The seneschal executed a brief bow and withdrew, leaving the bedroom door open but closing the door to the outer chamber. After a discreet few moments a young boy, hardly more than ten, opened the door cautiously. “Milord? I’m supposed to help you dress … “
Dressed in his undergarments as he attempted to find the remainder of his clothing, Isaac whirled to face the small child hovering in the doorway, and he regarded him with pity. “I’m mostly done, child, but thank you all the same.” He flashed him a polite smile and then frowned. “But if you could help me find my clothing, that would be much appreciated?”
Silently, the boy pointed to a shirt draped over the firetools, then knelt to reach under a chair. He reappeared with Isaac’s breeches and an expression that suggested he thought Isaac was a bit slow.
Summer ruffled Isaac’s curls before taking his arms and drawing him toward the bathroom again. “You are not getting a list right now. Right now we’re going to take a /short/ shower and you’re going to behave and not tease and then we’re going to get Mexican.” He grinned widely. “Because you love Mexican.”
Wriggling into Summer’s hand as his fingers moved through his hair, Isaac smirked playfully and allowed his boyfriend to take the lead, laughing. “So bossy, but I love you anyway. And I do love Mexican, but not as much as you.” He hummed and pressed a kiss to his cheek, before moving to turn the shower on.
True to his word, Summer clamped an iron control over himself, watching Isaac as little as possible. He washed himself with still-familiar efficiency and climbed out quickly, wrapping a towel around his waist and staring at himself in the foggy mirror.
By about the third hesitation, Summer was kneeling on the couch, watching him with a perplexed expression. “Isaac, what in the world are you talking about? Go where?”
Trying to calm down his panicked babbling, Isaac took a deep breath and licked at his lips, forcing himself to maintain eye contact. “I…the, um, the Winter Formal.”
“The Winter … ” she repeated slowly. “Oh! Oh, of course. Yes, I’d love to go with you.” She grinned at him. “I was worried it was something awful, Isaac!”
He wasn’t allowed to sit alone for longer than it took to think that thought. The seneschal looked briefly appalled at Isaac’s state of dress, then schooled his face. “Milord, we will need your assistance with the wedding plans. I shall send a manservant to assist you in dressing and escort you to the offices, if you please. Also you have an appointment with the tailor at one candlemark past nooning.”
Isaac lifted his head and locked wide eyes on the person addressing him, nodding with obvious reluctance. As excited as he was about the approaching wedding, he was nervous too, and he was relieved that they weren’t being left to organise and orchestrate the entire thing themselves, obviously. “Thank you,” he stated simply with a polite nod, before standing up to search for some clothes, not entirely comfortable with a manservant seeing him like this, even if it was the norm.
The seneschal executed a brief bow and withdrew, leaving the bedroom door open but closing the door to the outer chamber. After a discreet few moments a young boy, hardly more than ten, opened the door cautiously. “Milord? I’m supposed to help you dress … “
“Just as if we didn’t already do that earlier.” The words were snarky, but the tone was gentler, teasing. “That’s one of the things I love best about you — you never lose that wonder, that amazement, at what’s between us.”
“One of the things, huh? Maybe I should demand a list?” He laughed aloud and twisted around to face him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I guess it’s just still feels so new and like a dream to me, even now.”
Summer ruffled Isaac’s curls before taking his arms and drawing him toward the bathroom again. “You are not getting a list right now. Right now we’re going to take a /short/ shower and you’re going to behave and not tease and then we’re going to get Mexican.” He grinned widely. “Because you love Mexican.”
Helios lifted himself up on his back legs to push at Isaac’s hand, purring loudly. “What is it?” Making an exaggerated ‘oof’ noise, she took his backpack and carried it over to the couch to join her pile of classwork. “Do you need my help with a paper again?”
Picking Helios up without a second thought, Isaac cradled him to his chest and followed after her, looking increasingly more nervous as he ducked his head. “No. I, um…well, it’s…you could be busy and that’s fine, it’s not that big a deal, maybe for girls but I kind of…I do want to go but only if you do and well…I’m making a mess of this…” he babbled quickly, distracting himself by scratching behind Helios’ ear once again.
By about the third hesitation, Summer was kneeling on the couch, watching him with a perplexed expression. “Isaac, what in the world are you talking about? Go where?”
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
Summer took a handful of shredded cheese, meant for the eggs, and dumped it over Isaac’s head before darting out of reach. She liked the way teasing made her feel. Them picking on her, her teasing back, it felt right. The fact that it was three of them, that felt right too.
Isaac yelled out indignantly and pegged her in the butt with a sugar cube and Derek tried to call them to order but was chuckling too much so he just focused on the food instead, getting it all ready and serving it up to three big plates.
She shot after the sugar cube, mouth opening in a soundless yelp and came up ready to pike it right back at Isaac, scraping her hair out of her face with the other hand. Then she abandoned it, scrambling to sit down at the table as soon as she saw the plates in Derek’s hands. Hastily she pushed her hair back, arranging the robe and her face for innocence.
After all, Derek wouldn’t know she was kicking Isaac under the table.
They made brief work of the breakfast, though it was effort to keep their hands from one another. When Maire blew back in, therefore, Summer cast an apologetic glance at Isaac. Going to him, she touched his cheek and whispered, “I’ll see you later today, alright?”
“Come on, ducky, it’s time to measure you for the wedding dress.”
Enjoying a breakfast with his beloved seemed like a perfect way to begin the day (after their brief interruptions, of course), but all too soon, it was over and Summer was being ushered away.
“I’ll see you later.” He pressed a quick kiss to her wrist and then sat back in his chair, not entirely sure what he should be doing in her absence. Training seemed like a safe option.
He wasn’t allowed to sit alone for longer than it took to think that thought. The seneschal looked briefly appalled at Isaac’s state of dress, then schooled his face. “Milord, we will need your assistance with the wedding plans. I shall send a manservant to assist you in dressing and escort you to the offices, if you please. Also you have an appointment with the tailor at one candlemark past nooning.”
The empath pressed a brief kiss to Isaac’s shoulder. “Quit worrying,” he smiled. “Come in the shower with me, and stop fretting over every little thing.”
“I’m a worrier.” He shrugged and leaned back into the kiss, a wide smile stretching across his lips at the offer. “Yeah? I’d like that a lot, Summer.”
“Just as if we didn’t already do that earlier.” The words were snarky, but the tone was gentler, teasing. “That’s one of the things I love best about you — you never lose that wonder, that amazement, at what’s between us.”
