Chapter Text
Kaz Kaan let out a signature melancholic sigh as he watched the tennis players at the country club.
Charles II stood next to him, as he contemplated the past few months.
It’s been more than two months since Helena left. At the time, it felt as if the city was about to explode, but then it was like everything suddenly went quiet—like all of the things we learned when the Bachelor Board were such dangerous secrets they could only be kept by imposing an oppressive silence. Still, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve made things better or worse with all of these secrets. Will they be a pressure valve for our overburdened society? Or will all of the secrets move up the clock on the ticking time bomb of our collective cultural angst, so that when the city finally does explode, that silence will be complete and final?
“So, this is where you come to brood?” Agatha asked as she approached her nephew.
Kaz didn’t even look up at her. “Cathy used to love this.”
Agatha followed Kaz’s gaze to look out at the tennis players. Two women played against one another, two children stumbled around trying to learn to play, and a confident man was getting rather close to a relatively unsure woman as he attempted to teach her to serve.
Agatha raised an eyebrow. “What? Cheating on you with tennis pros? I’ll bet she did.”
Kaz sighed, but didn’t look up at her. “What do you want, Aunt Agatha?”
“For you to act like an adult with a job,” Agatha answered. “But I’ll settle for you showing up to the VOGUE (Trademark) Fashion Show tomorrow. The High Council of Fashion Designers wants you to work security for the event. And you better not mess it up, because we have a good chance to land the contract to lead the security team for Fashion Week next month.”
Kaz looked up abruptly “But I don’t want to work during Fashion Week! It’s the one holiday I actually care about! You have to give me the week off!”
“I gave you time off for Christmas.”
“I was sick! This is employee abuse.”
“What do I look like? A union rep?” Agatha asked cynically. “Kaz, you are going to that Fashion Show tomorrow. You will show up on time and you will act like you actually want to be there.”
“I do want to be there,” Kaz said. “I just don’t want to work.”
“I’m serious , Kaz. Between losing the Soviet driver and that stunt you pulled during the Grand Prix, our reputation is in the shitter. Not to mention the fact that the Remembrancer is up our ass with a flashlight. We need to rebrand and part of that is you doing your job properly and acting like a goddamn professional. You’ll also be handing out these to all of our clients.”
Agatha reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box. She handed it to Kaz, who opened it and removed a business card. The metallic finish of the card glinted in the sunlight and it had a sleek new logo for Kaan Security.
“Business cards?” Kaz groaned. “Are you for real? And these have my actual number on them! This is beneath us! We’re an exclusive security firm, not managers at Bergdorf’s! We don’t want just anyone to be able to contact us!”
“We’re not handing them out to ‘just anyone’, they’re for our clients only.”
Kaz examined one of the business cards. “At least they’re well-made. Laser engraving on what I hope is titanium.”
“Titanium with an anointed silver core,” Agatha said. “Demons can’t touch them without feeling pain, so we should be able to avoid being hired by people who turn out to be demons, at least. Seeing as you apparently can’t tell a demon from a potential date. They also have a tracking device in them, so you won’t be able to lose any more clients. Our contracts give us the right to track our clients with the cards. That’s why it’s imperative you don’t give them out to anybody else.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got it. Hand the cards out to the clients,” Kaz answered.
“See that you do, Kaz,” Agatha said. She turned to walk away. “And no more screw-ups.”
Kaz sighed, “Ugh! I can’t believe she wants me to work during fashion week. Come on, Charles, let’s go.” He held out the box of cards, but Charles didn’t take them.
“Sir, if you wish to fly, I’m afraid you will have to hold the cards, as I will need to keep my hands free.”
“Can’t you put them in your storage compartment?”
“If you recall, you filled my storage compartment with luxury chocolate and pocket squares yesterday and forgot to empty it when we got home.”
“It’s not my fault that Godiva and Tom Ford were both having huge sales. But very well Charles, I’ll carry them myself.”
“Your understanding knows no bounds, sir. Now, where shall we head next?”
“I don’t know yet. I simply know my mood has grown far darker than is suitable for club tennis courts.” He sighed. “Tyranny, thy name is Agatha.”
“Not to interrupt what would surely be a brilliant and productive expression of inner turmoil, sir,” Charles said, lowering his voice substantially. “But you have a new message from Mr. Corelli.”
“Of course.” Kaz sighed. “Go ahead and play it.”
“It is a text message, sir. Well, actually, the message is spread out over several text messages.”
“Well, read them, then.”
