman, readying her attack.

"N-No, it's alright. It can wait." You say. Next to you, the young girl draws her longsword.

"Maelle, we'll need to coordinate our final strike carefully, yeah?" Verso confirms. Maelle. That's her name. How strange that you forgot this girl's name, considering she feels so familiar.

"Got it! …Hey- you need to ready yourself, otherwise you're going to get flung again." Maelle prompts. Right! Your weapon… Oh. You look down at your hands, noticing the leather straps with etchings of sigils and markings. There is a faint, shimmering hum coming from the bracings around your fists. For some reason, you know what this is called. Chroma.

Wait… Why the fuck does everyone get a cool weapon and you're stuck with just beating the shit out of things with your bare fists? Your begrudging internal monologue is put on pause when the towering, daunting creature wielding a sword in each hand, glowers as it approaches you and the rest of the group. You're sure you don't know how to fight, yet your body seems to move on its own. You begin to balance your weight between your feet, suddenly feeling light and nimble.

"Alright… First strike!" Sciel calls out, a flurry of tarot cards dancing in the air in a purple flash as she sends them Maelle's way. Immediately, Maelle charges forward, thrusting her sword in several directions at the creature as it wails in pain. Once Maelle returns to her original position, Verso fires several shots at the towering monster, hitting with lethal accuracy before he goes in for a solid slash with his glowing sword. You can't help but gawk at him - you've never seen someone move so fast - despite Maelle's quick attacks, Verso's combo attack made Maelle look as if she were attacking in slow motion in comparison to Verso.

"Shit! It's moving faster than I thought!" Lune yells.

"Parry it!" Maelle screams out. Hang on - parry it!? You remain frozen in place, eyes wide as you gawp at the glowing purple blade about to descend on you. How are you meant to parry a blade with your-

"Merde!" You cough as the wind is knocked out of you. You look up, feeling the warmth of Verso's heaving chest against your back. You realise he dove at the last second to help you dodge the attack.

"What's going on? You're usually so light on your feet. Come on, we need to get up, you need to attack it!" Verso splutters as you frantically nod, scrambling to your feet. You take a deep breath, hoping your body moves on its own again. And it does. You strike the creature - hard. Flashes of light and shadows clash against the armoured body of the creature as it screeches. You dash back, catching your breath.

"Looks like it took a bigger hit from my light attacks!" You call out.

The monstrosity readies its sword, beginning to swing as you narrowly dodge its relentless assault. Flashes of violet and orange dance across your retinas, and you slide, jump, and roll to avoid getting nicked by the nasty looking swords. Just when you think you can catch a break, the dual-wielding creature slams its sword into the ground, sending shockwaves across the pool of blood. You gasp, slamming your fist with a powerful thrust on instinct, shoving the shockwaves right back to the monster. It reels as it tastes its own attack, providing Lune with an opportunity to launch a barrage of elemental attacks. Lightning dances in the atmosphere, crackling and fizzling in your ears as you feel the ends of your hair stand due to the static created. You can't help but watch your friend in awe.

"Fuck, it's going to attack again!" Sciel shouts. The creature reaches outwards. You ready yourself for another counter, but the attack never comes. Fuck. It's a feint! You somersault away from the swing of its blade at the last second, feeling disgusted at the amount of blood that has now soaked your clothes, skin, and hair. The fight rages on, as Maelle and Sciel continue to hack away at the creature. You need to think of something - and quickly, to knock the bastard down, before you all run out of stamina. Taking a deep breath, you channel all the light energy you can muster from the reserves of your body. You entire silhouette begins to softly emanate a pale yellow light, as you dash towards the dual-wielding monster. You make thirteen consecutive punches, filled with light, before hurtling a blinding beam of light that causes the creature to stagger and fall to its knees, using its two swords as crutches to keep itself upright.

"An opening!" Lune yells, as she launches four heavy strikes backed by a flurry of different elements, all too quick for you to catch. Sciel drags her blade into the chestplate of the monster before marking it for death. For the final strike, Maelle and Verso charge in sync with each other, as if rehearsed thousands of times before. Verso lunges upwards, whilst Maelle drives her body forwards, the two delivering a coordinated, devastating blow. The monster wails, its heavy blades screeching as it tumbles face down into the pool of blood, before crumbling into hundreds of little petals. You rub your eyes at the sight of the creature suddenly disappearing.

