Tea, Milk, and Memories. [Zac]

[Stephen Gage]

When Stephen first arrived at Hammel Institute, he knew nobody. He was, quite literally, an outsider. His family, the ones he knew well anyway and not some distant cousins, were back in Scotland. Part of the deal Hammel had made with the polis in Edinburgh was that he'd attend the Institute, and thus no longer be in the capitol causing whatever mischief Jenny Redcliffe had accused him of. Hammel must have known the truth, given the story Ms. Redcliffe had spun about how she couldn't control her body and nearly launched herself off of the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. So, for a fair while after he set foot in the United States, Stephen knew few people outside of the faculty at the Institute. And it had been those few connections he had that planted the seeds for his devotion to Hammel, and instilled within in him the desire to be a recruiter. To help people in situations like himself find a place where they could be at home. Even if their real one was far and away.

And to that end, Stephen was friendly towards most of his recruits, and freely offered to meet them or talk about whatever was bothering if they felt so inclined. It was a quality he extended to just about anyone he knew and on this day, as he sat in the plaza of a Starbucks in the mall, he was waiting to catch up with a kid who might as well have been family. Zachary LaRousse, whose full name hadn't been used by Stephen in about seven years. He was Zac, no mistake could be made about that. A four-year relationship with a man who might as well have been Zac's surrogate mother made sure of that.

Cedric Grant, or rather Cedric Durei has he was known now, had been a friend of Stephen for ages. They begun their friendship as students at the Institute. And, seven years ago, that friendship turned into one of the longest relationships of Stephen's life. He spent more time with Cedric than anyone else he could actively recall, and though he was often away recruiting, he'd come home to somebody that was happy to see him. As good a feeling as there ever was. Cedric had ties to some rich family, either distant blood relation or just a close friendships, Stephen could never remember which. Whichever it was, Cedric spent most of his time at the LaRousse's place, and thus Stephen did as well. It was certainly nicer than his own apartment.

Cedric played something of a brotherly role to Zac LaRousse, and as Stephen spent a fair bit of his time there, the puppeteer came to adopt one as well. He was there when Zac wasn't aware of his metahuman abilities, and would have played a small part in Zac's acceptance to the Institute had the kid's family not taken care of the matter themselves. Stephen's relationship with Cedric had since ended, for better or worse, but the two remained on good terms. Which was part of the reason Stephen still looked after Zac. Cedric had asked the recruiter to keep an eye on the young man, whose arrogance had a tendency to plop him into some rather troublesome situations. And out of friendship to Cedric and almost filial connection with Zac, Stephen agreed.

So there he sat, a cup of Starbucks' finest tea in hand, coat slung over the back of his seat, entertaining himself by people-watching. There was a lovely young couple just a few tables over engaging in all the dalliance of young love. Cute, but perhaps a bit obnoxious. He could see distorted reflections of them in the thin silver and black leather bracelet that was clasped around his wrist, and chuckled a bit at their warped faces. His necklace, the silver chain, hung out over the top of his dark shirt, the long sleeves of which could get a little itchy on the dry skin of autumn. Zac was meant to be here soon, but their years of knowing each other had provided Stephen with the knowledge that, in the young man's mind, the world ran according to Zac Larousse's schedule. Lateness was to be expected. All the better. The more tea he drank now, the more he could get later.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac is never really the type to respect authority other than his own. Granted he’s not that all of a headache to his supposed superiors (that’s Vincent and Sam’s job), but he just can’t keep his arrogance in check, hence being a little bit defiant here and there. Lucky for him, having above average marks means he is somehow on the good side of his instructors, which means he can get away with some unruly behavior here and there without having so much of a repercussion (there was this one time with Mr. Bond, but that was an isolated incident). He’s also taken a conscious effort to befriend every institute staff, as he believes that the rules become more and more lenient as you get closer with the higher ups. So far he’s in good terms with a number of them – Eli (as he has no overdue books, as far as he knows), Jude (being his trainer and all), Mr. Romanov (he was so happy he’s got the head of security with him) and Kamini (though I highly doubt this’ll last for long, seeing as he keeps on trying to court her) – but none of those relationships would be as intimate as what he has with a certain recruiter, Stephen Gage.

Stephen Gage, or Stag as Zac fondly calls the man, has been his friend even before he was a meta. What is unusual about their relationship is because it did not come from Zac’s family’s meta-human connections, but from his caretaker/nanny/big-brother figure, Cedric. Cedric came to the household when Zac was 7, a few years before the man finished his post-secondary studies. A good three or so years later, Stephen came into the picture, showing up in their various mansions from time to time. Cedric first introduced him to Zac as his “friend”, but even at such a young age, he knew there was something going on (albeit his idea of it is a bit fuzzy). And despite being weirded out by the fact that his big brother is always holding hands with another man, being a good little brother to Cedric, he slowly warmed up to the man (his parents’ approval of their relationship and his frequent wins on their video game battles didn’t hurt either).

