Chapter Text
He stared at Marius incredulously.
“I'm serious. I'm bored, you need the box. It's the perfect deal.”
“Why the hell would I go on a date with you? I—”
“Your little crush doesn't have to know.” Marius coaxed. “And I'll make it fun, I promise. You'll have the box by the end of the night.”
Luke stared at him.
He didn't seem to be hiding anything.
“You're... You're giving it up that easily?”
“I don't really care about it.” Marius said with a shrug. “And I already texted them about the name carving, so you don't need to worry about that.”
Huh. Right.
He wasn't convinced.
“Okay, look, just tell me her name and I'll have them carve it. You can pick it up here when we're done. I can't possibly be fooling you about this since I can't gift a box with someone else's name on it.”
Marius smiled innocently as Luke crossed his arms, deep in thought. They stayed in silence for a few seconds while he weighed his options.
“Alright.” He sighed, scratching at his nape. This was for Rosa, he reasoned. He had to keep that in mind. “But I have to ask— why a date?”
“Didn't you hear?” Marius' voice as he answered was airy enough to let Luke know, in advance, that he wasn't planning on taking the question seriously. “I'm free tonight.”
“That doesn't answer anything—”
“What's her name?”
Luke paused.
“What?”
“Your crush. What's her name?”
Luke blinked, confused, until Marius raised his hand, phone held between thin, elegant fingers, and he remembered their deal about the name carving.
“It's... Rosa.” Was his reply.
Marius quickly typed something into his phone.
As he pocketed it, he caught a glimpse of a smile on Luke's lips.
“Don't go all mushy over someone else when it's me you're on a date with,” He said teasingly, and Luke's smiled vanished as he rolled his eyes. “Shall we go?”
“Sure, but wait a second.” Marius looked at him, waiting. “We're not leaving the mall. I don't know you, so it wouldn't be prudent.”
He expected him to protest, but Marius let out a small chuckle instead, and looked at Luke almost fondly.
“Prudent? God, you're cute.”
“H-Hey! It's safer for the both of us—”
“I get it, don't worry. Wasn't planning on going anywhere either, so let's get going before it's late, yeah?”
Luke nodded resignedly as Marius began to walk out of the store.
He was glad the place was actually pretty empty.
As he stared at Marius' back, he hoped no one had heard their embarrassing exchange, with Luke having no options but to follow through the demands of a pretentious rich boy he just met.
As they walked around the mall, Luke tried coming up with a few predictions as for what was going to happen. Marius couldn't possibly be serious about going on a date with him out of nowhere.
There had to be another explanation.
He didn't seem like a bad guy though. His surname was well known and familiar even to Luke who didn't really keep up with tabloids. While they walked, he politely smiled to a lady that came up to him and nervously asked for a selfie, posing by her side with a peace sign, and didn't see bothered by the few ogling stares directed his way either. Although Luke didn't know if all the attention was because he was a bit famous or, well — handsome, he thought begrudgingly.
In the end, he couldn't really predict anything, and that annoyed him even more.
What would a guy like Marius want to do with him?
“Must be around here,” Marius mumbled loudly enough for Luke to hear and then made a sharp turn, entering a corridor which appeared to be reserved for an emergency exit, with a big, two sided door at its end. He turned to Luke. “Is Mr. Prudent backing off yet?”
“We agreed on not leaving the mall.” Luke noted. “Whatever you're planning isn't happening outside, I hope.”
“Relax.” He gave the door a few knocks, “I just prefer this over the hassle of standing on a line.”
Luke couldn't help but snort.
Of course. Rich people.
“Don't be like that. I don't usually go for special treatment. But I'm on a date, aren't I?”
Before Luke could answer with something else besides a dull stare, the door opened slightly and a small man with a bowl cut greeted Marius with a respectful bow.
“Mr. von Hagen. You have company?” He asked, his tone professional and even.
“Yeah, are the couple loveseats available?”
“All seats are currently available, sir. I'll guide you to one of the best.”
“Thanks,” Marius said before turning to Luke again, “You first?”
The man at the door stepped aside as Luke entered what he now knew was a movie theater. He shivered almost immediately as the chilly air from the AC touched his skin and he soon felt Marius' hand at the small of his back, large and warm, keeping him in place as the other man closed the door.
