Happy Birthday, Here’s your present, It’s gay panic [Cassius & Robert]

After a while Cassius found himself once again with his family. However, instead of talking to anyone else, they were now chatting amongst themselves. They looked just like the picture perfect family his mother wanted them to be. His mother was holding a champagne class which she would occasionally take a sip from, while his father had a class of water. Cassius had never seen his father drink a single drop of alcohol. His father had always had the need to stay in control, which alcohol probably would never help with.

“We really should travel this summer shouldn’t we?” His mother suddenly said. “After all, you guys are getting busier and busier each year, who knows if this will be our last family vacation together?” She continued as she looked at Lysander with a smile. Cassius and Artemia just shared a silent look. They knew what their mother actually meant. Lysander was getting busier as partying and hanging out with friends were more appealing than a family vacation during summer, especially as he was now entering his twenties. Not only that, but it had always been a difference in how their mother treated her oldest children compared to the youngest. Lysander had always been the apple of her eye, especially after Edwin’s unfortunate death. Artemia had a theory since they were young that it was because Lysander and Edwin had looked more like their mother, while Cassius and Artemia had inherited their father’s classic Seymour characteristics… and she fully believed their parents were not in love, their marriage was of convenience, a transaction for power and ‘good genes for the next heir’.  Cassius had refused to believe it the first time Artemia had said anything.

“Isn’t this party marvelous? The planning must have taken months and the attention to the details is absolutely amazing."His mother shifted the topic before any of her kids or husband got to answer her about the family vacation. Lysander didn’t say anything as he glanced around the room, probably looking for someone he knows his age that he could go and hang out with instead. Artemia was sipping on her own glass of champagne. “It truly is mother” She responded with her usual cool and elegant tone. She truly was a high class lady in the way both her body language and speaking patterns screamed elegance and classiness. His father just mumbled some ‘yes yes dear’, not really acknowledging what his wife had said. Eventually Lysander left them as he waved towards someone, probably spotting the friend he had been on the lookout now.

“By the way father, have you read the newest article from buisness insider?” Artemia asked, her eyes shining in hope of talking about business related matters with her father. She, like Cassius, was also double majoring in business and economics, only she was more interested in those while he was not. She truly was suited better to inherit the Seymour company than he was. Such a shame his father was so intent on having Cassius, his firstborn son to inherit it.

His father went on to talk about the article with Artemia, while his mother spoke about the timeless architecture and its history and its presence in literature and art. “The painting of this hall by Marcello truly is beautiful” Cassius said to his mother, she looked at him with a smile he so rarely got from her. They truly only connected when they talked about their only shared interest, art. “Oh but my favorite is the one Florence did of the garden that once was here, maybe we should take a trip to the museum once again?” She asked as she took another sip of her drink.

So far, the evening was going just as Robert had planned and hoped for – which usually was two sides of the same coin in the life of a man who always got what he wanted. He had barely gotten both feet down from the stage before he had been surrounded by admiring guests that wanted to congratulate him as well as simply wanting his attention and in return give their attention to him. Robert might no longer be on stage center, but he had been in the spotlight ever since.
He felt good. He looked good. Not just by his stunning suit but with his charismatic smile and aura of charm, wit and confidence. He felt himself flowing through the hall, from one easy conversation to the others, flowing into the talks as smoothly as he moved on and flowed into the next ones. It wasn’t every night that he felt this successful in every interaction with people – though he rarely ever felt unsuccessful – and he almost felt as if it was a birthday present from his personality to himself. Thank you Robert, oh you’re welcome Robert, I love your suit Robert, well thank you Robert.
What else could a man like Robert need?

Of course, he had been strategic about who he talked to. The first ones being his wife and daughter, making sure that everyone saw him embrace Veronica in a way that was almost on the border to inappropriate, but just at the border, just enough for it to be convincible how much he adored her. Veronica had blushed and reprimanded him half-heartedly as she melted into his embrace. Robert had felt a quick twinge of guilt before letting go of both her and that feeling and then turned his attention towards his daughter. Giving her a quick kiss in her hair and making a non-committal promise to end the night early, before going to say hello to the most important people here or at least the most people to Robert’s career and success. Whilst doing so, he had made sure to elegantly avoid noticing Irene in the crowd, as if he didn’t even know she had showed up. It all looked very innocent. Robert was an expert at façade after all.

