It was so clear to him now.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at this too tardy realization, this epitome that had graced him now, of all times.

Alfred was many things.

He was a doll; a pretty trophy meant to sit quietly in his place.

He was a toy; fun to break, but even more enjoyable to mend, kissing away the bruises with poison-laced lips, endearments ( Read more... )

She knew her place.

Quiet, secretive; she was the insider, the one outlier who could sometimes steal slips of information and give it to the Resistance, like a storm giving water to the dying. However, there was only so much one could do by herself, and, even in her position, there were only so many things she had access too. Still, she did whatever ( Read more... )

Ivan was not a stupid man.

Indeed, one might even have said he was brilliant.

His plans were not to be taken lightly; ever since his deadly pas de deux with the American, a conflict of ‘almosts’ (the almost touch, the almost searing heat, the almost steel against steel-), he had been enraptured, allured by the younger’s inextinguishable spirit, the ( Read more... )

The silence was perfect to be broken.

All that was needed was the right moment, the opportune sliver of ideal alignment to carry out the desired plan, and the quiet would be shattered in an instant.

But his companion, for now, was ever enduring time, that which slowed and quickened in a malicious, teasing manner.

Puffs of quickly condensing air ( Read more... )

It was opulence defined.

Gold glittered throughout, drapes of crimson, snow, and raven fabric hanging from ceilings that brushed the heavens. The marble floor reflected the entirety of the room, revealing a parallel world beneath the polished rock; the masked couples and their shadows glided across the shining surface in perfect synchronization, ( Read more... )

Night was rapidly advancing.

The sun was fading once again, slipping into an uneasy slumber as it marked the sky with broken, swirling trails of brilliant red, as if the horizon was bleeding.

A hum of chuckles broke through the semi-silence, drowning out the forgettable music floating in the background.

How funny.

Standing straight-backed, Ivan allowed ( Read more... )

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room; painfully tight, his throat constricted, his mouth drying almost immediately. A stray tear traced a watery trail down his cheek as he raised his head, the drop landing unceremoniously on the floor.

Alfred winced at the sound.

Knock, knock.

And then there was a flurry of motion.

The American was ( Read more... )

He liked the silence.

Broken only by bristling trees roused by a forlorn, wanton wind, the quiet was subdued, impervious to the troubles of the world; it merely played its assigned role, to be, yet not to be; to be present, but only as a spectator. It needed no incentive, no convincing; it knew its place, and because of this, it was able to grant a ( Read more... )

A steaming cup was set before him, the vapors curling and dissipating into the somewhat chilly air. The china was chipped and cracked, the discrepancies in the pattern almost hidden by careful repair. Almost.

“I’m sorry I have to give you such poor china; I-I usually don’t have any guests,” his hostess said, politely embarrassed and flustered over ( Read more... )

Alfred was almost a master at it now.

At a moment’s notice he could change his stance and countenance; strong grasps were traded for feather light touches and a simmering anger was transformed into shy smiles and rosy, blooming cheeks. Arms would be cradled protectively against his chest, fingers reaching out in uncertainty before curling back into ( Read more... )