He led the way through a small set of stairs and guided them to a set of two loveseat chairs placed side by side in a setting that looked so intimate Luke wanted to run.
The place was dimly lit and Marius thanked the man as he accommodated himself in one of the chairs while Luke stood frozen in place for a moment. The man and Marius exchanged a few words, he gave him another respectful bow and left through a small door at the opposite corner of the room.
Marius stared up at him.
“Is there anything wrong?”
The whole situation felt so absurd to Luke and he knew that Marius was aware of that, but somehow the thought of making his incredulity apparent felt like he'd be losing at whatever game Marius was playing. So he sat down, arms crossed over his chest, and stayed silent, staring at the huge, black screen in front of them.
He wondered what Rosa would think.
Marius didn't miss a single movement from him as he stared at Luke.
After a few moments of silence, he let out a laugh.
“Are you really that suspicious of me?”
Luke stared at him.
“Why wouldn't I be?”
“You know,” Marius rested his arm on the back of Luke's chair. “I think you're in denial.”
“Of what?”
“There's this whatever lady you're into...” Marius tilted his head, seemingly deep in thought, “And you want to please her so bad you're in denial of the fact that other people might want you.”
Luke scoffed.
“That doesn't even make sense.”
“If you say so, but let's see— where did you meet her?”
“She's my childhood friend.”
“And you've always liked her?” Marius asked straightforwardly.
Luke opened his mouth to speak and closed it again.
He had never talked about his feelings towards Rosa out loud.
He looked away from Marius, but from the corner of his eye he could see the faint smirk on his lips.
“I see.”
He couldn't stand the silence, however.
“How am I in denial, then? Care to explain?”
“You want to be good,” Marius responded. In the stillness and silence from the quiet movie room, his voice seemed deeper than before. Rougher, too. “Don't want to let yourself get tainted by someone that isn't her. Am I right?”
Luke's chest felt tight.
He didn't know if he was anxious, angry, or if Marius words rang true.
“You don't know anything about me.” He answered instead.
“Then what's so bad about this?” Marius tapped Luke's chin with a finger and carefully turned his head towards him. “Am I that wrong?”
He stayed still before slapping Marius' hand away.
“Stop playing with me. When is this damn movie starting?”
Marius laughed again.
“And what's so bad about playing?”
“I'm not a damn kid.”
“I thought puppies liked playing.” The arm that rested on the back of Luke's chair moved and he felt fingers touch the skin of his nape. “Was I so unlucky to the point I got one stuck so tightly on someone's else leash?”
“You're so overconfident.” Luke rolled his eyes. “You just met me and you're already guessing stuff about my life. Or trying to.” He added.
“Why don't you prove me wrong, then?” Marius played with the short hairs at his nape, and Luke didn't know why he didn't move away from the touch. Maybe the room was too cold and Marius' fingers were too warm and too soft. “I won't tell your owner you misbehaved.”
“God, shut up.” Luke said, and Marius smiled at his words and at the quick, decisive way Luke uncrossed his arms, both of them moving at the same time to meet each other's lips.
Marius' hand traveled down his shoulders and chest until they stopped at his waist, and Luke felt his pride crumble as he let the other man's tongue find its way inside his mouth in slow, lazy movements that were so obviously taunting.
The armchair between them proved to be an obstacle and Marius grabbed his chin gently to separate himself from Luke and move the damn thing up, and in that single moment of clarity while he stared at Marius' now wet lips, Luke felt his face get warm and redder and the urge to get up and push him away was almost too much to handle, until Marius arm encircled his waist again and cradled his face to kiss him deeper and Luke found himself lost in the sensation of the other man's lips against his.
Fuck. What the hell was he doing?
He allowed his hands to move on their own — hesitantly touching the piercings on Marius' ears before settling on his dark hair, pulling at it slightly and almost unconsciously, overwhelmed by the way Marius was kissing him; by how soft his lips felt against his. When they parted again, Marius' eyes were focused on Luke's lips as soon as they opened; his own still parted. Luke didn't realize he was panting as he watched the other man smile and place a small peck at the corner of his lips as they took their time to breathe.
“So?” He asked.
Luke didn't answer. He didn't move, either. Marius carefully slid his hands down, placing both of them on either side of Luke's thighs in a not so loose grip.