Video game battles aside (which, in retrospect, could somehow be attributed to the formation of the egotistic Zac we have come to love we see now; nice one Stephen), the couple (Stephen and Cedric) had been crucial in Zac’s family’s darkest times. As Zac’s dad come to a downward spiral upon his wife’s death, the two had been the ones who took care of Zac and helped his father get back on track. While Cedric was trying to help Antonio get over his depression (being a telepath did help), Stephen (whenever he had the time) would come and play with the little kid. In more ways than one, Stephen has become some sort of father figure for the kid, albeit set in a big brother’s body. And while he’s patched things up with his father, Stephen remains as some sort of a prominent figure in Zac’s life.
(Zac would be lying if he told you he didn’t get anything from Stephen; if anything, most of his pick-up lines and other flirtatious dialogues are derived from Stephen’s usual double-meaning speech to Cedric, only he understood that they were as such a year or so later)

Stephen’s been so much a family to Zac already that he was brokenhearted (probably more than Cedric at that time) when Cedric and Stephen separated. He’s been the one to recruit him and looked after him during his first year in Hammel. And while he’s happy that their old relationship didn’t really change even after the break up, he’d still wish the two would end up together (not that his plans succeed and all that).

Right now he’s on his way to meet the man. Since Stephen doesn’t really stay much at one place, the two take advantage of every bonding opportunity they have. Dressed in a rather unusual black shirt, grey skinny jeans and gold shoes, the teen casually walked towards their rendezvous spot, not caring that he’s already twenty or so minutes late.

“Hey there stud, I mean Stag,” he said, smiling from ear to ear as he put his black duffel bag on the seat across Stephen, “Where’ve you been again? I’d say I missed you, but I’d be lying. Really.” He laughed as he continued on teasing the older guy. He opened his arms and smiled. “Now give me a hug Staggie, else I’d look like a big fool here standing beside you,” he chuckled.

[Stephen Gage]

Stephen saw Zac well before the younger man was anywhere close to him. And this, of course, was not remotely surprising. The young Mr. LaRousse had a rather recognizable method of dress, and as both a gay man and a man in the possession of functioning eyes, Stephen could see the gold shoes from a mile away. The shirt defied explanation, as Zac's clothing often did. If there was anything Stephen had passed on to Zac in the years he and Cedric had been together, it certainly hadn't been humility or taste in clothing. Stephen's understated, simple looks, as much a function of simple economics as they were taste, clashed with Zac's attempts at standing out. Stephen snorted a laugh into his tea when he spied Zac's shoes, still amused by the fashion after all the years the two had known each other. Kids these days. They wore the strangest things.

The first of Zac's words were unintelligible, though Stephen did certainly catch the "Staggie!" at the end. And at the sound of that nickname, he smiled wide and chuckle, putting the cup down to avoid spilling any as he laughed. He blushed a light red briefly, shaking his head good-naturedly at the young rich kid. He hadn't heard that name in a few years. It had been Cedric's attempt at making a game out of Stephen's initials, the sexual connotation not lost entirely upon their young charge. It had taken a year or so, but Zac had learned well of Stephen's flirtatious nature. The older man still had experience on him, but Zac certainly couldn't be said to be lacking any passion in the field. From what rumours reached Stephen's ears, and from what Zac himself freely told him, the younger man was as much a flirtatious bastard as Stephen could be at his worst.

Zac's duffel bag made a soft thump as it found a new home on the chair across from Stephen. The recruiter rolled his eyes with a smirk as the teasing continued, the well-meant insults not remotely new. Stephen scoffed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I'm going all over the country, trying to escape your cocky self. But Hammel just keeps dragging me back, the bastards."

Zac opened his arms, and Stephen laughed again at the words that came out of the young man's mouth. He nodded down at the golden shoes, frowning. "You look the fool enough in those shoes. I suppose I could help you avoid more embarrassment." The frown melted into a smile, and Stephen stood embracing the smaller man in as tight a brotherly hug as he'd ever given. "It's been ages at this point," he said, releasing Zac and gesturing towards the chair that held the bag. "Can I get you something? Tea, coffee, a glass of milk or whatever it is you young'ns drink these days?"

Years of cooking breakfast for Zac when the housekeepers or the young man's father weren't around has instilled within Stephen a desire to feed the kid until he burst. The LaRousse heir certainly didn't require any help buying a cup of coffee, but it was in the recruiter's nature to offer regardless. "I'd volunteer pancakes, but I'm a bit far away from a stove just now."

[Zachary LaRousse]

As Stephen stood up and gave him a bear hug, Zac let his naughty hands slip out and gave the older man a light pinch on his side, followed by a playful smack slap on his butt. “Eww Stag, you’ve gone fat. Fat and flabby,” he teased as he broke off the hug, “You are so not a stud anymore. Not in that chubby body you aren’t.” Apparently telling people that they’ve gone fat (or that they are fat) is a favorite of Zac - not only does it allow him to brag about himself, it also satisfies his bottomless pit of a desire to shame people; only now he doesn’t want to make Stephen feel bad. Stephen was definitely not chubby; Zac just hopes he remembered to put his teasing-joking face on when he told Stag that.

“My shoes? What’s wrong with my shoes? Don’t you like them? Just bought them a month ago. This is my first time wearing them. They’re wonderful.” Apparently Zac’s teasing doesn’t just end with the hug. He gave the man a smirk as he sat down, adding, “It’s your shoes that I should laugh about. Or rather, what’s wrong with your clothes?” Again, just a tease. He actually liked Stephen’s toned-down outfit. Age appropriate, he thinks. If Stephen went on with a pair of neon skinny jeans and a tight shirt, complete with large blings, Zac would definitely cut all ties from the man.

“Really? Hammel’s the reason why you came back to this quiet and boring town? You really think I’d buy that lie?” he laughed, rolling his eyes, “ I know you just can’t get enough of me. I know. I’m just so darn adorable. You don’t have to be shy about it.” You’d think the closer you get with Zac, the less obnoxious his bragging becomes. Apparently not. “So, how were the new twerps? They any good? Useful? Amusing?” he asked, slumping back to his chair, “Or does the future still lie solely in the hands of the awesome Zachary LaRousse?”

