Starstruck

Poppy

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Mar 18, 2015
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The filming was a rousing success. Every Little Lie (2016), a crime tragicomedy directed by The Borovsky Sisters, was now in post-production and ready for the Autumn Blockbuster, with the film reels packed and ready to ship all over the globe. In the movie, Cecil Lovette played a cat burglar, Jorge Domingo, dying from lung cancer hoping to pull off his one, last master heist. The film was very artfully made, but its intellectual elements would probably fail to attract the mainstream audience. Cecil anticipated a low gross income but several awards in his future.

The press tour, while shorter, was significantly more draining, in his opinion. Cecil and the rest of the main cast like Nerea Rosales traveled around Europe and America to promote the movie. Interviews were easy. Cecil liked going on Late Night talk shows, talking about his experiences on set and exploring the mindset he took on playing the character. Modeling and photo ops for billboards and magazines were a lot more draining.

But now that was all finally over, the cast was having one last hoorah before they went their separate ways. The director rented out a resort for the party, hired a DJ and expensive catering. All kinds of celebrities and models coming in. The dance floor was so full of stars it could be classified a galaxy. The door was strictly barred from civilians, so the paparazzi clogged the front door like vermin, taking snapshots of everything they could catch from outside. Ugh. These people were scum of the earth.

One of his co-stars slapped him on the back. "Hey, Sil, your turn to greet. I'm going to go jump into the pool with some hot models." He gestured excitedly to the pool. "Victoria's Secret models."

This guy was a regular dog, wasn't he? Or he would be, if he had any sex appeal to begin with. He was going to come home with empty arms, unlike him. Was that a little too cocky? Would it be cocky if it were true? Cecil smiled, the very picture of encouraging. "I'll take your shift, man." He grabbed his arm, very pointedly looking him in the eye. "But you owe me big time." The seriousness in his tone made Chris quiver in fear, and Cecil had to laugh at that, what a nerd. He pushed him to the glass doors to the pool area. "Nerd. Go forth and multiply, nerd!"

Chris stuck his tongue his tongue out at him before heading to the door. Cecil stood guard, away from the glass so he wouldn't have to suffer through the cameras' flashing lights. It was still pretty early in the night, so there were more coming in. He shook their hands and said his pleasantries, chatting them up a bit, complimenting their clothes and makeup. He could feel them being receptive and that made him glow with pride.

When the guests started coming in less and less, Cecil stole a glass of martini from one of the passing waitresses and sipped on it. Maybe he should join Chris in the pool later, see what that was about. He peeked at the paparazzi outside and waved, and they buzzed around like flies, screaming his name, Cecil! Cecil! Cecil! Adorable. He closed the door again.
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

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Klaus whistled appreciatively as their ride pulled up to the grand resort, bright lights and opulence standing out against the night sky above. His face was practically pressed against the window. His mother laughed at him.

"You always get the same sparkle in your eyes, you know," she said. He could tell she was smiling by her tone. "I'm glad it never went away."

He ducked his head a bit, mildly embarrassed (for some bizarre reason) but just as smiley. "Don't tease me for it, mum. I like parties, and I'm happy for you. We're going to have a damn good time." He turned and beamed. "So! Feel like getting fucking wasted at a high profile celeb bash?"

She gave him a look. "Kidding, of course," Klaus assured, waving a hand. "That's me venting my shitty attitude out so I can behave all night. We're perfect! The ever talented, beautiful, and respected Nerea Rosales, with a special guest- her eye candy son, Klaus." He posed, batting his attractive gold eyelashes. "I'm prepared to live up to my name, as always."

Klaus lightly touched his earrings, which doubled as his glamour, to check them. Wasn't halloween- no horns, tail, or demonic eyes allowed. As an afterthought, he made sure his clothing, jewelry, and the roses in his hair were all neat as well. For his mother's sake, he adjusted his persona, just a little.

