The Beauty of Coincidence | manxman | (Historical Fiction)

XLII - Love Me the Way You Love Me

Victor still hadn't quite gotten the image of his brother's intimate moment out of his head. More bewildered than anything that Leon also appeared to be a man such as himself, the young lord couldn't fathom how similar he and his brother truly were. When they were growing up in the old household back in Childermass, Victor thought he'd learned every little thing there was to know about his younger brother. They'd never shied away from talking about particular topics. After all, Leon had once promised him when they were a bit younger that Victor would someday find the love of his life in a most worthy and capable man.

Never once had Leon shamed his brother for being who he was, experienced a dwindle of respect for him, and as they'd surely held onto that bond which was more than durable, a part of Victor felt a bit strange about the fact that Leon had never spoken up about the truth of his preferences.

The young lord could recall a great many of the conversations they'd had where Leon could go on and on about women. He really was a catch and always allowed his eyes to stray when a pretty woman waltzed by. If anything, Leon was a rather bold young man who would happily chase a beautiful face for her attention if she would have him.

But...men?

Leon Ramsey, at least to Victor's previous perspective, had never come out about how he viewed them, either romantically or sexually. Victor wasn't accustomed to those who preferred both sexes, but it seemed he'd stumbled upon the quality in his own brother. He'd been so...comfortable as well. Perhaps if his brother hadn't been fully undressed, the blond lord would have assumed Leon was perhaps using Davie as a means to quickly satisfy himself. Pleasures, Victor could agree, begged to be quelled when a bit of haze reached a drunken mind. That's exactly what he'd been on the way to quench the moment he walked in on his brother's private time.

About an hour passed as Victor now sat alone at the bar. Reynold had been beside him for a good while, but was recently pulled away given Kurtis' insistence that he teach him his ways of strategy when it came to gambling.

With his back to the bar, Victor brought a near-empty glass of gin & tonic to his lips, ears perking up at the sound of boots coming from the hall that led to the back rooms. A few of the other couples that'd disappeared had emerged through the long hour, and finally it seemed Leon and Davie had finished up with their time as one.

As Davie Ennismore adjusted the ascot inside the front of his shirt, Victor looked at him from head to toe. He was a fit man the young lord assumed was older given Reynold mentioned their past in university together. The two had been familiar to one another through business with the Deighton family as well as a few of the literature classes Reynold once partook in.

As the Ennismore heir continued fixing himself up, Victor kept his eyes on the young man. He was attractive with his short tamed brunette hair, a bit delicate in his facial construction, built slight yet lean as he also carried a bit of height.

When he made it to the table where Reynold was seated bickering alongside their acquainted mates Kenneth and Kurtis, Victor blinked when Davie glanced over his shoulder a moment. An almost sly smile pulled across his still flushed and rather pink lips. There was a hint of exhaustion in his eyes, and the pinch of peach in his cheeks was also a familiar shade to Victor's eyes. He was used to seeing such a fluster upon his own face when he looked into a mirror following he and Reynold's passionate times.

Following Davie's stare before the young man turned away to address his mates, Victor looked to his left at Leon who was folding back the cuffs of his shirt. He looked put back together as well, save for the few stray blond hairs that dangled in his forehead before being pushed back. Without meeting his brother's eyes, Leon smiled and a huff of laughter escaped him. "You have questions?" he asked. "No doubt you do, brother."