“A nice glass of whiskey would be nice. Vodka’s lovely too,” he joked. Even though Stephen’s more of the lenient and troublemaker big brother, Zac highly doubts he’ll let him have a sip before he’s 21 (20 if he’s lucky). At the mention of pancakes, Zac suddenly burst out laughing. “No thanks. I’m good. I’m still reeling in from the muffins you baked the last time you came back.” Again, another tease. Zac actually likes Stephen’s cooking, at times a bit more than Cedric’s (probably because Stephen mostly cooks what Zac wants, Cedric cooks what Zac needs; and the occasional double entendres doesn’t hurt much either). “And young’ns? Really? You’re not that old yet. You’re just twice my age.” Zac hopes Stephen gets the sarcasm.

“So, how long are you gonna be here this time?” he asked, leaning over the table and playing with the rim of Stephen’s cup.


ooc:
Finally changed/modified the formatting. Yey.\(^-^)/.
-Jam
[/color][/size]

[Stephen Gage]

Had Stephen not been present during the days when Zac still sometimes complained of scary things hiding away in his closet, the remarks might have stung. Few people, save those extremely comfortable in their own skins, rather enjoyed being called fat and flabby. Stephen was not one of them, to be sure, as vulnerable to uncertainties as the next man. But years of hearing, and in some cases even teaching, Zac a large repertoire of jokes and barbs had immunized Stephen to most of the younger man's minor jabs. Even the slap on the ass received little more than a roll of the eyes, and a mussing up of Zac's hair. For a kid who put as much into appearances as Zac, Stephen's fucking with his hair would be just as equivalent an annoyance as anything the younger man could do in return. Or so Stephen hoped, for his own sanity.

A few chuckles burst forth as Stephen heard Zac's critique of his excuse for returning. The kid's arrogance had always hovered somewhere between adorable and infuriating, and even Stephen had difficulty discerning whether any of it was particularly well-meant. Zac plopped down unceremoniously into his seat, and Stephen shook his head, waving away the offered explanation that he'd come back simply to be with Zac. "Let's not shoot for the stars kiddo. Hammel's the one that sign's the paychecks." he said, laughing a bit and sliding back into his own chair. "Not all of us are going to inherit half the Western hemisphere one day."

Zac's status as privileged (almost obscenely so) was sometimes lost upon the young man. At least, from what Stephen had experienced in the years he and Cedric were together, it was so. In those days, Zac had apparently not learned that most people, such as Mr. Gage, did not have housekeepers at home. Too often had Zac commented upon Stephen's slightly wrinkled clothes or questioned where he'd learn to cook when there were certainly people who'd do it for him. And their video game sessions almost always ended in Zac's favor, unless some heavenly stroke of luck occurred. Zac would boast his victory, and Stephen would shake his head, smile, and remind the young man that some people did not have video games with which to practice.

These lessons were typically lost upon the younger man, and Stephen had since resigned himself to Zac's attitude, joking or otherwise. So when the young Mr. LaRousse referred to his classmates as "twerps," Stephen was not surprised. He took a sip of his tea, grinning. "You already know what I think. I like them. Most of them, anyway. Every class has its bad apples."

Stephen cocked an eyebrow at Zac's request for alcohol. Certainly one of the more tame things the younger man had ever asked for, but unlikely nonetheless. Not yet, anyway. Stephen had slipped him some alcohol under supervision, to be sure, but not in public and certainly not in the middle of the day. Those things came with age, and Zac was not quite there. Stephen feigned insult when his cooking was insulted. His jaw dropped, eyes widened, and he clasped a hand to his heart. "Well! Fine, I guess you'll be happy not to eat my food anymore. You can eat whatever Cedric cooks for you these days. And please, if you weren't there for the eighties, you're young."

Zac's question, one that might've displayed actual concern (a rare event indeed), caused Stephen to stop and thinking for a moment. He furrowed his brow, then shrugged his shoulders, raising the palms of his hands in uncertainty. "Not sure, in fairness. I go where they need me to go, when they need me to go." He snagged his cup away from beneath Zac's finger, stealing a sip and placing it back down. Stephen leaned forward on his elbows, his elder-brother voice coming out now. "How are you doing in school? Not causing too much trouble, yeah? Last time you insulted one of your teachers, I had to run damage control for a week."

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Shit! Not my hair!” Apparently Zac doesn’t hold back his language too much in front of Stephen. Had this been his father, Cedric or any other Institute staff, he would’ve retracted his words already or just forced himself not to utter such not-so-pleasant words. But Stephen is Stephen, so Zac could care less. “Gosh Stag, I spent thirty minutes on that hair. It’s hard living without stylists you know,” he chuckled good-naturedly as he sat down. He isn’t really that concerned about his hair though (years of having people mess it up just for the fun of it, Stephen included) but he’ll be happy to give Stag the little victory. He gave it another good ruffle, hoping it’ll be better, then pouted at Stephen. “You’re mean Staggie,” he teased, “You know the reason why I keep on exercising is because I want to be at the same level as you and your studliness.” Zac gave Stephen another playful poke on the side (thank goodness he’s got a long reach) and laughed. Sure it wasn’t as firm as his, but it’s firm nonetheless. “You know I’ve always aspired to be like you,” he said, batting his eyelashes then turning to the side in mock puking. His words do contain some truth in them, with Stephen being one of the main male figures in Zac’s life, it isn’t surprising that he’d want to be like him when he was younger (and some of those aspirations still remained until now).