While back home in Manta Carlos he was a crude, imposing crime boss, here, he was… He was Nerea Rosales' son, and that really did mean something to him. He took it seriously, and he'd grown up being groomed for this kind of thing. It was just as much a part of him as anything else happened to be.

Klaus was greed itself, after all. He could adjust, in order to embrace and claim everything as his own.

He looked out the window as the car slowed to a stop. It was time to go. "Lights, camera, action, right?"

The door was opened for them by their driver, with Klaus stepping out first, then Nerea. Bouncers were pushing back the excited paparazzi so the Rosales' could get through the parking lot. Nerea made a show of her beautiful, rose adorned dress, and Klaus couldn't help but grin and blow a few kisses. Might as well have fun with it, and they both looked gorgeous tonight. He wasn't opposed to showing up in a few magazines next to his mother, every once in a while.

Klaus opened the front door for his mother, otherwise letting her take the lead, strolling in after her at a leisurely pace. Familiarity washed over him, mixed in with an electric energy. His eyes lit up even further. He came to a stop beside Nerea, who was already speaking up for the both of them.

"Cecil, darling, I didn't expect to catch you so quickly!" She gave the man in question a kiss on the cheek, warm. "How's the party been, have I missed anything scandalous? We'll talk about all that later, of course. You haven't had the privilege of meeting my darling son." She put her hand on Klaus' arm, gently pushing him forward. "Cecil, Klaus. Klaus, Cecil Grey Lovette. I think you two will get along splendidly."

Klaus glanced at his mother from the corner of his eye, suspicious. Her expression didn't away a damn thing. No… oh, yes, absolutely. He knew exactly what was happening here, and he really couldn't find it in him to feel at all against it.

Klaus gave his full attention to Cecil, what his body had been screaming at him to do since the moment he'd walked in. Heat settled on his skin, while his greed magic squirmed needfully. Cecil was fucking gorgeous (god, did he see freckles?), especially face to face, and Klaus wanted him. He tried to copy his mother's subtlety, however, and simply gave Cecil a pretty, winning Rosales smile. He offered the other man his hand, many jeweled rings on his long fingers.

Klaus was calm, probably, he could handle this without breaking character. His heavy aura was another matter. It was impossible for him to muffle or ignore. It was impossible not to want. In fact, he needed to touch Cecil and leave his trace on him. That much could satisfy him for the time being, despite the urge to have more.

"A pleasure, Cecil," Klaus said, soft, just a bit of a purr in his voice. Maybe he should've used 'Mr. Lovette', and Cecil was too familiar- but he didn't care. He wanted to get a feel for it. "I've heard good things."
 

Poppy

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Mar 18, 2015
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Cecil was busy sipping on his drink and scrolling through his Twitter feed before the door opened. He set his stuff down, as a proper host should, and approached the darling Nerea Rosales herself. He paused for a moment when her companion stepped in. It was like... feeling the air sucked out of the room like a vacuum as he laid eyes on him.

Stunning was one way to put it. He was tall, sharp and pretty, red and gold all over like a prince, and Cecil was, well, he might be a little breathless, aha. This man was too young for a date, and Nerea didn't seem like the cougar type, so perhaps it was her son? He didn't know, honestly didn't care, and shoved all that desire down the surface as he kissed Nerea's cheek and attempted to focus on her.

"Nerea. Gorgeous as ever. I was wondering when you'd show up, the party isn't half as lively without you, darling. Traffic wasn't too shitty for you, I hope?"

And then they were introduced. Aw, shit. It was happening too slow and too fast all at once. He didn't even have his shit together yet, didn't want to talk to him, not now and certainly not here. He couldn't out himself around this many people yet, not when the paparazzi were outside ready to spread his face on every tabloid front page in America just because he wanted to kiss Nerea Rosales' gorgeous son so badly.

He could feel his desire spreading around him, creeping and tickling the edges of his skin. He didn't realize Nerea Rosales' own son was this obsessed about him. The feeling was intoxicating. He was frozen for a few seconds, looking at the offered hand, and bounced back just as quick.