"Not bad." Verso compliments you all, as you make your way up the glowing spindle of light that acts as a makeshift rope.

"Putain! Your back!" Maelle gasps in horror. Fortunately due to the adrenaline, you have no idea why she's freaking out so much, since you can't feel a thing. Lune and Sciel's eyes widen.

"Huh? I feel fine. Went up the rope with ease and everything." You blink.

"Do you not feel that at all?" Lune raises her eyebrows in shock. Verso quickly walks behind you, his pale blue eyes suddenly filled with worry as he scans your face.

Now curious as to why everyone is so panicked, you crane your neck to catch a glimpse of your back. A large gash has torn through the back of your uniform in a diagonal line, the wound cutting so deep you swear you saw a bit of your shoulder bone protruding from the wound. That looks incredibly gruesome… In fact, you're not quite sure how you're even still alive.

"Oh… That is bad." You turn back to everyone. You're practically a dead man walking right now. "T-That is really bad…" You mumble, your eyelids involuntarily fluttering shut as your world fades to black.

"I've got her." Verso calls out, as all three girls steady your collapsing body. Verso crouches down as the trio of girls arrange your limbs in an optimal carrying position. As the team cross the battlefield, Verso takes every effort to not make any sudden or harsh movements.

"She's not slept that well since we left Lumiere. It seems she needs to quite literally be on the verge of death before she will actually go into a deep sleep." Maelle comments.
"Has she not? I'll be extra careful then. By the way, the path to where you can bury your friend is just up ahead." Verso notes.
"It's sad… She won't be able to bid Gustave goodbye." Sciel sighs sadly, her gaze fixed on your unconscious form. The girls turn to the row of yellow trees, the armbands from the various expeditions that came before them whippeting in the breeze.

Your eyes adjust to the soft glow of a campfire as you sit up. Your back still aches, but it's hardly the searing pain that it was before you blacked out. That's right… You fainted after the battle.

"Careful, you've just woken up." Verso cautions. You open your mouth to say his name, but your throat feels bone dry. Your hand flies to your throat as you attempt to clear it, however your attempts are futile. "Here." Verso hands you a small carafe of water, which you gulp down in a matter of seconds.

"I… Passed out." You manage to rasp out.

"You did. We had to bury your friend without you awake… I'm sorry. But I can take you back to the area when we have some downtime later. After we find Monoco." Verso says.

"Monoco? Why are we trying to find your dog?" You ask.

"…What?" Verso appears to freeze up for a split second. "Monoco is a gestral."

"Oh." You blink. "That injury really must've almost killed me, I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"It's alright. Leave it to the immortals to get wounds like that next time though, yeah?" Verso smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Strange… This man. He is Verso. He looks, sounds, and acts like Verso, but at the same time… This isn't quite Verso.

…

Weeks pass, and you did indeed meet Monoco (the gestral, not the dog). You can't help but think about how many similarities Monoco has with a dog. He's loyal, loves to play fight, and he's highly affectionate towards Verso.

Your mind snaps back to the current moment - you're sat by the campfire, poking the mystery stew with your wooden ladle every now and then, while Lune is sitting next to you, compiling information for the Expedition's journal. Sciel is sharpening her scythe with meticulous care, while Maelle is sat across you, staring into the campfire with a contemplative expression before continuing her scribbling in Gustave's journal. You suppress a sigh as you take in the miserable atmosphere. Gustave had died merely weeks ago, the wounds of loss still bleeding and raw for the four of you.

The sound of a throat clearing makes your ears perk up, but you're a little too engrossed in trying not to burn the bottom of the stew. "Hi." His voice calls out.

Maelle is the first to pipe up. "Not now please. I'm working."

"Hi." Verso says again, footsteps stopping in their tracks behind you and Lune.

"Oh, Verso. There you are. How did-" You and Lune both swivel around, seeing only a torso and legs. "Ah! Fuck!" Lune yelps, falling off her seat.

"Oh my- wow!"

"What is that!?"

"Am I talking to your legs right now!?" You exclaim, haphazardly dropping your ladle into the pot, completely stunned by the sight of Verso's body cut in half.

"Hi, I'm a pair of legs that can talk."

"Verso?"

"We're both Verso." The top end of Verso's body - his head, chest, and arms, approach from the other side of the fire.

"You are so ridiculous." Maelle sighs in exasperation, but with a small smile.

"Wait. How can your legs talk?" Lune asks.