“I’m not shooting for the stars, kiddo.” If Eric asks where Zac gets those weird parts of speech that only people of the much older generation use, then blame Stephen. “And I definitely won’t inherit half of the Western Hemisphere, I’ll own it wholly,” he laughed, “I don’t like medium rare. It’s either rare or well-done, no meeting halfway.” He leaned to the back of his seat, crossing his legs and spreading his arms over the top of the chairs. “There’s no use arguing with you. Despite me knowing that I’m the sole reason you’re going back here, you’re never going to admit it nor are you going to show any non-verbal signs of agreement (i.e. blushing). Screw this,” he chuckled. Another reason why he likes being with Stephen is he could always be himself with him. Having him as he grew up, Zac never had a reason to puff up or restrain himself from being an arrogant brat. Stephen’s grew accustomed to them anyway, somehow.

Underneath that entire joking pretense is actually truth. Zac is always hoping that even if Hammel stops employing Stephen or if he quits, Stephen would still go and see him. He actually likes the man, feels filial bond to him already, and he’d really be devastated if he can’t just play and have fun with him like he always does. Like what was said before, he was depressed when Stephen and Cedric broke up, and was actually very relieved that Stephen still talks to him after that. “You are so vague,” he said, shaking his head and sticking his tongue out (like the “mature” kid that he is), “I’m asking if they have interesting powers. I’d want to know what ‘diversity’ you’ve added into Hammel now. Can someone turn themselves into Godzilla now or something? So I know who to avoid and such.” He laughed when he realized that he subtly revealed that he’s been a bully lately. “Of course. You are Stephen, rarely does one get on your bad side. But I know nobody can reach my level of likeness in your book.”

“You bet I am. Thank goodness I can order take out now,” he replied, almost rolling in laughter when he saw that hand-clasp-over-hand gesture of Stephen’s. “Cedric’s cooking is worse, you know that,” he said in a lower voice, his eyes wide for emphasis. “And besides, the only one who likes your cooking is Cedric. He loves them sausages and eggs, coupled with the occasional bread buns. Simple yet satisfying, he says.” And here we go. Zac’s teasing can only go so far right? Wrong.

Zac is actually very much concerned about how long Stephen stays in Pilot Ridge. Like what was previously said, he misses the guy and would very much like to spend more time with him. You know, manbonding. And he’d want to introduce him to Eric, his ‘protégé’, if he gets the chance. “I hope you won’t go anytime soon,” he mumbled, fingers drawing absentmindedly on the table.

His head perked up at Stephen’s series of questions. If Stephen asked the same question a few weeks back, Zac would’ve answered him with a definite ‘No, I’m a good kid’ response. But since something (or rather somethings) did happen, he was a bit reluctant how he’s going to tell the older guy about it. “Well, I’m still the good kid you know, somewhat,” he said, looking down while scratching his back hesitantly, “But I believe I’ve been in some run-ins with people in the past couple of days.” He looked at Stephen, trying to appear cutesy with his exaggerated smile. “There was this incident with Mr. Bond, the new drama teacer, and with Mr. Romanov, the head of security…” He trailed off, not really sure on how to proceed with his confession.

He just hopes Staggie won’t punish him too much for what he’s about to hear.

[Stephen Gage]

Stephen sent his eyes skyward in thought, trying to remember the last few students he'd either recruited or acclimated to Hammel. Well, there was a girl who could shoot sparks from her hand. A ten-year old seemed to have a rather unusual bond with animals, and there was a boy who could pop low-quality gems out of his skin like he were sweating. “No, nothing all that interesting. Pretty standard stuff. Fewer psychic powers, from what I remember. More physical things.” He had yet to see anybody with a power like his own. There were mind controllers, few and far between but there nonetheless, but from what Stephen could see, his power as a shade of unique.

"Oh, Zac." Stephen chuckled at Zac's mentioning of the cooking, shaking his head. Teaching him how to use double-entendres and innuendo was simultaneously one of the worst and most entertaining decision Stephen had ever made. Cedric had certainly found it embarrassing enough to blush with astounding frequency. At the time Stephen had thought it was hilarious. "I'm not even going to bother with that one. Bread buns, really? I taught you better than that."

The younger man's hushed words were not lost upon Stephen. It was good to be reminded occasionally that, despite the lightly hostile nature of their relationship, there was a undercurrent of care. And he was, after all, one of the few people that happily and continually dealt with Zac. That alone took the patience of a saint.

Then came the answer to Stephen's question: Had Zac been good?

Somewhat.

Somewhat was never good. Not when it involved Zac. The last time Stephen had heard that his young charge had been "somewhat" good, he'd poured half a can of laxative into a teacher's coffee pot. Apparently, forcing Zac to abide by all the rules everyone else followed was enough to incite revenge. Explosive revenge. So when Stephen heard the caveat, he stopped his cup in its path halfway to his mouth and his eyes darted from it to Zac's face. The young man was looking down, scratching himself nervously. Then his face perked up, and he looked like a dog begging for a treat. Never a good sign. "Oh come on, Zac, what was it this time? I've only just gotten done cleaning up after your last one."