He was an actor. He could fake having his shit together in almost any situation, which worked to his advantage here. He smiled at him, bright as the party's blinding strobe lights, and squeezed his hand.

"Wow. I finally get to meet the man that Nerea spends her entire Lunch breaks talking to." In Spanish, "I'm onto your antics, Klaus. You do what your mother says, because I tell you, she's fantastic." He didn't really. It was just a fun thing to say. He wouldn't dare eavesdrop on her conversations, though he did recognize they spoke in Spanish sometimes.

Ah, he was still, holding his hand. He made an awkward attempt to shake it before letting go. "Same to you, Klaus. It's a real pleasure. I can see your mother in you, and that's a compliment, since she's making big bucks in the box office." Flirting while trying to look straight! Death! He patted him on the shoulder. "You two have fun now."
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Klaus continued to stare while waiting for his hand to be taken. His mother made a few very snarky comments about traffic. This wasn't awkwardness, that would be absurd to even consider in this setting. Cecil was, in actuality, being responsive. A quiet surge of triumph went through Klaus, mixing in with his (intensifying with every second that passed, every second spent in this attractive energy and company) greed and interest. The air was heavy between the two of them and their magic.

Klaus reacted to that bright smile with a milder, almost flustered one. Christ, he was thirty and having flashbacks to his childhood habits. He mentally shook himself out of that, for now, at least. His mind would be in overdrive once he had the chance to catch his breath, sit down to muse upon this.

He returned the squeeze, just a bit tighter, lingering. He wanted to get the scent of roses on this man, encourage some interesting thoughts in his head. He gently ran his thumb across Cecil's fingers, amused by the fact that the other still hadn't let go. Klaus wasn't going to be the one to break this off, oh no, he'd take advantage of anything he was given without a second thought.

Klaus opened his mouth to reply, inwardly melting over that voice, then blinked as Cecil switched to Spanish. He took a moment to process what was said, then, he gave a burst of bubbly laughter. He just shook his head, grinning. Nerea snorted.

Klaus retracted his hand again with mild disappointment, but it faded quickly. He smirked. He was going to be seeing more of this man, there was no doubt about that. He felt nothing but confidence, and very ambitious. Cecil was a prize. Klaus wanted him, and this person wanted to be wanted, the greed demon could feel that.

He tilted his head at Cecil, gazing at him from under heavy lashes, feeling smug thanks to the compliment. He wanted more. He decided, as a parting statement, to comment on what Cecil had said before. He switched to Spanish, quieter. "If you're onto my antics, you must know why my mother thinks we'd get along so well- and that I'd love to live up to those expectations."

He bit back a snicker at the shoulder pat. Why, whatever was Cecil going to do next, call him 'dude' or 'bro'? …Except, the latter wouldn't be so inaccurate, would it? He'd sort that out in a minute. Couldn't focus now. Platonic, friendly gestures simply happened to be hilarious.

"Oh, we will, and I'll wait up for you, whenever you have a break. I'll buy you a drink or somethin', buddy," Klaus said, not quite keeping a straight face. Haha, 'straight face', oh god, he couldn't do this. How did anyone do this? "Not to say I want to steal all of your time away, you're an important guy," he added, using a tone that suggested yes, he did want precisely that. "but if you feel like it, just come find me whenever, and we could get to know each other better." He ended this with an innocent look. His magic pressed at Cecil affectionately. Mine, mine, mine.

His mother, social butterfly that she was, had already left Klaus to fend for his own. He was still standing with Cecil. "Seeya later. I'll do more than buy you a drink." The straightest of faces. Fuck. Fuck! Klaus turned and, perhaps too briskly, strode away before he could get himself into trouble. He was already pushing it. Seemed like someone wasn't a fan of this kind of publicity. Damn it, he really, really wanted to get fucked?

Klaus made a beeline for the bar, needing to get something very cold and refreshing to clear his head.

