Drabbles - The Perfect Son

[maderr]

Confused

Epee took a deep gulp of wine, eyes never leaving the spectacle on the far side of the ballroom.

He caught Dagger's eyes briefly, and saw he was just as bewildered.

His eyes went back to Sabre – who was currently bickering loudly and colorfully with the Duke of Lashton, as though they were well acquainted.

Well acquainted lovers, at that, unless he was seriously mistaken in what those two rather thorough kisses meant.

What in the bloody hell?

This combined with what Sharp had told him of the debacle at the club the other day…he was starting to wonder what had happened to his brother.

"I wasn't aware Sabre had a twin," Sharp murmured in his ear.

Epee shook his head. "Me neither," he muttered. "The Sabre I know would never act so in public. The Duke just kissed him! I'm not that audacious."

"A pity," Sharp said, smirking.

"You be quiet," Epee said, shaking his head in amusement. He turned to smile at Sharp, but the sound of laughter from the crowd around Sabre and the Duke drew his attention, and he was astonished to see the Duke arm in arm with Sabre, telling something to the King and Queen while waving his free hand wildly about – and everyone laughing, and Sabre only standing there glaring at the Duke, and not at all bothered by the fact the man was clinging to him.

He shook his head and finished his wine. "I do not understand it."

When the group finally broke up a few minutes later, with the Duke dragging Sabre off to the buffet table, he made a beeline for Dagger and Katan.

"What in the world has happened to my brother? He demanded. "Am I seeing things?"

"Not unless we're all as delusional as you," Katan said, looking amused. "He called your brother 'rose' three times, and all Sabre did was sputter and get red in the face. I have never seen the like. Whip asked me to send a note that would ensure Sabre attended the ball. I should have pressed him harder to tell me why. Does your brother have a twin we never know about?"

Epee snorted at the recurring theory. "If I were still on speaking terms with my father, I would ask. As it stands, I cannot imagine what else it might be."

"The Duke?" Dagger proposed in his quiet, direct way. "I do not know how they met, but they seem well-acquainted. His grace seems to handle Sabre with the same skill a duelist handles a sword."

"They must be recently met," Epee said. "Only a week or so ago, there was nothing different about him. This is the first I've seen him in forever."

"He definitely wasn't like this at the club," Sharp said. "When I saw him, he looked like a man licking his wounds. Then he got into it with your father, and I do not believe he's been in town since."

Epee shrugged. "I guess we could go ask?" He turned to look toward the buffet table, and saw Sabre was no longer there. Scanning the ballroom, he quickly found him standing with the Duke by one of the open archways leading to the balcony.

He watched, unable to look away, as the Duke pulled a red rose from one of the many wreaths hanging around the ballroom and twirled it playfully before brushing it across Sabre's face – and his jaw dropped when Sabre's face went red, but his only motion was to grab the rose and throw it aside, before resuming eating from the little plate in his other hand.

The Duke smirked, obviously having made some point or won some small battle, and simply continued to talk while Sabre ate.

"You are positive he doesn't have a twin?" Katan asked. "That is not Sabre."

Epee motioned helplessly. "Damned if I know."

"It's the Duke," Dagger said again. "I would say that much is obvious."

"He's being…not Sabre because he's got a lover with no sense of decorum?"

Dagger quirked a brow at him, obviously amused. "I don't think it's a lover, so much as Sabre is in love."

Epee opened his mouth to say something flippant about monsters and ogres not being capable of love, but his eyes fell once again on Sabre, far away on the other side of the room, tucked into that archway with the odd Duke.

Sabre was smiling. Only a little bit, but it was there. A real smile, not one of his nasty smirks or sneers or mocking grins.

His brother looked happy. Sabre never looked happy.

"I think you're right," Epee said in disbelief.

Dagger snorted. "So did he really tell your father to go to hell? He is not wearing the family sword, I notice."

"He told Rapier a lot more than that," Sharp replied, and launched into his retelling of the fight in the club for Dagger and Katan, and all those who tried to pretend they did not slink closer to hear it.



Visitors

Lash uncoiled from the sofa as a servant knocked on the door.

Honestly, he was never going to get used to have people do everything for him. Then again, a two hundred (or more, he was terrible with architecture) year old house required a bit more upkeep than a grass hut.

"Your grace, Masters Epee and Dagger to see Lord Sabre."

"Oh?" Lash smiled. "Show them in, then. Sabre should be home soon." He thought a moment. "When Sabre returns, tell him only that we have visitors."

"Yes, your grace."

He marked his place in his latest book and made certain he was relatively put together. If there was one thing he really hated about being civilized, it was the profusion of clothing he apparently had to wear at all times.

Epee was immediately recognizable when he walked in – a much quieter version of his fiery brother. Lash thought he sensed a fellow scholar. "Gentlemen, I dare say friends, I'm afraid Sabre is still out. He's due back shortly, if you do not mind waiting. Would you care for a glass of wine? We recently acquired one that is a masterpiece."

Moving to the far wall of the small, blue and white parlor, he tugged the bell pull. "Wine, please, that fine red that Sabre brought home the other day."

The servant bowed and vanished, arriving a few short minutes later with the requested wine.

Lash handed the glasses out after the servant had poured. "What brings you here, my friends? Did you require Sabre for something? Or are you merely stopping in to chat a spell? You could stay for supper, if you like."

