Chapter Text
It all began in his 25th birthday year, on a winter's day that was apparently nothing out of the ordinary. Credence had always made a point of never missing any of the Christmas parties that Mr and Mrs Jones, his adoptive parents, organized. He pulled up the collar of his coat and dragged his suitcase as best he could to the front door, his hands and face frozen by the snow and icy wind. He did not need to ring the bell, because the door opened as soon as he set foot on the first step of the porch. Without even a greeting, Tina announced to him in a panicked voice:
"Credence, your mother has just found you a new suitor! "
A long sigh passed his lips. Did he really have to drive two hours to hear such a thing? After a quick kiss on his cheek, his childhood friend rushed to grab his suitcase and invite him in. Every year it was exactly the same story. Henrietta Jones spent months looking for thirty-somethings, each more grotesque than the one before, but each with a certain income and an obvious interest in men. And every year, Credence felt obliged to make conversation with them before running away thanks to the help of the Goldstein sisters: Tina and Queenie. It was almost a miracle that after five years Henrietta was still able to find suitable singles among her friends' children.
He loved Mr and Mrs Jones with all his heart, they were generous, happy, tender and caring people. They had adopted Credence when he was 8 years old and took care of him in the best possible way. They were a couple in their sixties now, always smiling, fond of buffets and garden parties, with a standard of living well above average. But despite all the love he had for them, he found it increasingly difficult to bear the fact that his mother wanted to see him get married and that, in his exemplary calm, his father never said anything to prevent his wife from finding the first rich fool who came along.
In the lobby, Tina put his suitcase at the bottom of the stairs and helped him to take off his coat before saying :
"I tried to convince her not to do it this year, but you know how she is! And all my mother did was encourage her! "
"I know," he sighed. "I just hope this one doesn't collect beetles like the one last year. "
Tina laughed softly and Credence couldn't hold back another sigh. This weekend was going to be very long. Luckily Tina had been able to leave New York to come to this buffet, at least they could support each other. Mrs. Goldstein also had wedding plans for her daughters. Plans that Queenie had been running away from by secretly getting engaged to a young British baker the year before. Mary Godstein's only reaction to this choice was to look for the perfect suitor for Tina. In other words, Credence and Tina were in the same boat. And it was a rather annoying boat from which they would have liked to escape.
"Oh my darling, you're here! " Henrietta exclaimed.
She walked across the hall to take him in her arms, hugging him tightly before dropping a loud kiss on his cheek. Then she moved back to look at him and made a slight grimace.
"Are you going to stay dressed like that? " she asked.
"Er... Yes. " he confessed.
"Oh no, Credence, it's Christmas! You can't stay dressed all in black like at a funeral! I've prepared a lovely suit for you on your bed, so all you have to do is change. "
Credence looked down on his clothes. What was wrong with wearing jeans and a black jumper? But he knew that his mother wouldn't change her mind and that he would certainly look like a Christmas tree to please her. Henrietta put another kiss on his cheek before walking away. But before entering the large living room, she added with a smirk on her face:
"By the way, the Graves are here with their son, Percival. "
Ah, we were at that fateful moment... Credence forced himself to display a cheerful expression which must certainly have looked like a cry for help judging by Tina's snickering beside him.
"You remember Percival, don't you? You used to go and play in his garden all the time! " Henrietta explained to him. "He's a great lawyer, he earns very well and he's attracted to both boys and girls, like you. "
My God, that sentence made him uncomfortable. He felt like a freak. And he didn't feel the strength to explain to her that he was not at all interested in women. Henrietta had accepted and integrated that he was attracted to men, and that was a good enough thing already. At least she didn't introduce him to young women, it would have been even more difficult and embarrassing. Credence cleared his throat, his cheeks red, before answering in an insecure voice:
"No, I don't remember Percival, or his garden for that matter... "
"He almost got married once, when he was living in Europe, but it didn't work out. It ended very badly. "
Perfect, he would know all the details of the love life of a complete stranger with whom he had apparently run in the grass. It was going to be a very, very, very long weekend. Henrietta waved her hand before telling him to go change and disappear into the other room. Tina gave him a compassionate pout before telling him that she would be waiting for him near the bar.