***​

Klaus claimed an out of the way booth in the darker space, sinking down in the cushy seat and scrubbing his face with his hands. Fucking thirst. He thought about having Cecil's hands on him for a while, eyes closed, loud music and chatter around him a drowned out hum. He let the idea sit, getting further and further attached to it, adding more fantasies in, building it up into something solid. Not just a passing fancy. He pushed sex to the background of his train of thought, kicking back his alcohol in one go, instead. He breathed.

Spoiler alert, Cecil Lovette was a lust demon. Fascinating. Klaus went over this in his head, connecting little details together, traits and popularity- that attention grabbing aura. Klaus had that, too, but it wasn't quite his main thing- and seemed stronger for Cecil, just at a glance, and going off of other evidence. He was also one of Klaus' lust demons. A child of dear ol' uncle Asmodeus. Lust cousins were one of Klaus' favorites. He adored all of his family, of course, but they just mixed so damn well with Greed. He liked spoiling them, and they behaved in the most enticing of ways, often earning that spoiling. Was he weird with them? Yes, absolutely. Of course he fucking was, they're lust demons. The hell else is he supposed to be, besides weird? C'mon.

They weren't even related in a normal sense, being children of horrifying, ancient, evil magical constructs that could take millions of shapes- and demons were demons. Surface social norms didn't apply. They tortured people every day, had casual orgies at the supposedly more family friendly parties, and were based on literal sins. Even if that wasn't the case, Klaus definitely wasn't known for his moral purity. Seemed like that must be mutual, since that familiarity couldn't be missed, and Cecil was attracted to him anyway. Ah, lust kids were the best, he could always count on them. He wondered what other powers Cecil might have, but didn't dwell on that curiosity, since he'd just stopped that kind of topic from distracting him. Ugh.

Klaus toyed with the rose pinned to his jacket pocket, softer again, cheeks flushed. Hm. This was… a very odd cocktail of things he was working with here. He had all the sinful stuff he'd gone over, and then there was… giving flowers to handsome actor boys when he was around five years old. He was reliving his first crushes all over again, almost childishly smitten, thinking about hand holding and sugary sweet confessions. He'd love to give Cecil flowers, and he wouldn't even mind if the man then told others they were from some desirable model girl or something, as long as he accepted them. Roses shared his scent just as much as the other way around. He'd love to love Cecil. He already did.

Klaus ordered another few drinks. This was going to be a long night.
 

Poppy

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Mar 18, 2015
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So he wasn't just imagining it. Call Cecil a narcissist, but he could tell when somebody was attracted to him, the way their aura pressed at him was very telling, and even without that, there was body language, the things they said. Not that Klaus was subtle about it in the least. Cecil felt himself bristle at the obvious flirting going on. It wasn't because he was furious, or irritated, not even close to any of that at all, but because that sort of talk felt inappropriate in this open space, smack dab between the paparazzi and judgmental starlets.

He felt a lot of intimate things for him he couldn't say out loud in public. He felt like he was going to say something stupid, but then he didn't need to, Klaus already did and then he proceeded to run away. If that wasn't the most charming thing he'd seen all night, then he didn't know what is.

"Later," he repeated to himself, and he repeated that in his mind, determined to make it a more certain thing. Later, later, he was going to see him later. He could keep his hands off him for now. He felt his fingers twitch, missing Klaus' hand already, and tried to push away thoughts of grander, more romantic things.

It turned out it wasn't that hard. He heard a shriek at the pool area and headed out.

***

It was just a cat. A cat from the roof jumped on a model's thighs because she spilled tuna all over her legs, so it jumped on her at the perfect opportunity. The cat ran around until it fell into the pool, and Cecil managed to fish it out with only minimal splashes on his sleeve. He placed it outside and received the prestigious honor of Resort Party hero, which he gladly accepted. He shook his head. Ridiculous.

Chris found him then, and used that opportunity to give him a really long anecdote about scoring a hot model that sounded suspiciously like the model was creeped out and gave him the wrong number. Cecil sat with him under an umbrella as Chris repeatedly tried the number out until a very disgruntled middle-aged man picked up and told them not to call him at three in the goddamn morning. It wasn't even the same timezone. Yikes. Cecil rubbed his poor dramatic friend's back, and the topic changed to who Cecil was going home tonight.