The first name Zac spouted didn't sound familiar at all. A drama teacher? Must be new. Stephen hadn't been given much time to acclimate himself to the new faculty. The second name, however, Romanov, sent the recruiter's eyebrows shooting up high. What horrible, hellish force would compel Zac to get on the bad side of the Head of Security? Had he lost a few brain cells while Stephen was away? Stephen's shoulders slumped slightly as he put his cup down, resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward. He fixed Zac with his best “out with it” face, a combination of fatherly patience and the brotherly understanding that anything Zac could share probably wasn't too bad. “All right, let's hear it. I'll need to figure out something to tell Cedric if this gets to him. Just tell me there's no property damage.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Fewer psychics? Good. I can easily bully them then,” Zac chuckled as he gave Stephen a not-so-reassuring smirk. I did not just say that, he thought. As far as he knows, Stephen knows nothing about his mean streak towards new recruits, and he plans on keeping it that way. “I’m only joking of course,” he said, laughing as he leaned in closer, elbows on the table and chin on his hands, continually making random faces in front of Stephen. Better distract him with my adorable antics that risk an even bigger punishment from Dad and Cedric. “But really, fewer brains and even more brawn? And they say man is getting smarter.” He of course knows there’s no direct link between one’s meta-human powers and brain capacity (unless of course, you’re like Eli or Dimitri, but they are quite rare), so really he’s just trying to lighten the mood, hoping Stephen wouldn’t pry on his earlier slip of the tongue.

“You’re a meanie Staggie,” he said, puffing his cheeks and playfully pouting at the older man, “I know you don’t like receiving it from behind as much as Cedric does, but you could’ve at least patronized me, even in a sarcastic manner.” He smirked as a twisted-yet-amusing memory came to his mind, his face blushing wildly as he tried to stop himself from laughing out loud and causing much of a scene. It happened around five or so years ago, when Zac, still a wee lad who just stopped believing in Santa Claus last Christmas, suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and heard a rather peculiar sound. He thought he was dreaming back then, but then the sound, or rather sounds, persisted, urging the young boy to go and investigate. Taking his fluffy elephant stuffy with him, 12-year old Zachie walked along the halls trying to find the, as he described it back then, ‘herd of mutant cows who are crying from a very bad stomachache’. His quest led him to the room right across his own, the room which belonged to his caretaker and pseudo-big brother Cedric. He leaned in closer for a moment or two, listening to the door to check if indeed the ‘hurt cows’ were inside the said room. Surprised that the ‘cows’ even know Stephen and Cedric’s names, Zachie decided to open the door. Like looking through the wardrobe and ending up in Narnia, boy was Zac in for the show surprise of his life. Lucky for him (or Stephen and Cedric), he wasn’t scarred nor traumatized by what he saw. If anything, he even learned some valuable knowledge from it, thanks to Stephen giving him "the talk" (albeit an imprmptu one to beat as Cedric was too embarrassed to face him that night, and the few days that followed it). “Sorry, got side tracked,” he continued, covering his mouth and struggling to really keep his laughter in check. “Let’s see you do a better job at it then. If you were to rephrase my statement then, how would you have said it then, master?”

And Stephen made the face. Really now, that’s unfair. Anything but that face! Stephen knows Zac’s weak against that (yes, and apparently when he was young, whenever he’d rebel against Cedric, he’d use Stephen, whenever he’s around, and he’ll win – poor Zac). “Clearly you’re overreacting,” he said, trying to calm the puppeteer down. He gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulders, breathed in and out, then continued. “Nope, no property damage this time. And it isn’t as massive as the last time too,” he smiled.

“So, which story do you want to hear first, Darryl’s or VinVin’s?” Hopefully Vincent wouldn’t suddenly pop in and give the boy a beating for calling him with that name. Zac’s not planning to have a repeat of their session anytime soon.

[Stephen Gage]

Whether Zac LaRousse had a mean streak was hardly up for debate. The kid had as barbed a tongue as any, and while Stephen suffered the blows from behind the buffer of a surrogate brotherhood, he had no doubt that the younger man was just as vitriolic to his peers as he was to his family. Whether there was an undertone of affection, however, was questionable, but Stephen had learned long ago that bringing Zac's verbal stabs to an end was nigh impossible. He could temper the boy's readiness to insult and condescend, but the recruiter was damn sure that getting rid of it all together was a task for something far more divine. So his comment about bullying received little more than a rolling of Stephen's eyes. Joke or not, there was hardly any stopping it. "Just try to keep them from crying. Counselor's probably busy enough."

After Zac called him a "meanie," in a typically immature fashion, Stephen had lifted his tea up for a sip.

A grievous mistake.

The moment Zac brought up Cedric and Stephen's... proclivities with all the subtlety of a fifteen-car pile-up, Stephen nearly spat out every bit of the beverage he'd just imbibed. Instincts took over, and he held his mouth shut, trying to keep the tea from spraying. He was rewarded with hot liquid burning the inside of his nose, and Stephen clasped his nose between his fingers, swallowing whatever remaining tea he could. He inhaled sharply, wincing at the slight pain. From behind the steeple of his fingers, Stephen cast Zac a reproachful gaze. "That is not outside conversation, Zac. Hot, hot, hot..."

He whipped a napkin out from the dispenser on the table, wiping away the fire in his nostrils. Zac's request for advice lay forgotten in the back of Stephen's mind, overcome by the sudden influx of hot tea into his nose. An inward groan hid in Stephen's throat as he saw the blush on the younger man's face. That had been an awkward night. A wonderful date, a dinner at one of Pilot Ridge's more upscale restaurant, wine, the whole deal. The day itself had gone wonderfully, and right up until Zac decided to barge into the room that evening, Stephen and Cedric were damn sure it was going to end wonderfully as well. And then, Stephen remembered, the door cracked, there was a sudden beam of light, and little Zachary LaRousse walked in on his surrogate brothers acting in a more-than-brotherly fashion. That was, and remains, the only time Stephen had ever been required to give The Talk. And he had to give it while dressed in hastily-acquired slacks, at two in the morning, still slightly drunk, to the son of his boyfriend's employer. Cedric had hidden under the covers out of embarrassment. What a world.