Credence went upstairs. On his bed was a red suit that he immediately thought ridiculous. After a moment of questioning, he finally put on the scarlet shirt, but kept his jeans on because the trousers were far too wide for him. Henrietta would try to make him eat half of the turkey curry again when she would see his waist size. He tucked the shirt into his trousers and after a long sigh he decided to put on the oversized jacket. He quickly combed his hair before tying it into a loose bun. Then he went downstairs to join the festivities. Great, he felt like he was dressed as a carpet... Knowing that his parents would not hold it against him, since his father must have been smoking his cigar at that hour, Credence lit a cigarette before entering the main salon.
"Ah, there's our favorite Credence! "
The young man turned around to discover the crumpled face of Monsieur Lucas, who didn't hesitate to look at his ass as if it were a piece of meat. A shiver of disgust ran up his spine, almost making him nauseous. All things considered; the too wide trousers would perhaps have been better than his skinny jeans... But polite as usual, Credence just smiled and answered:
"Hello Mr. Lucas! "
And as every time he saw him, the old man couldn't help asking him with a perverse smile:
"So, how are the loves? "
Help, someone save me ... thought Credence. He swallowed with difficulty before displaying a tense smile and saying :
"Very well, thank you. "
"Still no boyfriend? At this rate you're going to end up an old maid! "
Ok, it was time for him to run off to meet Tina and drink the whole punch bowl.
"Stop asking inappropriate questions, Frederik! "
Credence was more than happy to see his father intervene. Mr. Jones put his arm around his shoulders, putting a tender kiss on the top of his head. Mr. Lucas walked away, much to the young man's delight. Why Henrietta continued to invite this individual was a mystery...
"So Credence, how are you? Are you surviving so far? I see your mother has found a rather obvious way to spot you among the guests! " his father laughed gently.
"Oh, it's a real torture! " he joked, smoking briefly to relax a little.
"Don't tell me about it... And this is just the beginning, apparently, she managed to get you a human rights lawyer. A scornful, taciturn fool. A real marvel. "
"Great... And where is this charming suitor? "
"Over there, near the double door. "
Credence looked in the direction his father indicated. And quite honestly, he expected a plump thirty-year-old in a grotesque costume. But even from behind, Percival Grave looked far above all the men his mother had tried to introduce him to. He stood up straight, elegantly looking, and had perfectly shaped shoulders… and buttocks. All that remained was to discover his face. Perhaps he wasn't even as pretentious and boring as his father described him. Maybe he was just a little shy and uncomfortable talking to strangers.
His thoughts were interrupted when his mother appeared at his side.
"Come with me, my darling, I want you to meet Percival! " she exclaimed.
She gave him a glass of white wine rather suddenly before leading him towards the famous Percival Graves.
"Good luck! " his father smiled at him.
Credence took a deep breath to give himself some composure before taking a sip of wine. His mother stopped just behind the lawyer before calling him. Maybe Credence was going to be conquered, maybe he was the mysterious man who was going to color his life, maybe he was the one he hadn't expected. Percival turned around, and Credence felt his heart miss a beat when he saw his face.
He was incredibly beautiful. He must have been about thirty years old, he was about ten years older than him at the most. Dark eyes, a perfect nose, thin lips, a square jaw, a fledgling beard, brown hair with a tousled look, slightly tanned skin, as if he had just returned from a trip. Then Credence's eyes settled on his jumper, and the perfect image flew out. He was wearing a jersey with the ugliest deer head the young man had ever seen. Maybe not the perfect man after all...