Now, it was time to greet the Seymour family. Robert had always had a friendly connection with the family, whom Robert’s own father had introduced him to. He had never been close enough with Alaric and Elvira Seymour to ever be invited to their own home if not for a bigger event, but that’s just because they lived in different worlds – Robert in the political world and the Seymour’s in the elitist Kirsha world. They had no use for each other in their life other than Robert needing their money, votes and connections and the Seymour’s needing politicians like Robert to keep the laws that allowed them to keep their money and influence. A perfect, not-very-focused-on-ethics symbiosis.

From the angle that Robert walked up to the family, it made the most sense for him to join in on the conversation topic that Elvira was engaged it. Flawlessly and elegantly, as a part of a ballade, Robert stepped into the conversation, standing on the other side of Elvira.
“Ah yes, Evander Florence,” he said as if he had always been a part of the conversation, “I must say, when it comes to art, I'm no expert like you two fine connoisseurs, but that painting speaks to me on a different level. It's as if Florence managed to freeze time, preserving the beauty of the garden for all eternity.”
He made a lot out of his poetic words, gesturing as if he was painting through the wind. Then, his smile grew bigger, and he turned to hug Elvira hello – in an appropriate distant manner, where the two barely touched.
“Elvira, how wonderful to see you,” he said, his voice full of admiration that might actually be true, “And how wonderful you look. I mean, gorgeous. Very rude of you to try and steal my spotlight.”

As a natural part of the greeting, he turned to face the other person in the conversation, which he had already known was one of the younger Seymour’s, though this wasn’t a kid, but a young man, only a few years younger than Robert himself. And what Robert hadn’t been prepared for was how taken aback he was by the sheer attractiveness of the young man before him. Wait- no- of course no the attractiveness, Robert quickly told himself, ignoring how his heart fluttered, how he suddenly felt lost from words.
However, as mentioned, Robert was an expert at façade, so this inner moment of turmoil didn’t show at all. He simply smiled at the young man and looked from Elvira to him.  
“And this must be your eldest son. Cassius Seymour.” He looked at the man, Cassius. Noticing how handsome his features were and the color of his eyes, and then quickly repressing it again. He reached his hand towards him, wanting to shake his hand as a greeting. “Nice to finally meet the heir of the Seymour legacy. I’m Robert Jenkinson. The man of the hour.” He chuckled when adding: “At least for now, until your mother steals all my admirers.” He winked at Elvira, all in good fun.

“It’d be lovely, mother,” Cassisus replied to his mother with a slight smile. It was then when none other than the host of the party, Robert, joined in on their conversation. He spoke so eloquently that it wasn’t jarring that he had suddenly joined into their conversation, it felt natural that he did. Cassius couldn’t help but think that his voice was quite pleasant to listen to, especially now that he didn’t hear it through a speaker. His mother’s smile grew a bit as Robert spoke highly of his mother’s favorite painting, he probably won her heart with that alone. It wasn’t a secret to anyone that Elvira Seymour appreciated the arts highly. She chuckled  when he greeted her and complimented her outfit. “Robert, no one can steal your spotlight, I must say that suit is very dashing” She returned the compliment.

It was then he turned to look at Cassius. Cassius had thought Robert was quite handsome when he had been standing upon the stage. However, when those blue eyes looked at him Cassius felt that familiar feeling rise up again inside of him, yet this time the feeling of attraction refused to go away no matter how much he tried to bury it. It got even worse when Robert said his name. He could feel the flutters in his stomach as he desperately tried to keep his composure, of course he managed to do so, not letting the panic show neither through his expression nor his body language… though just barely.

“It’s nice to meet you too, my father and mother have spoken a lot about you and your family” Cassius greeted, his voice unaffected by his inner turmoil, as he took Robert’s hand to shake it. For a second, Cassius thought he had accidentally used his powers as it felt like sparks flew when their hands touched. It had been a long time since Cassius had felt anything similar, but this… it felt different than what he remembered from long ago.