“More?” Marius inquired again, this time in a lower voice.
Luke's head was spinning as he took another breath and nodded.
He let Marius pull his body towards his and it turned out that these damn chairs were probably made for stuff like that since he ended up comfortably straddling the other man's lap, knees on each side of his body, and Luke almost couldn't believe what he was doing as he settled himself on Marius' legs, staring down at his eyes that stared back so intently it overwhelmed his senses.
Their mouths crashed again and this time he couldn't hold back a groan, not with Marius' hands on his hips, pulling him close as he explored his mouth with his tongue, and he let himself get in sync with his movements while gripping his hair and fighting against the urge to grind down on the body underneath his.
He couldn't remember the last time he let himself want someone like this.
Marius, the little shit, broke the kiss again, and Luke found himself feeling a little prideful over the fact that he looked just as messy as Luke himself probably did.
“What a good boy.” He said tauntingly, his voice breathy, and Luke wanted to kiss him again, but he felt both of Marius' thumbs sneak their way under his shirt, caressing his hip bone, and the direct contact against his skin felt electric. “I'm glad you're letting go.”
“Shut—” Marius' hands were under his shirt, now, both of them gripping his hips and encouraging him to grind down, “up...”
“It's alright.” Marius' placed a kiss at his neck, nuzzling at the skin, the hot air of his breathing tickling Luke as he spoke. “Slowly, mhm?”
His grip was tighter, now, pressing Luke's hips down almost forcefully, and Luke bit his lip as he felt his crotch rub against the other man's. Marius' whispered a small “fuck” against his neck and this time Luke didn't wait for his guidance before pressing down and rolling his hips against Marius', earning a loud moan from him.
“Wasn't planning to get this far,” Marius spoke with clear amusement in his voice. “I might have to take you somewhere else.”
“We're not going outside the mall,” Luke answered mechanically, more interested on the fingers caressing his stomach, ribs, near his chest—
“Mr. Von Hagen.”
He jumped at the voice behind him and scrambled to move away from Marius' lap.
The bastard let his hands hang in the air for a while; staying in the same position as they were before, when positioned on Luke's hips.
“Yes?” He answered tiredly. The man with a bowl cut was back, and he didn't seem bothered at all by what he had just witnessed.
“The investor from earlier insists on discussing other additional matters with you. He says there are important aspects to the contract he forgot to mention on today's meeting.”
“Arrange a phone call. I'll be there in five.” Marius rubbed at his temple and the man nodded, leaving the room once again. Luke wanted to become one with his chair, melt into it to never be seen again.
Nothing happened. Nothing happened.
“I'm sorry, puppy. Duty calls.” Marius said and his apologetic smile seemed sincere enough— not that Luke cared, obviously, he wasn't looking for an apology.
“Yeah, um—”
“The box is probably done. You can go pick it up, I already paid for it.”
“What? No, I'll pay you back! It's—”
“I have to go.” Marius cut him off and before Luke could react, he leaned towards him and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Good luck with your little girlfriend.”
Luke watched him leave through the same door the bowl cut man had used.
He brought a hand to his face and then to his lips before realizing what he was doing. Hurriedly getting on his feet, he furiously wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
The box. This was for the box.
In the end, Luke mused, everything turned out alright.
He let out a sigh as his head rested on the taxi's window, the noise from the traffic loud on his ears. The music box sat heavy on his lap, wrapped in a cloth that seemed as expensive as the piece itself.
Luke raised his head to speak to the driver.
“Could you turn on the lights, please?”
The man reached out to turn on the vehicle's internal light and Luke mumbled a quick thanks before bringing his attention back to the box.
He carefully unwrapped the bow around the cloth and let it fall to his lap. Even in the car's poor lightning the music box's beauty was still blinding. He didn't have the chance to inspect it closely before.
As he opened it, he caught sight of the words carefully carved inside the lid.
He expected to see Rosa's name.
Instead, he saw his own.
For Luke,
Call me.
Followed by a phone number.
“Motherfucker.” He exclaimed loudly.
“Excuse me?” The driver looked over his shoulder.
“Ah— Sorry! I was talking to myself.” Luke smiled sheepishly.
He was going to end the von Hagen bloodline.