a midnight prayer ; beryl&adrien

He only had three hours until the deadline; he still hadn't made any concrete decisions. It was easy, in theory. He wanted to stay, so the others had to go. But the premise of why they had to go — because they weren't deserving — weighed heavy on his shoulders. Under the harsh light of reality, it boiled down to a simple question:

Whose dreams didn't matter as much?

Truth was, Adrien hadn't been born into money, and he hadn't ever expected to die in it. His hands were calloused from working for an end's meet. He was a good man in a storm, but not once in his life had someone looked for him to be the one to guide everyone to safety. He didn't need this empire, this hush money, but now that he was so close to getting it, he would've been lying if he said he did not want it.

So, as most people did when dealing with financial troubles, he found himself lounging on one of the cushioned seats of the bar in a two thousand dollar suit that had been waiting in his closet for him when he got there. The bartender was almost textbook, with a receding hairline and a habit of polishing glasses which were already clean. When he spoke, his voice was gravelly and aged, sun-dried as the wrinkles around his eyes.

"Vodka soda," Adrien said, face buried in his hands. He ran fingers through his disheveled hair and inhaled deeply. The smells here were too clean for it to be considered a bar. It seemed like a liquor license was all it took to bring the property value of an entire neighborhood down in most places. Usually, it smelled like cigar smoke and desperation. There were crowds of people whose regrets clung to their ankles like weights, like they were forced to drag them along everywhere they went. This place, with its clean floors and its cool, crisp air, was a place where people only ever came to celebrate.

If he didn't belong in the mansion in the first place, this room should've been the last place he found himself.

"Come to ease my loneliness?"

There was something serpentine to Beryl's fluidity. Even when he smelled of alcohol and the ends of his words lilted up on the edges, every move felt like a dance short of music. Adrien had always been in one place, he realized, and Beryl had always been in another. Not purposefully. At least not on Adrien's side of things. But he saw an opportunity to lessen the chance of his eviction, so he did not protest when Beryl's leg pressed against his own.

"You're safe from me, if that comforts you. I can't imagine anyone sending you away."

Adrien hadn't meant to be so transparent, though he supposed he didn't have to be. Beryl was safe. Adrien was not. It didn't take a genius like Indigo to guess he was having some anxiety about it. He offered the other boy a slight smile.

"Thank you. That does help, actually."

Beryl's hand fell to the small of Adrien's back and he pressed his lips together and squinted straight ahead. They'd been living together for four months, and never once had Beryl shown him any interest. He didn't know if the alcohol had tainted Beryl's judgement or suppressed his inhibitions, but on a day like that day, Adrien wouldn't be caught dead sticking a single toe out where someone might have the chance to cut it off.

"I'm Beryl. Let's start fresh."

The bartender slid Adrien's drink to him and he cleared his throat, nodding and shaking Beryl's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Beryl."

Every touch was deliberate. The hand on Adrien's back, the knee pressing against his thigh. He knew what this meant, and he thought very hard about whether or not it was something he wanted. Something that could help him.

"We could be friends for the night, or something more exciting. Adam will forgive me."

His back stiffened and he stood up straighter, turning to face Beryl so that their lips were only inches apart.

"Oh, that's right. You and Taupe. I've had my suspicions, you know." Adrien nipped at his bottom lip with a lazy smile. Maybe they hadn't meant for their relationship to be a secret. But this, Adrien was sure, was absolutely something Beryl probably didn't want the others to find out about.

Adrien was single, and therefor not in the wrong when he didn't look away from Beryl's gaze, those brilliantly green eyes. He was single, so it didn't count when his hand slid onto Beryl's leg, his index finger tapping against the other boy's knee. He was single, so it didn't count when he leaned in so close, he could feel Beryl's breath on his cheek. But just when their lips were going to meet, Adrien turned so that his mouth hovered right next to Beryl's ear.

"I'm not so sure, though," he whispered, after a long moment. He leaned back and turned forward, swallowing every ounce of his drink. He flagged the bartender down for a refill. "I think, maybe, Adam feels a bit more than simple attraction to you, no?"