Cassius and his mother both let out a small laughter at Robert’s joke. “Oh please, I think I am getting too old to have admirers” His mother replied.  “Your speech was truly wonderful, and that moment with your daughter was just truly beautiful” His mother went on to say. Cassius was in this moment, extremely glad for his mother being a chatterbox with the eloquent charismatic talent of being a noble lady.  “Children are truly precious aren’t they?” She said as she smiled sweetly. “I remember when Cassius was younger, he’d constantly come to me with paintings he had made” She said. “Mother, please” Cassius responded as his cheeks grew slightly pink from the embarrassment. Why did she have to be a typical mother in this moment?

This wasn’t the first time Robert had had an experience like this, though he would claim to himself that it was, having strategically forgotten every similar experience prior to this. But this hit him harder than usual, and he was too focused on not letting it show to consider why. He was successful in not letting it show, but failed at not feeling it himself. As his eyes locked with Cassius, he felt drawn to him, like a very dumb moth drawn to a very hot flame. The flame, of course, not the hot man- the man, no need to point out his hotness.

He kept eye contact and his smile charming, but maybe a bit more charming than necessary for his role as host and influential politician. Cassius greeted him with his own charm, a subtle polite charm, that didn’t say much about his personality. But Robert was used to that – most members of the rich families in Haling Dove had a specific polite and composed act they put on for events like this. It wasn’t a façade as much as it was a mask, much more noticeable but in a respectable way. Robert usually didn’t mind it, since it was mostly when the mask fell that it meant something was off, but with Cassius he couldn’t help but wonder how the young man might act behind that mask.
He was just about to pretend to himself that he felt this way towards everyone and that Cassius wasn’t all that special, when they’re hands grabbed each other and what felt like sparks erupted between their palms.
Wonderful. Great. This would for sure be a moment to keep Robert up this night. And then on his birthday of all days. Just wonderful.

Robert’s smile stiffened for just a split second, barely noticeable, before he squeezed Cassius’ hand in a politician manner and regaining his composure perfectly.
"Your parents have spoken highly of you as well, Cassius," Robert replied, his voice smooth and composed despite the turmoil beneath. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the man they've been so proud of." There was an underlying hint of something more in his tone, though just as his smile stiffening before it was barely noticeable, not even clear enough that Robert himself was aware of it.

When letting go of Cassius’ hand, Robert made sure to turn his attention towards Elvira again. “Now, how many times do I have to tell you that beauty doesn’t have an age,” he said, playfully scolding her. Then, she complimented his speech and he lay his hand over his chest, as if her words moved him. “Thank you, Elvira. You're too kind,” he replied, gracefully accepting her praise. Her sweet words eased some of the tension he felt, not due to their sweetness, but because it steered his mind back on track, away from the surprise of his reaction to Cassius. When he looked at Cassius again, still wanting to include him in the conversation – out of politeness, not anything else, he told himself – he had recomposed himself, not letting himself get caught up in the man’s presence anymore.

“They truly are,” he agreed to Elvira’s statement about children being precious, but then she turned to statement to be about Cassius. Robert glanced at Cassius, while Elvira talked about him, seemingly casually, but he was actually examining him. He couldn’t help it. Elvira's anecdotes about Cassius as a child, while endearing, felt somewhat awkward to him. The image of the young boy bringing paintings to his mother seemed at odds with the magnetic presence of the man standing before him. He knew Cassius' age from what he had heard from his parents, but it was only now, during their actual meeting, that the realization truly hit him. Cassius was their child, sure, but he wasn't a child; he was a grown man, just five years younger than Robert himself.
"Ah, yet another talented artist in the Seymour legacy," he said, looking from Elvira to Cassius, where his eyes stayed. “Do you still paint? Or was it one of those childhood passions that you grow out of and replace with new passions – such as” – he looked at Elvira as if asking for her confirmation – “Business and Economics, right?” He turned his gaze at Cassius again, waiting for his reply. Not taking his eyes off him while doing so.

It’s a pleasure to finally meet the man they’ve been so proud of.

It was a sentence Cassius has heard many times before when meeting acquaintances of his parents. Though for some reason, hearing it from Robert with his charming voice and that beautiful smile… felt completely different. Was there something else in his tone? Or perhaps Cassius was just imagining things. There could be no way he had actually heard it. His mother didn’t even seem to have a slight reaction to it, so he probably just imagined it.

Do you still paint?