"Percival, do you remember Credence? He was the little boy who spent all his time running after you half-naked. "
Credence felt himself blushing to the roots of his hair. How could Henrietta make him look so ridiculous when he hadn't yet uttered a single word? Percival kept a neutral, almost cold expression as he replied in a deep voice:
"No, I'm afraid I've forgotten... "
Credence didn't know where to put himself and he looked around him, hoping to see Tina appear to help him. But she didn't. His childhood friend seemed to be immersed in a fascinating conversation with a red-haired man a little further away. He drank another sip of wine before lowering his eyes to the ground, prying so that his mother would not humiliate him further. But apparently the angels were too busy to help him as he heard his mother say :
"He's attracted to boys too! "
"Mother!" Credence protested.
Before she could add more, Mrs. Goldstein approached the small group.
"Henrietta, I think you must come and see the sauce; we have a problem. "
"Come on, Mary, it's very simple, just mix it! "
Madame Goldstein had the most unobtrusive look in the world, her eyes shuttling back and forth between Credence and Percival. And after the most fake excuses Credence had ever heard, the two women walked away whispering, leaving him alone with Graves. He took his courage in both hands to manage to put his gaze on the man's face. He forced himself to smile before pulling at his cigarette, already half consumed.
"So... " he said.
"So... " Graves repeated, visibly annoyed by the situation.
He wasn't making it easy for him, and the young man was more and more eager to run away. After another breath of nicotine, he asked :
"Did you spend Christmas at your parents' house? "
"Yes. "
Perfect, apparently monosyllable answers were the order of the day. After a little clearing of the throat, Percival said:
"What about you? "
"Oh no! I was at an incredible party! I don't think I remember half of it. "
He wanted to slap his face. Why was he saying that? As if his mother wasn't enough, he had to put himself down even more! Percival cast a strange glance at him, and the youngest understood what his father had meant by "scornful". He felt judged and it was extremely unpleasant.
"I should... I should stop talking... " said Credence.
"Yes, and maybe it's just time to eat more than drink. "
Percival's sentence was like a blow to him. He had thought that the wide shirt would serve to hide his thin figure, but he had obviously been mistaken, judging by the strange look that Graves brought up along his body. And without another word, Percival took a determined step away in the direction of the buffet.
Credence stood still for a moment. He finished his drink in one sip, before moving towards Tina. She immediately noticed his discomfort and after apologizing to the young man with whom she was talking, she pulled him aside.
"Are you all right? " she asked. "What did he say to you? "
"I don't feel very well," he confessed.
Without asking his opinion, she took his glass and his cigarette out of his hands before dragging him to the table. She refrained from lecturing him on his diet and simply filled a plate with a piece of pie and a bit of turkey. They were choosing an assortment of vegetables when Credence recognized beside him the voice of Viviane Graves, Percival's mother.
"Apparently he lives just a few streets away from you! "
So there was a chance that they would run into each other again. Or maybe not, after all, New York was a big city with countless citizens.
"Mother, I don't need you to find someone for me!" Graves said in a dry tone. "Especially not a ridiculous, depressive kid who is visibly suffering from eating disorders, who is unable to express himself properly, who smokes and drinks so much that he has memory lapses and who thinks he is a fashion designer. "
Bam. He felt as if he had received a violent punch in the abdomen. Graves wasn't shy, he was just an asshole. Credence felt all colors leave his face as he looked up at Percival and his mother. Viviane turned around at the same moment and seemed to panic when she realized that the young man had heard them. How could he be so cruel and rude? Who did he think he was, this pretentious jerk? Clenching his teeth to refrain from insulting Percival, who had just laid his eyes on Credence too, the young man grabbed his plate before turning his heels and leaving the room in a hurry, ignoring Tina's calls.
Percival Graves was definitely not the man of his dreams. He was not at all the knight of the round table, rather the villain that everyone hates and who thinks he is superior to others.
And Credence thought to himself that from now on he would never again let the opinions of others influence him. It was at that very moment that he realized that it was time for him to change the way he approached life and people. He was going to take his future in hand, rebuild himself, and kick out all the assholes who wouldn't be able to respect him. And it started today.