Charles hesitated for a brief moment. “Very well, sir.” Charles cleared his throat. “‘Just realized it’s been almost a week since I’ve seen my fav homie on the dl.’ Then the letter ‘u’ ‘up?’ The letters ‘j’ and ‘k,’ then a wink emoji. The number ‘4’ ‘reals’ spelled with a z, ‘though, are you busy now? If not, let’s’ no apostrophe ‘hook up. Your eternal arch-nemesis. Wink.”
“You mean another wink emoji?”
“No sir, just the word ‘wink.’”
“Of course.” Kaz sighed and looked off into the distance.
“Do you not wish to respond?” Charles asked a few long moments later.
“No, I do,” Kaz answered. “I merely tire of this secrecy. Tell him that the clandestine nature of our forbidden friendship weighs heavily on me today and to meet me at the grave.”
“I’ve sent him the address as well, as I don’t believe Mr. Corelli has ever seen your grave,” Charles said, as he and Kaz landed on the rooftop cemetery.
“Yeah. I guess not.” Kaz climbed off of Charles’s back and began to lead the way to his tombstone.
“Shall I also fabricate a bottle of champagne, then?” Charles asked brightly. “To celebrate this milestone in your relationship?”
Kaz looked at him, clearly confused. “Champagne? In a cemetery? Don’t be ridiculous. This is a place of mourning. It should be treated with dignity and respect.”
“Yes, of course, sir. How silly of me.”
“You’re right. It was silly of you.” Kaz stopped in front of his grave and looked at it for a moment. He lay down on top of it, making sure to align himself perfect in the center before dramatically folding his hands over his chest. He closed his eyes. “How long before Arcangelo gets here?”
“Approximately sixteen minutes, sir.”
“Good. Until then, I intend to search for meaning in a life without Fashion Week, though I do not intend to find it.”
“As you wish, sir. I’ll let you know when he arrives.”
“Thank you, Charles.”
Arcangelo made a face of moderate discomfort at the sight of Kaz lying on top of his own grave. Charles moved to speak, but Arcangelo held up a hand to stop him. He placed his finger to his lips.“Shh.”
Arcangelo walked quietly over to Kaz and knelt down next to him. “Oh, I think I know this one. A beautiful prince enchanted by an evil witch to rest in an eternal, death-like slumber until awakened by true love’s kiss.” Smirking quickly, Arcangelo put his hands on either side of Kaz’s head, swooping down to hover directly over his face. Arcangelo’s hair hung down over his face,casting shadows over his face. He let out a small laugh. “Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey, you delicious angel.”
Kaz jerked awake, then, upon seeing Arcangelo, instantly froze.
For a few moments, Arcangelo didn’t move either. Then, he suddenly burst out laughing. He pulled back from Kaz, so that he was sitting down on top of the grave. He buried his fingers in his hair, causing it to fall over his face in perfect waves. “Oh man, Kaz, you should see your face. It’s totally priceless!”
Kaz pushed himself up and then back against his tombstone, obviously flustered. “W-What the hell, Arcangelo?”
“Come on, bro, can you really blame me? It was the only thing I could think of that was even half as dramatic as whatever all this is.” He took a long look at Kaz sitting on his own grave. “And for all I know you could have been cursed. You fight evil witches all the time, right?”
“I fight demons ,” Kaz answered, clearly annoyed. He slumped against the headstone and shot a forlorn, angry look at the box of business cards he’d set down next to the grave. “The only evil witch in my life is my Aunt Agatha.”
Arcangelo looked at the grave again, obviously a bit unsettled by it. He stood up, dusted off his pants, then offered Kaz his hand. “Hey, how about we talk in a different part of the cemetery?”
Kaz let Arcangelo pull him to his feet. Arcangelo quickly turned and started walking away from the grave. Kaz’s face fell as he looked back at his headstone. “You don’t like it? It’s hand-carved Cambrian granite with an antique finish—the very height of sepulchral elegance.” Kaz’s expression darkened and he folded his arms. “But I guess it doesn’t compare with the ancient family crypts you East Siders are used to.”
Arcangelo froze and looked nervous for a moment before putting on a smile that seemed almost apologetic, but still rather smug. He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Woah now, no reason to get your balls all up in a french twist. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Kaz’s expression shifted from suspicion back to general melancholy. “Whatever.”
Arcangelo looked at Kaz for a moment, then walked back over to him, sliding up next to him in such a way that he didn’t have to look at the grave. “It’s definitely super gorgeous. I’d look amazing crying in front of it at your funeral.” He quickly put an aggressively friendly arm around Kaz’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “Don’t worry, it wouldn’t be tacky. I cry real pretty, I promise.” He glanced behind him at the grave one more time, before looking at Kaz. “I just hadn’t realized your job was this dangerous.”
