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Vincent technically thinks that he’s prepared for this. He’s played every single scenario in his head. In some, everything goes just fine and he achieves his goal.
In others, however, he is brutally tortured in ways he doesn’t want to think about yet again. About four scenarios end with him dying, which, honestly, he wouldn‘t be opposed to right now.
Adjusting his tie, he raises his hand. He just has to knock; some maid will open him and he’ll be led to the man in question.
If only Gilbert was with him for moral support. But no, his brother is occupied with being at a school with two teenagers at the age of twenty-four. He doesn’t even know about what Vincent is going to do.
Yeah, he will inevitably be angry with him.
He breathes in. Knocks. And immediately hears steps. It‘s fine, it’ll only be a maid for now.
The door is opened slowly and he faces someone who most definitely isn’t a maid. In fact, a beard, broad shoulders and a white button up shirt paired together with pants is something he would not consider that at all.
“Vincent Nightray.”
“Oscar Vessalius.”
Vincent really tries his best to ban the last bit of malice out of his voice. Maybe he’s not quite succeeding, but it must be enough for now.
“May I ask… why you’re here? Do come in if you want to.”
Oscar shoots him one of his usual smiles. Which, weirdly enough, calms Vincent down to some degree. That makes him realize how much his heart had actually been beating in first place.
“I suppose… we shouldn’t talk about that matter on the doorstep.”
Usually, Vincent is good with words. He’s charmed more than enough people in his life, many women before Ada, too.
Ada is different. He’s hated her in the beginning, how similar she had seemed to all the other women he’s met just to get information from them. The way she laughed, after some time… it got to him. He’s searched for explanations. Anything that would clarify why his heart skips a beat when he sees her emerald green eyes light up, when he hears her chuckling softly at times.
To be fair, this isn’t going to be completely out of the blue. Zai and Oscar have seen him at the tea party, talking to Ada, walking arm in arm.
Walking into the Vessalius manor feels like walking into a lion’s den.
He does it nonetheless.
Neither him nor Oscar speak until they’ve reached the salon. For a moment, Vincent hopes Ada isn’t there. Then, he realizes that she is the reason why he’s here in first place. Her not being in the same room while he asks Oscar would just mean he has to ask twice. Which he wouldn’t be able to do.
The tiny spark of hope is destroyed when the woman stands up, wearing a dress that perfectly matches and emphasizes her eyes. It also matches his own earrings.
“Lord Vincent!”, she says, her voice is bordering on a surprised squeal. Her cheeks are an adorable shade of red-
He slaps himself for that thought, at least inside of his mind.
“Have you come to see Ada?”, Oscar asks, gesturing to the seat right next to her. Vincent sits down, his hand twitching to take hers. He doesn’t, obviously. Not yet.
„Partly“, he rasps out, clearing his throat to get rid of the weakness in his voice.
He realizes in awe that his fingertips are trembling. This is an awful situation, but now he’s here, the little box with the ring is in his pocket.
And he’ll go through with it.
“Is there anything in particular you want to talk about? I’ve never seen you this…”, Vincent prays that Oscar won’t say this out loud for the sake of his own well-being, “anxious. Almost as if you’re Gilbert.”
Weirdly enough… it’s calming to hear. Hell, Vincent knows Oscar can’t stand him. And surprise, neither can he stand Oscar. At least that’s what he would have liked to think.
Still. He’s never been that vulnerable in front of anyone except for some moments in his life that he’d rather not be reminded of (for example having a breakdown because some people actually want him to live).
“There is something I have to ask. Something important.”
Oscar opens his mouth, probably to encourage him, but Vincent raises his hand quickly enough to prevent that. Kind words of help would probably make him tear up in this state. Under normal circumstances, Vincent keeps his feelings inside of him. His anxiety included. Right now, though, that it’s out in the open, there’s not much he can do.
And since crying is about the least thing he wants to do now, being impolite is the better option.
Ada throws him a confused glance. It’s probably also meant to criticize him, but he can’t really think about this now.
“As you might know”, he starts, his voice cracking as if he was fourteen years old again, “Ada and me have been going out for quite some time now. If you didn’t know, then I suppose you do now.”
There’s no way he‘ll look at either Oscar or Ada now. If he meets their eyes, he won’t be able to go on.
“I’ve been thinking about doing this for quite a while now. I’m extremely sorry if you haven’t seen it coming and of course both of you have the right to say no, but I just want to know…”
His cheeks are flushes, his fingers are repeatedly tapping his knees. Vincent really isn’t someone to be embarrassed easily, but after everything he’s done in the past, there’s no way Oscar will agree.
“I want to know if you would give us your blessing if I proposed to Ada and she said yes.”
He did it. He’s said it.
For some seconds that feel like an infinity, there’s silence lingering in the room. It’s so quiet that it’s weighing him down and his shoulders slump forward a bit.
Both of them will say no. He’ll have to explain himself to Gilbert when he returns to the Nightray mansion at the weekend.
“Lord Vincent…?”, Ada asks tentatively, her voice barely more than a whisper. He sees her hand reaching for his and lets her. He knows how her fingers feel when they’re between his. Or stroking through his hair, slowly.
„I…“, Oscar starts, interrupting himself right away. Vincent doesn’t know for sure, but from the way Ada raises her head, he can tell that they’re looking at each other.
“Look at me, Vincent.“
There’s no way out now. He raises his gaze, meeting Oscar’s eyes. No matter how hard it is, he will stand him.
He wants to marry Ada. That wish is stronger inside of him than any of the other wishes have ever been, could ever be.
“Do you really mean that?”
Vincent really shouldn’t be offended by this righteous question. He’s played with enough hearts in his life, has tried betraying the Vessalius several times, worked against them.
Until Ada finally forgave him for all of his sins.
That’s just what he has to say, isn’t it? He hasn’t told her yet. The only time he’s dared to say it out loud was late at night when the fact hit him that he wouldn’t be able to forget those arms wrapped around him so tightly.
When he realized that no matter what he tried, those feelings wouldn’t leave.
He’d been alone, as pathetic as it could get. Whispering those three words into the darkness with the person whom they concerned not anywhere in sight was plain ridiculous.
Vincent braces himself, swallows one last time, then looks away.
There’s no way he’ll look at Oscar saying those words when Ada is right next to him.
Opening up about his feelings, too, isn’t something he’s used to. He’s kept his wish hidden from his own brother for years. Suddenly telling someone the truth, leaving him in free sight to be shot down like a bird from the sky seems like something from a far-away dream.
And yet…
He looks straight into Ada's eyes, not backing down anymore. Not from her, not from himself.
“I love you.“
His voice is wavering saying these words, but the way Ada’s eyes light up, the way her fingers grasp his tighter, the way her cheeks are suddenly tinted in a dark pink – they make it worth it.
He hears Oscar chuckling as if it’s from far away. He’s way too caught up in Ada’s eyes to notice.
“Then… you have my blessings.”