Zac's reassurances, that his trespass on Darryl Bond and the Head of fucking Security, were of little comfort. The hand on Stephen's shoulder only prompted the puppeteer to pour more effort into the parenthood-face. Oh God, Zac did not just refer to the Head of Security as "VinVin." Stephen groaned outwardly now, pushing his tea off to the side so there'd be nothing between him and his young charge. "Let's get the worst out of the way; tell me what you did to the Head of Security. And do not call him that. At least not to his face."

[Zachary LaRousse]

If Zac had a drink in hand right now, he would’ve snorted it out of his nose already (apparently unlike Stephen he had no self control whatsoever). Stephen’s reaction was just precious. So precious, that he now wishes he could be a time manipulator so that he could go back and play the scene over and over again. Who says you need to be a telepath to broadcast your thoughts to others? Stephen was the sole proof that even without much words, that a simple eye contact was enough to bring back memories of long ago.

“What are you taking about Staggie?” he asked innocently, as if he’s done nothing vaguely wrong to the man, “I honestly have no idea what you’re referring to? Have I ever walked in to you when you were at the receiving end? I can’t remember that time though.” He broke his gaze from the man and assumed the ‘Thinker’ position, artfully (which in here means slowly and in an exaggerated manner) placing his left elbow atop his crossed legs, the putting his chin on top of his fist. His face was one of comedic concentration, his mouth pouting so much, eyebrows so bent that they’ve become a unibrow and his already small eyes (thanks to his East Asian origins) somehow vanishing beneath all that facial creasing. After staring blankly outside for a while, he shook his head, saying, “The only time I walked into you, you were at the top. Or are we talking about a different event here?” Not breaking his stance, he twisted his head so he faces the older man once more, giving him a rather dirty smirk. Way to go subtle Zac.

That night was anything but awkward for Zac. In fact, when he was a kid, he used to look back at that night as a night when he was illuminated about things. He had all sorts of things happening to him already, but he was much too shy to ask Cedric about it (as he looks back, he figures Cedric read his mind previously but was much too uncomfortable discussing the topic with him; after all, who is?). He was actually thankful that instead of sending him back to sleep, leaving him with more questions that he could ever muster, Stephen dressed up and dragged him to the other room and explained everything to him. He carefully answered every question the kid had, even those squirmy ones. If he did feel anything bad during that night, it was inadequacy. After all, seeing a grown man naked is never really good for a kid undergoing changes, both physically and mentally. Fortunately, Stephen told Zac that he’d grow like him someday too. “You actually told me everything that night Staggie. Everything but one. How did you make Cedric moan like that?” A rhetorical question. Asked simply to make the older man squirm even more. But then if he wants to answer, Zac is all ears.

“Something tells me this would take a while. Mind if I order my drink first?” Zac asked, standing up and heading towards the counter to get himself a hot drink and maybe a couple of pastries. He needed all the sweets he can get if he wants to get Stephen on his side not on his dad’s or Cedric’s.

He returned to his seat with a wide smile. “You think VinVin’s story is the worse one? Fine,” he laughed, not really caring about Stephen’s warning with the nickname. In his mind, his encounter with Darryl is actually the greater evil. But hey, Stephen’s wishes. “It’s actually pretty simple. He found me in the club district. But instead of bringing me back home, I coerced him to join me. We got drunk. Then we had sex.” Zac tried to keep a poker face the whole time he was telling the story. He even looked downcast the whole time, trying to remember the acting lessons he got from Darryl’s class. The story was far beyond what was real. Zac may be a jerk, but he’s never stepped foot on the club district. He wants to, but he knows that if his dad gets hold of that information, he’d be dead. Then again, seeing Stephen squirm had been the joy of his life at the moment. He’d let the older man take that information in first before telling him the truth.

Sorry Stephen, Zac just loves you so much.

[Stephen Gage]

Heat burned behind Stephen's cheeks as Zac simply kept going on and on about that night. The incident itself had been interesting, to say the least, but for all Stephen's relative bravado concerning sexual matters, this was certainly not public conversation. He risked a glance at the patrons around him, peering out from behind the hand he'd brought to his forehead. The quiet, distant giggling he heard was reinforced by the sight of a woman a few tables away trying very hard to maintain her composure. An old couple beyond her seemed very disturbed by what they were hearing (though Stephen would be loathe to admit his surprise that they could hear at all), and a man sitting at the table just behind Zac who seemed a bit too interested in what was being said. Stephen made a mental note of that, and sighed heavily. "You're not helping your case here, Zac."

Whatever divine power existed seemed willing to take mercy on the recruiter, for Zac had ended his mockery and gotten up. The younger man roamed off to find a drink, and Stephen slumped in his chair, reveling in the newfound silence. He swirled his tea around for a bit, resisting the temptation to look up at the man whose ears had been tuned in so closely to their conversation. Their eyes met briefly before the eavesdropper turned away. Stephen did his best to restrain the chuckle in his throat. Zac was coming back, and the fewer mature ideas the young man got, the better. Now that he was back, there was a barrier between the two men and Stephen cast the thought from his mind.

