William Holloway

I'm a devil in disguise

William was aware, at least somewhat, of the way that his abrupt change in body language would give way to the level of despair that had currently gripped at his heart, and yet, for one singular moment, William cared very little for what his actions might make the vampire feel. He listened, silently, as Sebastian continued that attempt at explaining his words. Even if he wanted to argue, to press the issue that William was positive that Sebastian was wrong in, what good would it do now? Sebastian was married, happily so, and to a King. By comparison, what could William offer? He might have been a Duke once, with all the money and social graces attached to it, but those days were long behind him. Even if Sebastian, in all his kindness, still afforded them those titles and honors, certainly no one else would. William stood, taking several moments to steady his breathing before finally turning to accept that job offer. If he couldn't be with Sebastian, the very least he could do was dedicate himself to keeping him safe. It was that other notion he offered, that very one of so meeting the King that had claimed Sebastian's heart, that made his companion hesitate.

If you want to. What an odd thing to say in this particular situation. Of course William didn't want to meet the King, he didn't really want him to exist at all! But he did, and as a result the only proper thing to do would be to be introduced, to play nice, and to do whatever it took to be allowed to stay at Sebastian's side. William straightened his - or rather, Sebastian's - clothing, trying his best to look presentable even if he felt anything but. Silently, William followed Sebastian out of the bedroom and down the hallway, the man stiffening slightly at the sound of laughter - was Sebastian taking him to meet more than one person? Who could those people be, laughing within Sebastian's home? How much had Sebastian's life changed without the Duke's knowledge?

But William was hardly given time to properly go down that line of thought before Sebastian paused outside a closed door. Oh, oh, okay. William could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest, anxiety gripping at the man in a way that had his own reality blurring slightly at the edges. William flexed his fingers, feeling immediate relief that his own powers had not flared to life. That madness, that uncontrolled feeling... it was certainly not one that he wanted to feel now, as he met Sebastian's husband. But it was the words that left Sebastian's lips that wrecked William all over again. Darling. That single pet name felt like a punch in the stomach for the Hunter. Sure, he had heard that very word leave Sebastian's lips thousands of times as he had wooed the young women of the English court, and yet there was something different about it now. It was so tender, so sincere. It rang with the happiness and love that Sebastian felt towards the man within that office, and William hated himself for resenting this situation. Shouldn't he want Sebastian to be happy? And he did, he swore he did...

William gave Sebastian a small, nervous smile as he stepped into the King's office, his eyes raking the space the way he did with any room he was in for the first time - looking for an escape if necessary. William swallowed, his eyes finally resting on the man behind the desk, the man that Sebastian was in love with. That he was fae saw a bit of surprise filter to William's expression, and yet the Hunter said nothing, merely stood silently as he waited for Sebastian to make all the moves. Those words that fell from the vampire's lips shouldn't have surprised him, and yet William was so unused to hearing his given surname. His spine straightened slightly at the sound of it, trying to make himself feel taller, more important... less... insane. Dorian. William noted the name of the Italian King, the man immediately resorting to those trained protocols as he dipped his body into a bow, a polite smile crossing his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty."

William was hardly surprised by the King's immediate connection to who exactly William was, and yet William himself did little to confirm the relation. He merely stood straight again, his eyes shifting between the couple. He was well aware of Dorian's surprise, as well as that feigned politeness that seemed to exist on the fae's features. Was he always like this? Or was this reaction reserved entirely for William alone? Still, William did his best to keep a smile on his own features as Dorian turned once more to him, his words decidedly cool as he addressed him. "I... I hope it's good things," William jested, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small smirk as he, briefly, attempted to break the ice that seemed to be growing within the room. "I am looking forward to getting to know you, as well."

How quickly, however, was Dorian's attention shifted away from William and to Sebastian, those words that left the King's lips entirely... dismissive. Ah, so it seemed that the King was unpleased with William's presence. Those words matched with that cool tone of voice held one thing: when was William leaving. How quickly William wanted to insist that this was not merely a visit, that he wasn't leaving any time soon, and that he hadn't left Sebastian in the first place, at least by his own free will. That he would never leave Sebastian again, not as long as he could help it. And yet, protocol and respect for Sebastian held the Duke's tongue, instead the man shifting slightly as he observed his best friend, hoping that that very explanation would fall from Sebastian's own tongue.