Jacob should've been lingering around the mess hall. He knew there were new arrivals. He knew something was up and there'd be a meeting sooner or later. Everyone knew that. But he also knew he'd lose his mind waiting around, twiddling his thumbs. Better he snoop around himself, see if he spotted one of them getting debriefed in admin. It was times like this that he really missed his eagle vision. He could've peeked through walls and gotten a look at everyone's aura. Known exactly who to watch out for before they even opened their mouths.
But four years in space had taught him how to get by as a normal person. It had taught him a lot actually. About space travel and science, about exploring other planets and what not to do when faced with new plants and animals. Too many things in the galaxy wanted to kill you, but that had always been comfortable too, he supposed.
And now he was learning how to fly. Evie would be so jealous.
The thought soured his mood. Four years without his twin still stung as much as the first days. Unfortunately, his attention had been scattered and someone had managed to sneak up behind him. He spun and leaned against the nearest wall with exaggerated nonchalance and a devil's smile.
"Oh. You're a new face."
And what a face it was. Thankfully, Jacob's stupid mouth didn't let that part slip.
The moment they landed, Serefin was immediately disembarking the Waverider. It had nothing to do with being trapped in close-ish quarters for a day and he wasn't nearly as strangely claustrophobic as the small old man who hitched a ride. But there was an urgency under his skin to find Jacob, find his friends, explore the monstrous floating beast, and get him home. However, Serefin couldn't do that while making introductions with every high-ranking official on the ship. He'd work his royal pleasantries later.
He wanted to explore. He wanted to get his own lay of the land—whatever land this might be. And it certainly involved slipping off between urgent welcomes and confused faces. No one would notice him gone, except for Evie. Quite frankly, he assumed she'd support it. If she didn't, he'd explain his reasoning later over a glass of wine he had tucked away on the Waverider for "emergencies."
Serefin hadn't gotten far. The place was confusing and massive. There were levels and key cards and various sorts of hold ups that he wasn't used to. It had taken a long time for him to understand Vallo's intricacies, he assumed it would be the same learning curve here.
As he swung around another hallway, Serefin caught a glimpse of a familiar backside and comfortable stride. He was almost on him, with too much hope in his expression, only to see when Jacob turned around, there was no recognition.
Serefin was warned this might happen. That still didn't mean he had to like it.
"I have not heard that one before," Serefin said, then decided to be bold. That's all he knew how to do really. "Is that a good oh or a bad oh, Jacob Frye? I cannot tell and it has already been a long day. Take pity on me."
Jacob blinked. It was rare that people shocked him on a first meeting anymore. He was used to expecting the unexpected on V.A.L.L.O. But he'd never had anyone know his name in five seconds flat, without so much as a hint from him. He had to take a second to glance down at his flight uniform to make sure someone hadn't stuck a name tag on it when he wasn't looking.
"That…depends. On the one hand…" He looked up with a flirtatious grin that didn't quite hide the suspicion in his eyes. "...It is a good face. But on the other!" Pushing away from the wall, Jacob prowled closer and then started to circle around Serefin to examine him. "I don't know how you know my name and when I don't know things, they tend to bite me on the arse later." There was a time he wouldn't even really have registered that danger, but flight training was doing a very good job at making him actually use the assassin brain he was born with instead of just barrelling through and shooting his way to the other side.
"Did Hargreeves set this up?" he asked, coming to an abrupt stop. "Told you what to look for and sent you on your way?"
Serefin was used to the circling. He and Jacob had done it early on: in the ring, on dates, when trying to see if Serefin was going to attempt to cheat at mini golf again. It was, strangely, a usual occurrence that he didn't mind, even tended to lean into. But this was different—they did not have the years of a relationship to know that the other was doing a bit. And for a brief fleeting moment, Serefin looked uncomfortable at the thought that Jacob could stab him if he said the wrong thing. Flight uniform be damned, though he looked rather fetching in it.
He took his next words slowly. "You and I both know that Diego would never send another person to do his job. If he was going to pull a prank on you, he'd find someway to be visibly involved so that he could see your reaction," Serefin said, though he imagined it did little to calm either of their nerves.
Gesturing half-heartedly behind him, as if to explain where he came from, he added, "I don't do well with official briefings. Terribly boring, everyone always tells me everything is off limits. I am rather fond of figuring that out on my own." He took a step forward, then another, until he was right up in Jacob's space. Unthreateningly, of course, but no less serious. He had hoped something would spark behind Jacob's expression the more they spoke, but Serefin noticed that wasn't the case as he stared him down.
"You do not recognize me at all, do you?"
The thing was - Jacob did recognize him. The memory flashes he'd experienced had mostly faded, but they'd left an undeniable mark. And this stranger's face didn't feel like a stranger's face. Being in his space felt like being next to someone he trusted. Loved. It was unsettling to say the least. The way Serefin talked about Diego like he knew him, knew them, didn't help ease that feeling of being unmoored.
Jacob's gaze locked on Serefin's for a long moment and then unconsciously fell to his mouth before warmth rushed into his cheeks and made him look away.
"I…I don't know. I feel like, maybe, I met you in another life," he admits. If Evie were here, she'd probably scoff at him for being too forthcoming but he couldn't seem to resist. "I'm guessing that has something to do with why you know Diego's name." He'd very specifically called him Hargreeves, after all. That Serefin knew his first name could be as simple as having met him somewhere in the ship before this moment but Jacob's gut said otherwise.
