Regulus Black (leonineserpant) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-08-29 01:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | amycus carrow, regulus black |
Who: Amycus and Regulus
When: Wednesday, August 24
Where: Amycus’ office (to start at least)
Ratings: Low
What: A business meeting/possibly lunch(?)
Status: Complete when posted
Amycus was actually nervous about his meeting with Regulus today, not sure how it would go. He liked being around the young writer. A lot actually. He was easy to talk to. And good looking and Amycus wondered what it would be like to be able to kiss him...he shook his head, stopping that train of thought right there. That was unprofessional. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to admit it but he didn’t think that he could continue acting as Regulus’ PR agent, not if he couldn’t control his thoughts any better than that. He pushed the intercom button on his phone, telling his receptionist to go ahead and send Regulus in whenever he got there.
***
Regulus wasn’t at all sure why Amycus was needing to see him so soon. On one hand, he was pretty sure he hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet on the other hand, was an emergency meeting with your PR agent ever a good thing? On the third hand, because apparently he was now an octopus, if it was anything to be worried about, would Amycus had asked him over the Network? Or would he have called? He would have called, definitely. He knocked softly on the door, after the receptionist sent him in, and peaked past the doorframe. “You needed to see me? ...it’s not urgent, is it? I try to be a break from your normal clients..”
***
Amycus hadn’t realized that Regulus was already there and he looked up in surprise. “Regulus...I didn’t realize you were out there already or I’d have come out and gotten you,” he said, standing up from his desk chair and waving the other man in with a smile. “It’s nothing urgent just something I needed to discuss with you. And I figured the sooner the better.” He moved around to the front of his desk and leaned against the edge of his desk. “Take a seat please?”
***
Regulus smiled back, somewhat relieved, when Amycus smiled as he waved him in. Whatever it was he needed to talk to him about couldn’t have been that urgent, and the other man probably didn’t mean to panic him that way. He tilted his head when he told him it was better that they talk sooner. “I thought you just said it wasn’t urgent? I couldn’t have done anything that we need to fix or anything so quickly…” he said as he sat down across from the other man’s desk. “Not that I mind coming to visit you, of course.”
***
Amycus couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across his face when Regulus said he didn’t mind coming to visit him. “Your visits to my office are the highlights of my day sometimes.” Which was why he really didn’t want to say what a part of him was insisting he needed to say. “Even without the baked goods you bring - you are one of my favorite clients. If not my favorite. Which is why I think it might be in your best interest to consider transferring to another agent,” he said, forcing the words out with obvious reluctance and making himself look Regulus in the eye. This might be the last time he got to sit like this with the guy he’d rapidly had to accept he had an enormous crush on.
***
Regulus’ smile grew wider at that compliment and he shook his head as he laughed. “I’m really sorry that your other clients make you need a highlight. Besides coming home to the girls at night.” It was so obvious how much Amyus adored his twins. It made him sad sometimes, that his and Sirius’ parents didn’t have that sort of unconditional love for them, but he loved watching it spill out of Am at the same time. His next words brought an expression of confusion and then hurt onto Regulus’ face as he tried to make sense of it. He had always gotten on well with Am. Their first meeting was just to see how easy it would be to work together, and then they’d talked on the network… it was always so easy to talk to him. “I… what? I don’t understand.”
***
Amycus felt horrible when he saw the look on Regulus’ face and he took a deep breath, fingers curling around the edge of his desk as he reminded himself to stick to his decision. “I just…” He bit down on his lip. He didn’t want to hurt Regulus. He honestly didn’t but he had to be honest with him. Even if it meant the other man never wanted to talk to him again - in person or on the network. “I’m having a hard time remaining professional with you.” He admitted.
***
Regulus really didn’t get it, at all. He and Amycus got along so well. Really, really well. Sometimes it felt as though they were old friends catching up again after a long absence. As insane as that sounded, growing up on different sides of the world as they did. True he wasn’t sure how this was supposed to work, but Amycus did say the first day that he wanted them to get on. And they did, didn’t they? He really didn’t want to go to another agent. And… he really felt hurt that Amycus was firing him as a client for reasons he didn’t understand. “I don’t get it. You’ve ...Did I do something wrong?”
***
Amycus was sure the shock he felt at Regulus thinking he’d done something wrong showed on his face and he couldn’t get “NO!” out fast enough. He realized he’d yelled and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “You didn’t do anything Regulus. Please believe me. This is all on me. I’ve been...I’m having a hard time remaining professional around you. It’s...I have a crush on you. A rather serious one and I think you deserve an agent that can do their job completely without being distracted by...daydreams whenever they know they’re going to be seeing you.”
***
Regulus’ eyes widened at the way Amycus yelled out no that way. If he was unsure what was going on before, he was really confused as hell now. He let the other man compose himself, watching as he breathed deeply. If he hadn’t done anything wrong and they were getting along before, then just ...what was the matter? It had to be something that they could solve, couldn’t it?
He listened as Amycus continued and felt his face grow very hot as the other man talked. Out of any possible reason to not work together anymore, that… really wasn’t the one that Regulus had been expecting. He wondered if he was blushing as hard as he felt like he was. “I really… really had no idea. But… shouldn’t that be my choice? What I mean is…. What if I don’t mind?”