"They won't stop talking about you, you know," Chris said. Cecil followed his line of vision to a hot tub full of models in bikinis, who were more than enthusiastic about him joining them. It was tempting to say the least, but...

His mind kept going back to that meeting, the hand touch, the very dorky goodbye. You don't get that kind of instant connection much in your lifetime. He could have his pickings of models, actors and singers, but that, that was special. Nerea didn't bring her son that often, and who knew when they'd meet next? Cecil impatiently drummed his fists on his thighs before getting up, distracting Chris with newcomers, and went back inside.

It wasn't that hard to find Klaus again. He found his aura immediately. He stopped first, preening at a mirror — bud, you look perfect and your hair is perfect — before sitting next to him, casual as ever. He thought he did a pretty good job of not looking like he was screaming on the inside.

"Hey, Klaus. Great party, huh? A cat was terrorizing the models earlier, but the evil has been vanquished, so you don't have to worry about meddlesome furballs trying to steal your food." That sounded better in his head. Jesus, he could perform in front of thousands of people without messing up but this made him flustered? He smiled. "I'd like that drink now. Tequila sunrise? It's a resort, I can have all the colorful drinks with tiny umbrellas I want."
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Klaus was in the middle of downing what, his fourth, fifth drink or so? Whatever, it wasn't like he cared about keeping track, only that there'd be a heavy, pleasant buzz in his head and stomach for the rest of the evening. He tapped his fingers on the glass, liking the sounds the rings made on it. He'd felt Cecil's energy fade a while back, and… now it was back, and it hadn't even been that long. Which was a relief, because waiting, not being assertive for once, was very odd, near uncomfortable. Klaus perked up, straightening his previously lazy posture, reminded of where he was and who he was going to be with.

Cecil, dazzling star, made his appearance, making his way over to Klaus, and slid into his booth. Klaus could've scooted over a bit, made more room for personal space, but he didn't. Their thighs brushed just a bit, and they were more or less equal in height when sitting down, so Klaus had an even easier time making very direct, close eye contact.

Klaus muffled a laugh at what Cecil started with. "Lovette, excuse me in my assumptions, but could it be that you're… a huge nerd? That's so cute. Rescuing pretty models in bikinis from the terrifying, awful kitty cats, were you? A regular selfless hero." He was teasing, but it was playful. His eyes were alight with amusement. What endearing shenanigans, he was smitten, greed swelling and basking in this. 'The evil has been vanquished', ridiculous! "Earn any rewards, hero? Anyone swoon into your arms? Mm." Klaus would've. He hummed at the thought.

Klaus waved over a waiter, asking for the requested drink and putting it on his tab. He rested his chin in his palm while he gazed at Cecil. Tried to not outright offer to drag him off somewhere so they could kiss each other breathless. He wanted to chatter about drinks and umbrellas, all that jazz, but when he opened his mouth, that didn't happen.

"Tell me about yourself, Cecil," he murmured. "Interviews and second hand opinions are lovely, but they aren't personal, so let's ignore all of those things for a moment. I want to hear it from you." He wanted excuses to feed his growing obsession. He also just wanted to talk to Cecil. He was fond. "I'll make sure to return the favor, of course. Always."

Klaus shifted, a bit agitated under the surface, needy. He had to hoard more of this person, this wasn't enough yet. He bit his lip, and expertly swallowed down the prickling irritation with another drink. Trade one shameless thing for another, that was how it worked, right?
 

Poppy

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Mar 18, 2015
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Cecil was more than fine with the lack of space between them. They weren't in private exactly, but they were hidden from open view, so there were things other people couldn't see, like Cecil's hand moving to rest on Klaus' thigh as he nodded along to his story, a cheeky grin on his face. Normally he'd be offended at being called a "nerd", but there was no malice in Klaus' teasing. It was just good fun. Cecil soaked up his aura like a sponge.