"Ah, yes, I'm quite proud of that. Took a lot of training."

"Where the hell are you even talking from if that's just your legs? Actually - don't answer that question." You correct yourself, still wide-eyed from the sight before you.

"Does it… Does it hurt?" Sciel asks, poking the mirage-like area above Verso's torso.

"Argh- Ahahaha! No, it doesn't." Verso grits out. Your eyes immediately flicker to his. It definitely did hurt, but he played it off well.

"Did you cut yourself in half? Did Monoco cut you in half?"

"Do you heal from the top, or the bottom? Or do you have to bring the halves together? - Hey, can you control the process?"

"So… If you're cut in half, does that mean you can be in two places at once? Can you go scouting with Monoco with your lower body, while your upper body stays here and talks to us?"

"Well yeah, you see, I can go hunt Nevrons with my top half, while my bottom remains here cooking meals. Back in the days, that's what I used to do…"

"Can I- Are you? Huh?" Lune gasps, bewildered.

"So does…" You trail off.

"Yeah, my hair is-"

"Actually! Never mind! Don't answer that!" You squeak.

As Monoco sticks Verso's two halves together and the laughter dies down, everyone goes back to their tasks. Miraculously, the stew did not burn at the bottom. You remove it from the fire and let it cool down. You didn't want to ruin the moment of laughter that you and the rest of the team haven't had in days, but a feeling was gnawing away at the pit of your stomach. You rise from your knees, walking towards Monoco and Verso, who are currently having an in-depth conversation about which Nevron is harder to hit - a Troubadour, or a Ballet. You clear your throat, making your presence known.

"Hey." You greet.

"Ah, everything alright? Sorry if I distracted you from the stew." Verso smiles.

"Oh, no, it's just cooling down. Should be ready to eat shortly. Um… Can I speak with you privately for a second?" You ask Verso, wringing your hands out of habit.

"Sure." He nods as you begin to walk.

"It was nice of you, what you did back there. I know we're probably not the cheeriest Expedition to travel with." You note.

"Ah, well, figured you could all use a bit of a laugh right now."

"And it's appreciated…" You trail off, checking to see if you're out of earshot. "But please, don't do that again." You whisper the second half. Verso's eyes widen a little, his head tilting to the side a little.

"Oh… Was it too offensive?" He asks, and you shake your head.

"No, it was funny. But you were in pain, Verso." You point out, and his expression morphs from curiosity to shock for a brief second.

"It's okay, really. I'm used to it."

"But you're still putting yourself through agony. I'm grateful that you want to see us laugh - I really am. But I can see how much pain you're in just to make us smile." You say gently. There's a brief silence between you both, the sound of the stream flowing against the rocks and the wind rustling between the leaves.

"…I didn't think anybody would notice it." Verso says in a quiet voice.

"I noticed it, Verso. And I don't like seeing you in pain. You're already funny and keep our spirits up without having to hurt yourself. So please, promise me you won't put yourself through that pain again." You give him a concerned frown, although your eyes are soft and pleading.

"Okay, I promise you I won't do any extremely painful party tricks." Verso verbally dodges making the straightforward promise to you.

"Any painful party tricks!" You gently nudge his shoulder, pouting at him.

"Okay, all painful party tricks off the table." Verso chuckles. "…You're very perceptive. And a little bossy." He comments as you both stare at the night sky.

"Sorry. I don't mean to be…" You kick at small pebble on the forest floor.

"Haha, don't be sorry. I mean it in a good way. I like it when you tell me what to do." His voice drops an octave, and you feel a shiver run up your spine. You need to pull yourself together.

"Y-You can't just say things like that… I'm gonna get the wrong idea." You regrettably stammer, tearing your gaze away from him to focus on a floating lantern, illuminating ripples of the stream with a soft orange hue. "Anyway. I want a new weapon." You turn to him again, trying to claw your way out of your flustered reaction.

"A new weapon? I thought you liked pummelling Nevrons with your bare hands." Verso lets you change the topic, but gives you a grin with a half-lidded look, making your stomach do flips.

"Well, it's fun, yeah… But everyone has cool blades or unique weapons, and I'm just… Jumping our enemies…?" You throw your hands in the air, trying to avert his gaze. It's not that you don't want to flirt with him - it's that you've completely forgotten how to flirt since the Expedition and your upcoming gommage has taken up most of your brain for several years now.

"You know that's actually a really impressive feat though, right? I've only seen one other group of people fight the way you do. You fight like Expedition 60."

