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Julien's head is throbbing.
Sunlight is warm on his face as he attempts to crack an eye open but flinches instead. His mouth is still sour from drink the night before. He is noticeably, but not alarmingly at the moment, half dressed, haphazardly draped by a thin sheet.
And then there is a waifish, dark figure facing away from him, hovering by the door.
Julien's already roiling stomach does another flip for good measure.
Julien rubs at his eyes before opening them again, sitting up off the bed. He clears his throat. "Usually I'm more together the morning after." His voice sounds rough even to his ears.
The figure turns to face him. A young man stares back at him, looking much more put together than Julien is currently. He's a vision dressed in monochrome: light olive skin, dark clothes with white accents, darker hair only barely mussed. His green eyes examine Julien in such a way that he can imagine why he was drawn to an otherwise unassuming figure.
"It's alright," the boy says. He fidgets with his hands, which causes the sun to hit the rings adorning them. Julien's eyes widen when the Tachonis signet glints in the daylight.
Fuck.
Julien's attempt at hiding the dawning horror fails him as the Tachonis boy runs a hand through his hair, mussing it further. "It's alright," the boy says. "You didn't do anything untoward. We just talked before—before you brought me back here. And you fell asleep soon after."
Julien wasn't sure what was worse: passing out from indulging in too much to drink after inviting someone to his bed or that he invited a noble from one of the Sundered Houses to his bed. "Please. Give me a moment to collect myself," he croaks out.
Tachonis nods, head tilted curiously. But he clasps his hands behind his back and examines the room in silence.
Julien grabs his discarded shirt from the floor and tugs it on, then pours himself some water from a pitcher by the bed. That hadn't been there before, Julien grimaces to himself. He takes a few long drinks from the cup before looking to his visitor once more. "Thank you for the water."
"I figured you might need it after last night," Tachonis says. Julien's expression must still be pained because he adds quickly, "I was discreet coming and going from the room."
"And you were here the whole night, my Lord?" Julien asks.
His lips twitch, something that makes Julien's blood boil for a number of reasons he refuses to examine. "Occtis, please."
"Occtis," Julien says, testing out the name. It feels familiar in his mouth, which only adds to his growing embarrassment. "I apologize for being a terrible host."
"It's okay," Occtis says quietly. "You—you were quite charming."
Occtis's piercing green gaze brings with it a foggy memory from the night before: eyes meeting, crossing a crowded room, talking in quiet voices in between dances. Julien can see what might have tempted him away from his usual rules about dalliances with anyone from the Sundered Houses.
But still.
"Why stay?"
Occtis freezes before his nerves betray him and he resumes his fidgeting of his jewelry. He looks away from Julien. "Because it was better than the alternative."
"Ah." Something Julien has become familiar with over time. "A black sheep amongst your family?"
Occtis laughs softly, a reedy sound. "Something like that." His expression shifts into something more resolved. "I must get going though. I wanted to say goodbye before leaving."
"I can't say I'm not a little suprised by that, given the events of the evening," Julien says.
A flush blooms on Occtis's cheeks. It's rather fetching. "You were charming before you—well, passed out."
Another flashback, of Julien crowding Occtis against a wall, enjoying the feeling of the young man under his hands. Occtis watching him steadily, if with quickened breath.
He doesn't remember if they kissed.
"Thank you," Julien says.
Occtis turns to leave, hand on the door's handle. He pauses and Julien thinks he'll say something else that will break the tension. Instead he opens the door, closing it behind him.
The tension dissipates, deflating painfully slowly as Julien watches the door. After that long moment he collapses onto the bed, rubs at his eyes.
"Fuck."