He almost snickered at the thought – Sabre would growl the rest of the night, like a bear with a thorn in its paw. The degree to which he avoided his family was almost amusing; it would be amusing if he didn't know for a fact that Sabre was secretly hoping his brothers would stop hating him.

As usual, Sabre did not think that possible, and so avoided the matter altogether.

"Where did you get this wine?" Epee asked in a puzzled tone.

"Hmm?" Lash asked, flawlessly playing clueless and disinterested. "I believe it was a gift? He invests in many things – business confuses me so, it's sad I can tell you how to bandage a wound or render a jungle cat unconscious, but ask me a question about stocks and I am hopeless. I believe one of his investments is a wine company, and the owner frequently sends bottles of new wines for Sabre to try. Do you like it? He is quite fond, and intends to express his compliments to the owner."

"Tell him to do it person," Epee said, looking torn between anger and amusement. He exchanged a look with Dagger. "Especially as I finally know the identity of my mystery backer."

Lash laughed and reclined in one of the deep blue-velvet chairs. "Oh, dear. I'm going to get yelled at for that little slip."

Dagger, a quiet and pretty sort of young man with green eyes that probably got him in and out of a great deal of trouble, smirked at him. "I think if you are not in trouble with someone, you feel like you are wasting your day."

"Indeed," Lash said, throwing his head back and laughing. "I am used to being in danger most of the time, from disease and wild animals and primitive peoples – and scores of other things. This being a gentleman of leisure is quite beyond me."

"Hence Sabre," Epee said, shaking his head in amusement.

Lash smiled faintly. "Sabre is something else entirely, but it's true he suits me as much as I suit him. Why did you come?"

"To try and talk to Sabre," Epee replied. "I'm beginning to realize Sabre is not who or what I always believed."

"We," Dagger said. "What we believed. He's been avoiding us; we've tried to talk to him before several times."

Honestly, Sabre. Lash shook his head. "He is nothing if not stubborn. I—" He stopped as he heard the front door open, the sound of Sabre chatting with the butler.

Smirking, he moved to stand to the side of the door.

The door opened, and Sabre stepped in – but as he realized who the visitors were, he attempted to turn and leave.

Lash shoved, sending him stumbling into the room, then closed the door smartly and leaned against it.

"What in the hell!" Sabre demanded, eyes flashing in that way Lash loved, had from the very first. Oh, yes, he did love a man with a temper. That was later, however.

"Your brothers have come to visit," he said cheerfully, "which means I'll have to put off expressing just how much I admire you in green."

Sabre glared at him, but did not protest the compliment, probably because he knew full well Lash would start in with the pet names.

Lash pressed on, deciding he may as well get all the trouble out at once. "We were just having wine."

A look of stark terror filled Sabre's eyes for a moment, then he turned to look at the wine, and saw his fears confirmed.

"I'm going to kill you," he said in a quiet tone that said he probably would kill Lash later.

Lash didn't budge from the door as Sabre approached. "I know neither of us is very good at being civilized, but they are your brothers – you could try."

Sabre glared at him, but Lash could also see the fear warring with hope.

He just stared right back, until Sabre grimaced and turned away, dropping into the seat Lash had recently vacated.

"So you like the wine?" Epee asked cautiously into the silence.

"Yes," Sabre said, just as warily.

There was a pause.

"You could have said you were my investor."

Sabre sneered. "Oh, yes. That would have gone over well for both of us. I'm not stupid, Epee. We were both better off with no one the wiser."

"I suppose," Epee said. "Thank you. Without your help—"

"Whatever," Sabre snarled. "Just don't make me regret the investment."

Epee rolled his eyes, but Lash could see he was amused.

Progress, excellent. And later there would be quite a bit of angry Sabre to mellow out.

Hiding a snicker, he called a servant and told him to warn the cook there would be two extra for dinner.


Birthday Present

Epee drew to a halt as he watched Sabre approach.

They were in the royal gardens, on their way to meet Dagger and Katan for lunch. He'd been running late; it looked like Sabre was as well.

He stared again, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"What is that?" he finally asked.

Sabre scowled in that way Epee was slowly figuring out meant he was not nearly as angry or annoyed as he was pretending to be.

The bundle on his shoulder mewled, and buried its head even further into the collar of Sabre's jacket.

"What does it look like?" Sabre asked irritably. "Lash thinks he's funny."

Epee coughed to smother a laugh.

Sabre's narrowed eyes said he wasn't fooling anyone.

"It's, um," Epee struggled for an adjective that would not meet with his untimely demise. "Very small."

For that, he got a withering glare.

"What's its name?" Epee asked, grinning now because it was obvious he was busted.

"I have no idea," Sabre snapped. "I've only been putting up with the thing for fifteen minutes."

Epee reached out to gently pet the kitten that was little more than a teensy ball of fur on Sabre's shoulder. It was the color of honey mixed with cream, and probably would be beautiful when it was fully grown.

"Can we just go to lunch, so I can then take this damned thing home?" Sabre said.

Laughing, Epee bowed and stepped away, indicating Sabre should lead the way. "After you – and Happy Birthday."

"Oh, shut up," Sabre groused, but Epee didn't miss the way he reached up to make certain the kitten wouldn't fall.