"Resort Party Hero is the very official title. Don't laugh! It's a prestigious honor, already trending in Twitter." He snorted, biting his cheek. God, he really wanted to kiss him. He wasn't ashamed that his gaze flitted to his lips a couple of times. "I'd take nerd if it goes with cute, you nerd."

Oh, oof. Personal stuff, huh? That was going to be hard, considering he'd go through painful measures to make sure he doesn't talk about personal stuff. They were too... messy, heavy in ways people were terrified of. Sometimes, he'd make the mistake of alluding to personal things and the awkward pause people made before replying made him want to expire on the spot.

But there was something about Klaus that made him feel like he could be open with him, like he didn't have to try so hard. Maybe he was just reading too much into things but his aura felt warm, like he'd accept anything he'd tell him.

Cecil prepared what he was going to say. He inhaled sharply, shifted, knocking the table twice as a nervous habit and craning his neck. "Me? I don't think I'm that interesting, I'd rather you share about you, but all right. Cecil behind the scenes. I grew up..." He squinted and gestured at the general area. "Here, actually. California, not at this part. The poorer parts. My family wasn't originally from America. My mother's from Puerto Rico, and my dad, well, I never knew my dad. Mom likes to say my dad is the devil himself, but you know how much moms like to exaggerate." Not that she was exaggerating about any of these.

He cringed. He was testing the waters on this whole sharing thing. Results: Nope. It definitely wasn't for him. When the waiter came around, he took the sunrise with a quiet 'thank god' and sipped it greedily, the sweetness burning down his throat. Holy crap. This was the last time he was drinking alcohol for the taste. It gave him a much needed kick at least.

Time for damage control.

"Sorry if that's too much. Turns out you just wanted to know my favorite color, right? Fun fact, it's red. Blue just looks better on me." He squeezed Klaus' thigh. Don't leave. "Your turn."
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Jul 19, 2015
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Klaus went still at the physical contact, face flushing for more reasons than the alcohol. He moved his own hand down to settle over Cecil's, warm. His head was getting fuzzy. This really wasn't just lust. He tried to look at Cecil again, rather than vaguely downward, but that only made him more gay. This was illegal, and that was coming from an infamous criminal. He didn't want it to stop, though.

Klaus waited patiently when Cecil seemed to hesitate. He wasn't expecting rejection here because he needed to know, therefore wouldn't even consider that as an option, completely confident. He was sympathetic towards whatever doubts or insecurities Cecil might have, but he was talking to Klaus, wasn't he? He was a good listener, and he fucking needed this.

Klaus was intent as Cecil spoke, not interrupting, had to hear it all properly first. He was very pleased, however, at being given so much, and with only minimal squirming. More than Klaus would've expected, and possibly deserved, from a first solid interaction between them. That… caught him off guard, actually. What the fuck was happening, butterflies? Fuck off. No, wait, don't, god. He loved it. Klaus sipped at his drink, trying once again to cool off a little, but differently now. This wasn't all sexual right now. Having someone behave like this with Klaus without his having to push it first was… what, even? What? Surreal.

He went over the last thing Cecil said. Wait, shit. Did he… did he not know? Klaus' head was swimming at the concept for a moment. He decided that now was not the time for the goddamn family talk. That was selfish, but it wasn't wrong, either.

It especially wasn't wrong when Cecil was squeezing his thigh like that and seeming... smaller, almost? He couldn't believe this person was worried. He couldn't believe that he, Klaus Rosales, was going to play a safe presence before anything else. Others weren't usually so fucking earnest around him, not this soon.

He swallowed and laced their fingers together. This was all very human. Klaus wasn't sure how to react to that, or the fact that he himself was completely going along with it, not even as an act. Hm.

"It's not too much. Even if it was, I'm not someone that knows the meaning of 'too much', really," Klaus offered. Don't kiss him, christ. Cecil kept glancing at him, suggesting he was thinking the same th