"You mean that fucking group of nudists!?" You guffaw, faux outrage plastered on your face.

"I'm serious, it really is impressive!" Verso can't help but laugh at your reaction.

"Then you have to stop laughing and tell me with a straight face!" You tell him off playfully, laughing along with him. The laughter dies down as you send him a sideways glance with a small smile.

"Okay. Your strength and defense are genuinely a force to be reckoned with. I've never seen somebody who has such impeccable battle skills that they can adapt so quickly to different kinds of Nevrons. I mean it." Verso compliments, and you feel your cheeks redden once again.

"Good. Thank you." Your voice comes off a little squeakier than you hoped it to. "You're… Really fast." You blurt out a compliment in return, but it lands a bit awkwardly. You clear your throat, looking away. "The river looks lovely this time of year." You comment, trying to distract Verso from your poor attempt at flirting; if you could even call it that.

"Haven't you only been on the continent for about… Two months max?" Verso asks, folding his arms as he stares at you.

"Yeah, well. It does look lovely right now." You stare at your boots, unable to meet his gaze. Merde. This is so fucking embarrassing.

"It does look lovely, you're right." Verso softly chuckles. "And thanks for the compliment. I suppose I am pretty fast." He adds, and you nod.

"Sorry. I don't know why I'm so awkward suddenly." You admit.

"Why are you sorry? I like making you all flustered like that." Verso teases.

"I don't… Uh… I haven't dated a lot. It feels like my brain is malfunctioning and I've forgotten to how to flirt."

"So you're flirting with me?"

"Er, a poor attempt at it, yes. I've spent the last few years pouring everything into training for the Expedition, and my sense of impending doom along with everyone I've had a crush on gommaging before I could even tell them I'm interested; yeah. I don't even know if I remember how to flirt with someone." You chuckle wryly.

"Well, you're in luck. I'm immortal, so no chance of me gommaging." Verso says, inching a fraction closer to you.

"So then… I can practice on you?" You ask.

"Define practice." He says, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You know, I'm beginning to think you like watching me squirm and get all flustered." You narrow your eyes playfully.

"Flustered? Yeah. Although I haven't seen you squirm. Should we change that?" He asks, his voice low and husky. Turning to face him square-on, your eyes travelling from his scarred eye, down to his lips, and to his other eye momentarily. He's staring at you with slightly lowered eyelids, leaning in a little closer towards you until your breaths mingle. You nod eagerly in response.

Wordlessly, he cradles both sides of your face with his hands as he pulls you in for a kiss. You softly moan as you close the gap between your bodies, pressing up against him needily as your tongues brush against each other. Your body moves instinctively to straddle Verso, as if it has a mind of its own. "I thought you said you didn't remember how to flirt?" He chuckles, pressing a kiss to your neck, causing your breath to hitch.

"I-I don't." You stammer, your hips grinding against his, your clothed cunt beginning to turn sopping wet as you seek friction from Verso.

"I think you're lying." Verso teases, his fingers ghosting under the hem of your Expedition uniform, which you remove your shirt and bra in response to his silent request. You watch the tips of his ears turn a little red. "Fuck, look at you." He whispers, pupils blown as he brings your chest flush to his face, his tongue darting out to lick a line from your collarbone down to one of your nipples, gently sucking on it. The sensation is enough to make your thighs tremble, to which he remedies this by steadying you at the hips with one hand.

"Verso…" You breathe out, eyelids fluttering.

"Fuck, I need to taste you." He whispers, effortlessly scooping you up from underneath him and gently placing you down on a large, smooth boulder nearby. You're perched at the edge of the boulder, the stone digging ever so slightly into your backside, but you're far too turned on to care. Shrugging off your pants and shoes, you're left in only your underwear as Verso kneels before you, planting small, tender kisses up your thigh. You're staring down at him through hooded eyelids, watching him as he makes his way higher, and higher, and higher… Until his face is practically pressed against your panties. Verso takes a deep inhale, before his tongue darts out and rubs against your clit through your underwear. It makes you jolt ever so slightly, your hips bucking into his face as you seek more pressure and sensation. In one swift motion, Verso tugs your underwear down to your ankles, as you kick them off, letting them fling into a nearby patch of grass. Verso wastes no time to dive back in, the sensation of his tongue against your bare flesh making you writhe in pleasure. The air is filled with the sound of the rushing river, rustling trees, your heavy breathing, and the obscene sound of Verso's tongue deep inside of your pussy. He's not just doing a halfhearted job, he's on his knees, dedicated to worshipping your cunt until you cum. You bite back a moan, trying your hardest to stay quiet, knowing the forest thicket isn't enough sound coverage to stop the others at camp from hearing any loud sounds. Yet Verso seems to want to make it his personal mission to make you scream, with two fingers sinking into your pussy as he continues to lap at your clit.