***
Amycus clenched his hands tighter on the desk when he saw the way Regulus was blushing, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him. He hadn’t felt this...any of this about anyone since he’d first met his ex-wife. Mostly because he hadn’t let himself but Regulus and his feelings for him had just snuck up on him and taken him by surprise. There’d been no avoiding this crush.
“If you knew the type of daydreams I was having...you’d probably mind.” He said, a sort of wry laugh in his voice.
***
One thing Regulus was starting to learn about Amycus is that he apparently didn’t read very well between the lines. He shook his head and ran his fingers back through his hair as he bit his lip. “No, I really doubt I would. Very much the opposite, really.” In fact he’d like to hear more about them. In detail. But that also wasn’t something he was ready to rush into either. ...talking over coffee without it being a meeting, though, that he could do.
***
Amycus looked up at him in surprise when Regulus said it would be the opposite, staring at him for a moment before swallowing and speaking. “And this is the moment I normally wake up because this entire conversation has been a dream,” he said softly.
***
Regulus flushed at that and ran his fingers back through his hair. “I promise, you’re not dreaming. I don’t think you are at least. I… really wouldn’t mind if you aren’t always able to act professional. Do you mind?” Regulus cringed internally when he heard himself. He’d always been an awkward flirt, and it probably wasn’t as endearing to anyone as an adult as it was to guys in college. “I think I just proved this isn’t a dream. Dream Regulus is probably a lot more smooth than that was.”
“I haven’t connected with anyone the way I have with you in a long time now. I look forward to our meetings just because I get to talk to you.” He wondered if it was even allowed, to continue working with him if anything did develop. But he also wouldn’t be able to feel as comfortable with someone else.
***
Amycus wasn’t able to quit staring at Regulus as he listened to what he was saying and he grinned. “I don’t mind one bit. ...Dream Regulus is actually a lot like you.” He said, standing up and walking over to his phone.
“The last person I felt anything like this for was my daughters mum. And I wasn’t ever really expecting to feel anything like this again. I’d rather...would you like to go for lunch and talk about this? I think this needs to be a conversation that happens off the clock,” he said, taking a chance and biting down on his lower lip as he waited for the answer.
***
Regulus flushed a little bit as Amycus told him that Dream Regulus was a lot like you. “I’m glad to know I’m just as awkward as I am in reality. It doesn’t come as a surprise then. And also I would love to go to lunch with you. ….my treat this time.”
***
“I don’t think of you as awkward,” Amycus said. No typically he thought of him as adorable. And so damn attractive it made it hard for him to concentrate. “You figured out a pretty brilliant way to surprise me today Regulus,” he said with a small smile as he picked up the phone and pushed the button for his receptionist to pick up. He looked back up at Regulus as he told her to cancel his appointments for the afternoon. Something had come up and he was going out for the day. If there were any emergencies...have them call his cell phone.
“Your treat this time...as long as you agree to let me pay next time. And you pick the restaurant today.”
***
Regulus’s heart flipped in his chest as Amycus canceled all of his appointments for the afternoon. They were actually spending the entire afternoon together. Not just lunch. He wanted to tell Jess, to ask her what to do, but right now he also just… wanted to concentrate on Amycus, and getting to know him better.
“Next time… next time is your turn, this time is mine. How do you feel about seafood? I know a really good place not too far from here.”
***
Amycus hung up the phone and grinned at Regulus as he put his suitcoat back on. “I love seafood. I’m still trying to find a place here that does a decent fish and chips. It’s one of the few foods from home that I miss.”
***
“I’m not sure if there’s anywhere that has authentic British fish and chips… but we can certainly keep trying until we find one?” Reg said as he stood back up. He would like that, actually. To keep trying different places in Orange County with the other man. “I can’t imagine how homesick you must be over the food there. We’ll take my car? Since I know where it is. And I can drop you off back here later this evening?”
***
“I’d love for us to keep trying to find one.” Amycus said as they made their way to the door. “Terribly homesick for it. I wish I could share some of the food with you. Just not steak and kidney pie. I can’t stand it. It’s just...I’d rather eat tongue.” He said, shuddering a bit. “We can take your car and then say goodnight when you drop me off back here.” He brightened noticeably as they made their way out to the parking lot. This wasn’t how he’d pictured today going but he was glad it had. “I’m glad you didn’t let me get out of working with you. That you wouldn’t let me get away with ending this before we really started.”
***
“Don’t worry. Tongue or kidney is pretty much the last thing I would ask to try. But ...maybe we’ll find something. I mean, there have to be other ex-pats around here somewhere, right?” Regulus’s heart did a happy somersault when he saw the way the other man brightened. “I’m glad I could talk you out of it. ...You’re night going to get in trouble with the firm, right? For dating a client? Because I don’t want to go to anyone else. And I really don’t want to just… not explore this. I always looked forward to our meetings just… because it meant I’d get to see you.”
***
“There have to be you’re right.” Amycus grinned at the other man’s concern. “As long as I don’t start neglecting my other clients for you or give into the temptation to pin you against every flat surface and snog you senseless...I shouldn’t get in any trouble for dating a client.” He assured him. It might be hard for him to resist that temptation but he’d try.
***
Regulus blushed at that and grinned over at Amycus as he unlocked the car. “Well, if it helps, it’s not like I’d tell on you…” he teased lightly. “Although we probably should have lunch first.”
***