Hidden In Plain Sight (MxM)✔

Chapter 4 - A Not So Pleasant Outing

The obvious thing to do would be to consult his Master about the stranger on the roof, and he very nearly did, until he realized that if he told Frederick anything, then the man would insist they move away immediately. 

Luke didn't like that option, especially after his last visit with Nicholas. He couldn't just up and disappear on the man. Furthermore, who's to say that the stranger wasn't some kind of spy that the Archduke sent to keep an eye on him?

The human liked that idea much better, though he was still aware that that may not be the case. Perhaps he should bring it up with Nicholas instead? If the Vampire confirmed he was sending out servants to watch over him, then Luke would know for certain he was not in danger. And if he wasn't...

He shook his head, trying to expel that thought from his mind. He preferred to imagine the man to be the sort to look out for him. Luke had been very careful about not giving out his address, but if there's one thing he learned about the Archduke, he had a way of getting what he wanted. So if he wanted to know where Luke lived, then the best way would be to send a servant to tail him. 

He laid down on his mattress, satisfied with that temporary explanation. The human then allowed his mind to wander back to their kiss and put a hand up to his lips, remembering how they tingled when the Archduke brushed against them and hoping the man would do it again next time they meet. 

Realizing his thoughts were becoming a bit too lewd, Luke grabbed his blanket and began rolling around until he was wrapped in a blanket-burrito with his head buried to muffle his squeals. 

All his life, Luke had been under the impression that he would  never meet someone. His master made sure of it. 

Luke giggled, imagining a scrawny Frederick trying to stand up to the taller, broader and more rambunctious Archduke. He'd stand no chance. 

A few days had passed since his last meeting with Nicholas, and every day he found himself gazing out his window, hoping to spot Archibald waiting for him and slightly fearing that he may spot the hooded figure instead. Unfortunately he had no such luck in the way of the servant, so he started finding other ways to feed his current obsession. 

One night he spotted Nicholas's name in an article on the newspaper in the trash. Curious, he snuck out and made a mad dash to the neighbors trash can, snatching the paper up and running back to the house.

Never before had the human bothered to learn about the local territories. He had always found it pointless since his Master made sure that he understood that he'd never be a part of society. So the knowledge would be useless.

Apparently in their last home, the steam driven territory of Duskborough, the people were not very fond of their Archduke. According to rumors, the man had a tendency to only cater to the upper class, while taxing the poor and building strange, nonfunctional monuments for pleasure which often involved kicking out middleclass shop keepers so that their land could be used for his personal projects. 

Yet, according to this particular post, Luke learned that Nicholas seemed to be overall well liked by the people here. It seemed that the man had spent his first century in power working out a system of blood distribution that encouraged farmers to raise their stock caringly and not in cramped, stuffed cages. He also seemed to be known for issuing a fair tax rate on trade goods, and funded charitable organizations for the less fortunate. 

A lot of the article compared Nicholas to the current Emperor, though the wording was chosen selectively so it wouldn't pass as treason. The overall message was that Nicholas was more liked since he seemed to interact directly with the people he ruled over. 

Seeing such a glowing review of the man he liked caused Luke to smile obnoxiously for the rest of the day. He smiled so much in fact that when his Master checked in on him, he made a quick inspection on his health to make sure he hadn't come down with some strange human illness.