"V-Verso… I'm gonna cummm…" You drawl out, your body tensing up.

"Yeah, that's it. Cum for me. Cum all over my face." He murmurs, keeping the rhythmn of his fingers and mouth. You choke out a loud gasp, biting down on your lower lip to stop yourself from moaning loudly as you ride out your high on his hands and face. You exhale, your taut body suddenly loosening as everything pulls into focus again. Rising from his knees, you grab Verso by the collar and pull him in for a sloppy kiss, tasting yourself on his tongue.

"Too many clothes." You playfully complain, as Verso sheds his own Expedition uniform.

"…Just so you know, if we had a bed, that would definitely be my first choice. I feel a little bad that your first time in a while is going to be on the floor." Verso scratches the back of his neck as you both lower yourselves to the thickest patch of grass in the area.

"I don't mind, a bed on the continent is quite the luxury." You note playfully, as he positions himself between your legs.

"Just tell me if it hurts." You nod. He's larger than you first guessed. Not that you were staring at the bulge in his pants when you were all making a pit-stop at the Gestral Beach or anything. You hold your breath as he first sinks in, exhaling and relaxing as you both watch your pussy take his cock to the hilt. You can't help but clench around him and how good he feels. "S-Shit, it's been quite a while for me too." He breathes out in pleasure, beginning to thrust. Fuck. The fullness and the angle he's driving his hips into you is enough to make you mewl. "Here, I'll move your legs a little." Verso rasps out, delicately moving your ankles to rest above his shoulders as he tilts his body towards you just a little more, hitting that sweet spot. Your mouth forms into an 'O' as you stare up at him, losing yourself in the pleasure.

"Holy fuck…" You whisper, which is enough to make him slam into your g-spot with a little more force, causing your eyes to roll to the back of your head as you moan, though this time it's a little louder than you hoped. "Verso… Right there…" You whimper.

"Shhh… Someone's gonna hear." He hushes you, and you nod, but the feeling of his cock relentlessly pounding into your pussy coaxes more involuntary moans from you. "Shhh… Shhh… You're taking me so well…" Verso leans down, his hand covering your mouth to muffle your whines and moans. "Fuck, you sound so cute… I'm sorry I have to keep you quiet, princess, I'm sorry…" Verso quietly moans in your ear, as he continues to fuck you into the grass, smothering your moans with his mouth.

"F-Fuck… So close… But I wanna make you cum again… Can you cum for me again? Please?" Verso pleads, his eyes fixed on yours with a desperate, longing look. You're looking up at him, with equal desperation as you nod. That's more than enough to encourage him to pick up the pace, as he thrusts into you even faster, maintaining the tempo without any signs of fatigue. You moan and mewl against his hand, feeling your body go taut once more as the familiar coil in your lower stomach snaps, your walls clenching around his cock, causing him to cum right after you, his cum spilling inside of you and leaking out. You both catch your breath for a moment before hopping into the stream, welcoming the cold sensation of rushing water against your flushed skin.

"Sorry we don't have any more time tonight." Verso mutters, making you blink in confusion.

"What do you mean any more time?" You ask, his hands still caged around the small of your waist as he plants a small kiss on your forehead.

"You need to wake up now." He says. Before you can ask another question, you becoming hyperaware of how cold the river has become. It makes you jolt upwards.

You bolt upright, your vision still blurry as everything slowly pulls into focus as you blink yourself awake. You're not in a river stream anymore. You're not on the Continent either. You're back in Paris, laying in a king sized mattress with 600-thread count egyptian cotton sheets, with Verso's sleeping form next to you. You look at his sleeping form. He must be so tired from all the painting from last night that he doesn't even rouse when you jolted awake. You study his restful form - this one is your Verso, not the Expedition Verso from your dream. How odd - it was like dream Verso was the exact same, yet somehow vastly different from real-life Verso at the same time.

Huh. Strange dream. Maybe you need to stop reading that book right before you fall asleep.