"And what a knob he can be," Jacob joked.
Serefin knew, full well, that he could not kiss Jacob into recognizing him—if that were the case, it would have been his opening line of this conversation. But he caught the way Jacob's attention had dropped to his mouth, and Serefin's fingers twitched at his side, desperately wanting to pull Jacob in and show him how they knew one another. Instead he made a small hmm noise when Jacob said he maybe knew him in another life, and Serefin knew that was as close as they were going to get. For now.
"He is a knob, but the good kind. Trained me in the ring when I looked terribly pathetic and unable to throw a punch. I even stabbed him once and he's forgiven me for it," Serefin said, casually, before holding his hands up in surrender. "Not that I go around stabbing people. I am weaponless, defenseless, even if I'm realizing now that is a terrible mistake on my part, being around unfamiliar territory, but you are more than welcome to check."
It was a dare, really. To see if Jacob would touch him with little prompting. He continued casually when he thought Jacob might not. "You trained me too. You are quite expert with handcuffs and a blindfold."
Something flared behind Jacob's ribs. Jealousy? Diego had become like a brother to him and it was strange to hear someone talk about him like they felt the same way. Someone with sharp cheekbones and a wide mouth that kept pulling Jacob's attention back to it.
"If Diego really trained you how to throw a punch, you'll never be defenseless," he murmured distractedly. An embarrassing flush had burned up the back of his neck at the talk of handcuffs and blindfolds, so he put his hand there as if he could smother the flames. "The bobby pin trick won't work here, if you get locked up. Consider that a free bit of advice." He had, on more than one occasion over the years, ended up in the brig. Key cards were a real damper on his skillset.
Jacob leaned closer, more intrigued than sensible - as always was the case when his downstairs brain did any of the thinking. "What's your name then, stranger?"
Serefin desperately wanted to put his hand to Jacob's cheek, hold that flush in his palm. He had made it his mission, when they were first doing this song-and-dance of a relationship, to pull that softness out of Jacob. Making him blush was a relationship past time. And while he could still do it, Jacob in his Vallo had become aware of his attempts. This one, still the same Jacob to Serefin in many ways, was a reminder of what Serefin had, and then couldn't have in this situation. He seemed almost disappointed that he couldn't kiss him.
"I'll keep that in mind," Serefin said, though he knew he'd promptly forget. He had spent most of his ride to this space station pressing buttons and staring dumbly out the windows at the vastness of it all. And now he was leaning in closer still to Jacob, completely disregarding personal space, and feeling logical thought escaping him.
"Serefin Meleski. There are several honorifics that come after that, but they are royal and boring, and ones I have not used in years." He waved his hand dismissively. "But most of all I would prefer for us to not be strangers for however long we are here. I am an open book. Open-ish book. It feels unfair that I know so much about you and I'm willing to give you an advantage to catch up."
"Royal?" Jacob's eyebrows rose sharply, bemusement wrinkling his nose. He wouldn't have guessed Serefin was a noble, but he did have the kind of mannerisms that fit, he supposed. Not that he had a lot of experience with royalty to compare it to. "And you let me teach you about handcuffs, Serefin Meleski?"
As tempting as it was to find out exactly what kind of royal he was dealing with, Jacob was good enough at reading people to know Serefin's disinterest in his rank wasn't feigned. That in itself was a relief, because Jacob didn't care for the idea of feeling lesser than the man in front of him. Something about him made Jacob want to be impressive in every way. It was an embarrassing thought, but it was the truth.
He glanced down the hall and then back to Serefin with a crooked smile. "I'd like to know more about you. And not just the blindfold business. But maybe we could have this chat somewhere more comfortable? As opposed to standing in a hallway, that is." He tilted his head, his eyes curious and a little dangerous. "Drinks?"
Serefin's grin widened at Jacob's surprise. He liked surprising him, and was glad that he could still do it with any version of his boyfriend. Even if he didn't remember being his boyfriend, or the years they had been together or all the terrible things they had suffered through to get to this point. But Serefin also liked that Jacob wasn't going to shy away, that he was still willing to try. "I would let you teach me more than handcuffs, Jacob Frye. Us formal royals are lacking in so many ways.
He glanced down the hallway as Jacob did—Serefin had no way of knowing where anything was, but he was always good at playing along. "Are you not comfortable in the hallway?" Serefin asked, finally finally, putting his hand on Jacob's bicep. It was a shamelessly flirty gesture, and he assumed it wouldn't get shrugged off with the way the conversation was turning. "However, if you are willing to show me around, or to a place more private, I wouldn't mind. But you will find that offering drinks though is dangerous, I am not a lightweight."
Another conspiratorial smile, and Serefin was brushing past Jacob and began to take a few steps down the hall. He paused, and turned back around, his confidence waning. "I really do not know where I am going, so you will need to lead the way."
Jacob snickered. He was very intrigued and reckless to a fault so he didn't even pat Serefin down for weapons before swaggering past him towards his room. He'd do that once there was some liquor to ease the way.
"Easy, handsome. I've got you." Jacob gestured grandly with his arms as he moved, like a tour guide trying to drum up a sense of drama. "Welcome to Administration. Home of digital forms and red tape. On your left, we'll be passing the famed med bay where I once spent a fortnight with a case of Florian Pox and let me tell you, I will never look at small alien children the same way ever again…"