The chuckle faded before it could even materialize when Zac scoffed at Stephen's belief that the story involving the Head of Security would be the worse of the two tales. That didn't bode well. That didn't bode well at all. Stephen's eyebrows shot up momentarily before his shoulders slumped. "Christ, Zac."

Zac told his story, sobriety and depression in his eyes. His face looked as if it were carved from stone, the hair falling about it as the leaves of a willow. Stephen saw this, and knew. He knew that everything that Zac was saying was complete and utter bullshit. Years spent watching the kid be disciplined, there were few lies Zac could get past Stephen with any particular ease. So he wasted no time in calling this bluff. "Bullshit," he declared casually, as if it had hardly taken any effort at all to make the call. "Good try, though. Start over, and this time give the truth a shot. Cedric's not going to want to hear some yarn about sex with Vincent. That's police report stuff."

[Zachary LaRousse]

The fact that he is talking rather loudly seems to have escaped the teenage boy. It’s not that he could care much anyway – he’s not the one being embarrassed by the story. And besides, it’s not like the people around them know who Cedric is or will see him and Stephen for a second time. The odds of them meeting those complete strangers around them are pretty slim so can take the slight embarrassment he’s giving Stephen. (He does know that he should shut his trap, or at least refrain from telling that incredibly awesome rather private story, when he’s around dear Staggie’s coworkers).

He did see the abrupt eye contact the eavesdropper who sits behind him had with Stephen as he was returning to his seat from the counter. He leaned closer to the table and urged Stephen to lean too as he was about to whisper something. “I think the guy behind me likes you,” he teased, laughing rather loudly as he finished that statement. When will he ever stop?

“WHAT? You seriously do not believe me? Gosh Staggie, I told you the true story and yet you doubt me. I. Am. Hurt,” he said, trying so hard to act like he was wronged by his big brother’s disbelief but ended up snorting himself to death. It seems he needs to have more sessions with Darryl regarding his acting. “I hate how you easily get through my bluffs. Cedric, I understand. He’s a telepath, that cheating bastard.” He doesn’t bode ill will when he’s called Cedric that. Name calling to Zac is proportional to his fondness of the person; the more he likes you, the more frequent you’ll hear such names from him. Makes you think how he’ll call you when he’s angry with you right? “But even you? Either I’m losing my touch or you’ve developed a new power this late in your life. I chose the latter.” It’s not like he’s ever lied to Stephen successfully before anyway. He doesn’t know why but the guy just can make him spill the beans, no matter how he would prefer not to.

He scratched his head and took a deep breath before starting his story. “Well, he sort of caught me sneaking out to the gym’s weight’s room waaay past curfew,” he narrated, glancing slightly to see if Stephen’s smile is slowly waning, “I thought nobody would be there at that ungodly hour really. I even felt so proud of myself that I’ve swung pass the roaming guards without them noticing me.” Zac was really proud of himself that night. As he traversed the school grounds and did somersaults in mid-air, he felt as if it was the culmination of his training in Hammel. “Seems he’s taken the time off to work out at that hour too. And then hilarity happened.”

He paused for a bit as he heard his name called. “Should I go and get that first?” he asked meekly, trying to put his best smile on so as to appease Stephen’s anger.

[Stephen Gage]

Stephen's BS-radar kept flaring throughout all of Zac's feigned injury. This was hardly anything he hadn't seen a few minutes earlier, let alone in the years the two had known each other. Honesty, pure, unbridled truth, was an uncommon luxury that the younger man scarcely offered, and Stephen had long since become accustomed to removing most of the more interesting details from the young man's stories. His parenting face remained fixed throughout the mockery, cracking only when Zac complained of how easily Stephen could see through his bluffs. He chuckled, nodding slightly. Cedric was always a difficult one to lie to, even if it was a harmless little fib. Stephen never did get out of forgetting to turn the dishwasher on. "Yeah well, he's got the mind, I've got the body. I know a thing or two about expressions. Got a a hint, though: you're trying too hard. You, of all young kids I know, would hardly look depressed if you'd had sex. You kids these days will hunt after anything that breathes. You need to look more natural." He paused after saying this, lifting his cup to his lips. Before he would have sipped, Stephen held it away, putting on an addition to his words. "And if Cedric asks, I didn't tell you that. He'll know anyway, but still."

Stephen settled into place as Zac told what seemed to be the proper version of the story. Going out past curfew was against the rules, to be sure, but there were worse things that could be done. His face hovered somewhere between paternal authority and brotherly, good-humoured interest. He willed it to gravitate towards the former, and Zac carried on with the tale.

Thank Christ Zac hadn't developed telepathy, or he'd be able to know that Stephen was rather impressed. Getting past guards is always a feat, one Stephen had perhaps accomplished himself a few times in his days as a student. Guards were easy to avoid when they were rooted to the spot. Curiosity bubbled up in him, and Stephen's parental facade cracked further as a childishly inquisitive grin appeared on his face. "You did? How'd you do it? I used to wai- No, it's not important." He caught himself as Zac's words overlapped with his own. "Hilarity? What did you do?"

Stephen's head popped up as Zac mentioned someone calling his name. His eyes scanned around the mall, searching for a familiar face. He saw none, but then again, he knew very few of Zac's friends. Perhaps one of them had seen the pair. Whatever the case, Stephen waved his permission to Zac. "Yeah, go for it. But you'll be back here in five minutes and you're telling me what happened. What actually happened."