Cassius wished that he was still painting, but alas there were no time for it. His parents, well more like his father, wanted him to only focus on his studies and become the perfect heir. Though the way Robert spoke about it, like it was no issue, made Cassius slightly want to pick up the brush again. Robert surprised Cassius by having even remembered his majors, it made the flutters that Cassius thought were gone, return again. However, who knows, maybe his parents had said so many times that people had no choice but remember? However, Cassius got a slight giddy smile before he reined himself in again and his smile turned polite again, it was only second, surely no one noticed. His mother nodded as a confirmation that it was indeed Cassius’ majors. Robert then looked at him again and Cassius was sure he felt the temperature in the room rise. He wanted to look away from Robert, to run away from the attraction he felt. However, at the same time Cassius couldn’t bring himself to look away from Robert’s gaze.

“Sadly, there has been little time for such hobbies,” Cassius replied. “It has been many years since I last touched a brush” he said as he reminisced about the last painting he ever did. He had been in the middle of painting the garden they had back at the manor in Haling Dove, though he had no idea where that painting even was anymore. “Sadly some things have to be sacrificed to be a top student” His mother said, taking the chance to brag about her child, without making it sound like bragging.

When waiting for Cassius to respond, Robert made sure to take note of his reaction. More actively as he usually did, however he did always do it to a small degree with all new contacts, just to figure out where he had them. Through his work he had grown skilled in noticing the smallest of details, always trying to figure out which way to steer the conversation to his advantage. Having this skill so fine-tuned, he often knew what the reactions might be before even seeing them.

Still, it happened occasionally that someone surprised him. In this occasion, it was Cassius’ slight giddy smile, that slipped through his formal mask, before the man put it back on properly again. It had barely been a second, but Robert had seen it. It wasn’t the first time, his charm had caused such a smile, and he knew what such reaction usually meant, but surely that couldn’t be. Or maybe it surely could. Could Cassius be-

To be or not to be, that was none of Robert’s business, especially since Robert obviously was not. He tore his mind off his wondering, though he didn’t manage to tear his eyes off Cassius, as the young man kept his glance at him as well. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head every so slightly as a sign of curiosity and interest.
“Is that so?” he asked, his question swept away by Elvira, whose presence he had forgotten. Still facing Cassius, he slightly turned his head to look down towards her. He smiled at her almost forbearingly, knowing very well her intention behind her interjection. Like her, he was a parent and even more so an opportunist.

“Yes, sadly indeed,” he said, sighing the words as a light-hearted show of disappointment. As he did, he turned his eyes towards Cassius again. “Well, if you ever decide to pick it up again, I would love to take a look at some of your work.”
With a charismatic grin and a playful apologetic shrug, he said: “Again, I am no art connoisseur.” He leaned towards Elvira again, playing up his disclaimer with a slight chuckle. “I am as void of artistic finesse as I am rich on personality.”

Yet again, he turned to Cassius. Acting casual became harder, but he managed to pull it off, only telling on himself with the soundless, brittle inhale before his next sentence: “But I can still appreciate looking at something pleasing to the eyes.”
Wasn’t it getting a bit hot in here? Robert told himself that it was due to the spirng evening sun and his three-piece suit. Though his thoughts were in the sparks between their hands from before. And his heart pounded in his chest with excited nervousness he hadn’t felt in quite some time.

Cassius knew. He knew in his mind that Robert wasn’t actually that interested in seeing the work of some hobby artist who hadn’t painted since he was a child. It was just words he said to charm him and his mother, to get a good reputation as a politician. Yet, even when Cassius knew this in his mind, his heart was telling him different things. His heart told him that this person was not just interested in Cassius Seymour, the heir to the Seymour dynasty, but him, Cassius. It almost made him dream of an alternative life, almost.

But I can still appreciate looking at something pleasing to the eyes.

Cassius almost thought Robert had talked about him, but there was no way right? Despite the utter chaos of panic he felt on the inside, Cassius still managed to look calm and collected on the outside. His mother chuckled slightly. “You don’t have to be an art connoisseur to appreciate a beautiful work” His mother said, “Every one can admire a piece, that’s the beauty with art” His mother added. The way she spoke made him more certain that there had been no way that Robert had talked about him. For Iosta’s sake, the man was married… to a woman. And Cassius, well… he did not deserve something like that. He shouldn’t be tainting this man with these silly and rather sinful thoughts. With a slight, barely noticeable inhale, Cassius collected himself together. He couldn't reveal here that he really was just the shame of the Seymour family at all.