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac couldn’t help but snicker as Stephen detailed on how he deduced Zac’s lie. He didn’t know if it was intentional or what, but Stephen should really watch how he phrases his words, especially when Zac’s in such a state of mind. “I’ve got the body,” he snorted, trying so hard to focus on what his the older man’s trying to say. He does have the body but I think he’s losing his edge. He needs to be more conscious, especially since he’s almost past his prime, he thought. One of the reasons Zac started working out (or got his interest in working out) is because he saw how wonderfully built Stephen was before. He has this imposing masculine aura around him that Zac’s jaw almost dropped to the ground the first time he saw Stephen. It goes without saying that Zac has a healthy level of ‘mancrush’ on his ‘big brother’; just enough for him to idolize and strive to be just like him without having not-so-decent thoughts and dreams about the older man. Neither he nor Stephen (and of course Cedric) would want that.

“Hey I resent that,” he laughed, trying to make himself look a bit better than the average teen, “I don’t hump anything that moves. That’s Verax’s job. I’ve actually got a lot more decency than that.” He’s actually comfortable being looked upon as a bad boy playboy (that’s his dream image really) than a dumb horny goth. Anything but that. “And besides, I’m no whore. I may act like one, but it’s just that: an act. I’m still a virgin you know.” He added the last sentence with an almost whisper, just in case someone other than Stephen may hear. He actually resents the fact that he hasn’t slept with anyone yet despite being almost of legal age. It’s not that he doesn’t want to sleep with anyone, it’s just that he doesn’t feel it yet. He does have hormones and urges, but he’s still content doing it by himself being alone, at the moment. It’s complicated, he says.

“I knew it! You snuck around when you were my age too!” Too bad Stephen. Even without telepathy, Zac does have the uncanny ability to pick out the minute details that’ll help turn his nasty situation into a more favorable one. “How’d you do it? Strangulate them with your invisible strings to death?” he jeered. Not that Stephen would kill someone with his powers anyway. He figures he’s too mild-mannered for that. “It’s easy actually. Used the spider monkey to carefully maneuver through the trees. Apparently the guards were dumb enough not to notice someone somersaulting in mid-air.”

He quickly excused himself and grabbed his order. “There, back in less than two minutes. I won’t ditch you Staggie, not even if there’s a hot lady just waiting for me to ask her out,” he joked, hoping Stephen would catch his sarcasm. “So where was I? Right, the encounter.” He took a quick sip of his coffee before continuing. “Fortunately Vinnie was in a good mood and said that instead of reporting me, he’d simply make me do drills, which isn’t really such a hard task. ‘Cause fifty pushups on each hand is just so hard to do,” he narrated, rolling his eyes at the last statement. Zac never had a problem with physically demanding tasks. His built combined with his power enabled him to do feats that would normally be impossible, like bench pressing with 50kg weights on both sides 10 times in 30 seconds (but he would have to retire for about an hour or so after that).

“But then I got a bit too cocky and told him my powers. Hence him changing the routine.” He laughed as he remembered the events of the night, from Mr. Romanov’s amused face at his ability to his irritation at his arrogance. “Challenged me to a boxing fight in the ring. With gloves and a helmet of course. Told me if I win he’ll let me off early.” He pushed the cookie plate to the center, as if telling Stephen that he could get one if he likes. He nibbled on one before continuing, “In retrospect, I think the reason he changed my ‘punishment’ isn’t because I was physically capable. I think it’s because of my unorthodox way of addressing him.” He let out a hearty laugh right after his statement, apparently finding being disobedient with authority figures amusing.

[Stephen Gage]

Stephen couldn't help but smirk when Zac asserted his virginity. For all the talk, the constant, ceaseless, unending talk, the kid was still a virgin. Then again, that was likely the cause of all the boasting and flirting: overcompensation. He restrained a chuckle at the sight of arrogant young Zachary LaRousse whispering his virginity as if it were some dark and loathsome secret of which to be ashamed. Stephen merely switched his smirk into a reassuring smile, and sipped his tea. "It'll happen. It's better to get it done right, rather than right now."

He remained silent at Zac's exuberance over Stephen's mischievous past. Honestly, what had the young man thought? That Stephen had twiddled his thumbs throughout school? His tales were varied, and kept well under-wraps. So far as Stephen cared to think, Zac knew enough. Hardly any need to give him more ammo. He winced at the idea of strangling anyone, despite the lack of any actual strings in his power. Sure, he could make them strangle themselves, but using his power in a fashion even close to that was something Stephen willfully avoided as much as possible. He would be loathe to admit that he was impressed with Zac's idea, though. Spider monkey made sense, though Stephen had been half expecting the young man to have chosen a stealthier animal.

Zac left and returned, and in the midst of it Stephen did his best to continue avoiding the eyes of the eavesdropper. He was in far from a flirtatious mood. Zac made his typically lecherous comment, and Stephen rolled his eyes, as per usual. He fixed the younger man with a cautioning eyebrow after he lambasted the difficulty of pushups. Some people were not blessed with such useful abilities. Stephen certainly couldn't do fifty pushups on one hand, with or without his power. Both hands, definitely. One hand, never.

He snickered when he heard that Vincent had altered the challenge. Zac's arrogance had gotten the better of him again, unsurprisingly. Eventually, Stephen hoped, the kid might learn. He waved off Zac's offer of the cookie, and nodded when the tale ended. "I'm assuming you lost? Hoping so, anyway. It'd be a bit of an embarrassment otherwise." His eyes darted to the plate of cookies, indecision overriding his previous refusal. Perhaps just one. He grabbed a cookie, taking a bit of it into his mouth before continuing. "All right, now tell me about this Darryl. What'd you do to him, how bad was it, and what am i going to tell Cedric?"