“Yes mother, I couldn’t have said it better myself” Cassius said, glancing at his mother as he spoke. He couldn’t bear to look at Robert in that moment, cause if he did he would have to face a part of himself he just couldn’t in this moment. Not with his mother next to him, especially not with his father a couple of meters away from him. His voice had been calm and devoid of any emotions slipping through it. So unlike what he was feeling on the inside right now.

There was a moment between the two men, where Robert was sure of the connection between them. Or maybe not the connection, but at least some sort of connection. Just in the way their eyes met and the banquet hall around them faded into the background.
Then Elvira spoke again, and Robert remembered the spotlight shining on him. For a brief second there, he actually didn’t like that; feeling more exposed than applauded. Only for a brief second though, and then the only negative feeling he had inside of him was a tinge of disdain of the mother’s attempt to include herself into the conversation, even when knowing very well himself, that he was the own fault of that; that her attempts were the result of his own successful networking.

Of course, Robert knew better than to show this, and instead simply smiled at Elvira, not providing her with an answer in hopes of Cassius answering as well.
So he did, Cassius, but not in any substantial way. When Robert looked at him again, the Seymour man not looking back, the connection between them seemed faded, as if having switched places with the banquet hall. Robert probably shouldn’t feel disappointed over this and so he convinced himself that he didn’t.
“Well, you know what they said,” he said instead with the same charming smile, though now without the undertones he had pretended to himself were never there, “Mother knows best.”
He chuckled and turned his whole body to face Elvira next to him instead of her son in front of him. He grabbed a light hold of her arms. “My dear, Elvira, always a pleasure to chit-chat with you and your family, but I unfortunately have to get a move on. I can’t let your radiance distract me too much from my other guests.” He bowed down and raised her hand to place a pseudo-kiss on the back of it.

When letting go of her, he turned his head towards Cassius, then turning his upper body, just enough to be able to give the man a quick handshake. The sparks erupted yet again, but this time Robert made sure to let go of the hand fast enough to convince himself that he didn’t feel it.
“It was nice meeting you, Cassius. Good luck on your studies. And your art.”
He tried acting as if he was already moving on, both literally and figuratively, but he still couldn’t help himself from letting his words sink in, to stay in the man’s presence a few more seconds than necessary. Possibly hoping to feel the connection one more time. Possibly hoping – or was it fear? – that the connection had been nothing more than a one-off error.

His mother chuckled once more at Robert’s goodbye. “We can always continue another time when the opportunity calls for it” his mother responded, her calm and elegant demeanor when he kissed the back of his hand, showed that she was used to it, after all it was a common greeting in high society.

Robert then turned to him and Cassius allowed himself to look into those mesmerizing eyes once more. Cassius shook his hand once more. To Cassius, the touch felt as electrifying as the first one and he once more thought he had accidentally used his powers. It almost scared him, this feeling that Robert made him feel. He was almost glad that Robert wasn’t a man he would see often, though why was there a sadness at the thought?

“Thank you, It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Jenkinson” Cassius said, not daring to speak the first name of the man despite the other having spoken his. He even ignored how his heart skipped a beat at the way Robert said his name. Cassius hadn’t dared to say Robert’s first name, in fear that his voice would accidentally reveal something that should stay hidden and thus calling him by something formally created an appropriate distance.

Yet… The side of Cassius that he often left buried deep down, immediately regretted that decision, that action. It really wanted to feel that connection again. A connection that Cassius couldn’t let himself feel,  not a connection that might just be Cassius delusions.

Cassius watched Robert’s back as he left them, moving on to someone else. As the distance between the two grew larger Cassius couldn’t help but wonder when the next time he got the chance to speak to him again would be?

“Oh, There’s Brenna Rathmore, I must say hello” His mother said before disappearing into the crowd. Tearing his eyes away from Robert, Cassius glanced around the ballroom, spotting his little brother, Lysander laughing at something one of his friends said, before turned around to look at his father and Artemia, who still was quite engrossed in their conversation about whatever business related topic they had moved on to, but now one of his father’s close connections had joined the conversation. Cassius took a deep breath before he too moved closer and joined in on the conversation.