“What are you talking about? This doesn’t have anything to do with my job,” Kaz said.
“So, you just bought yourself a grave in one of your little melancholic fits?”
“Excuse you,” Kaz said, extracting himself from Arcangelo’s grip. “I don’t have ‘melancholic fits.’ My disposition is as sunny and cheerful as a canary seersuker suit on a spring afternoon in Central Park. But if you must know, I bought it after Cathy broke up with me, so that I would have a place to mourn the small deaths—like the death of our relationship—I am forced to endure on a near-daily basis.”
Arcangelo seemed amused by the description, and began to follow Kaz away from the grave. Before he could respond, however, he noticed the box on the ground and picked it up. “What’s in here?”
“Ugh. They’re business cards. Aunt Agatha bought them.”
Arcangelo took out a card and looked at it. “At least she wasn’t cheap about it. Titanium?”
“Yeah, and they’re blessed so demons can’t touch them,” Kaz said. “She wants me to hand them out to all our clients. Says we’re ‘rebranding’ to be ‘more professional.’ She even wants me to work during Fashion Week.”
“Sounds like I won’t have any competition for GQ’s blind auction, then. Luke and Freddie can’t even feel the difference between mussel and muga silk.” Arcangelo was silent for a moment. “Do you really have to work the whole week?”
“Probably. The High Council of Fashion Designers asked me to work the VOGUE (Trademark) show tomorrow, if I do well, then they’ll probably want me for the main event.”
“So just bomb it, then. If you ruin things tomorrow, you won’t have to worry about getting hired for Fashion Week, right?”
Kaz’s expression indicated that he was pretty sure Arcangelo had no idea what a job was. “I can’t do that. I already let Mila defect and the Remembrancer is all over us because he thinks I helped Helena escape. If I mess this up, too my aunt will totally disown me!”
Arcangelo seemed to be considering Kaz’s words, until one caught his attention. His expression grew somewhat serious. “The Remembrancer?”
Kaz sighed. If he’d noticed the shift in Arcangelo’s demeanor, he didn’t acknowledge it. “Yeah, he’s just this anal-retentive prick who works for all the old families. But he doesn’t have anything on me. At this point, he’s just harassing us.”
Arcangelo’s expression suddenly resolved and he smiled brightly. “Ding! Brainstorm! You know what will make you feel better? A new look from the new season! That way you can even tell your aunt you’ve embraced this whole rebranding thing.” He shoved the box of business cards into Kaz’s hands. “I have a few things I have to take care of first, but I’ll meet you at Bergdorf’s in an hour, okay?”
Arcangelo then began to head for the elevator.
“Huh?” Kaz said, clearly confused. “But… as far as anyone else knows, you’re still my arch-nemesis! We can’t just go shopping together!”
“Of course not. Wink!” Just as he got on the elevator, Arcangelo turned back and held up the business card. “Oh yeah, do you mind if I keep this?”
“What the—? Ugh, sure, whatever.”
“Thanks! Later, homeslice!”
“Wait, Arcangelo!” Kaz called after him, clearly annoyed. “What are you planning? Get ba—” Kaz sighed as the elevator door closed.
“Well, sir? Shall we head to Bergdorf Goodman then?” Charles asked.
“I guess. But let’s pick up Lexy and Gottlieb on the way. You know they love to watch me shop.”
“Excellent idea, sir.”
“It sucks that you have to work during Fashion Week,” Lexy said as he and Gottlieb followed Kaz into Bergdorf’s. He was looking over Kaz’s shoulder at the business card he was holding. “But you gotta admit those are some sweet-ass business cards, B. Yo, Gottlieb, check these out.”
Gottlieb leaned over and examined it. Then he smiled. “Nice! Maybe we should get some for the bar.”
“I hear that.” Lexy reached out for the card. “Think I could get a closer look?”
“Sorry Lexy, I need to be more careful with these,” Kaz said, snatching the card away from him just before his fingers made contact with it. “They’ve got tracking devices in them.”
“Woah dude, are you serious?” Lexy asked. “Those things must have cost a fortune! Are you sure you should just be carrying them around like that?”
“No, of course I shouldn’t,” Kaz said, his tone almost offended. “Carrying a box of business cards is tasteless in the extreme. That’s why I need a card holder.”
Kaz looked around and spotted Herbert polishing one of the display cases. “Sales clerk!” Kaz said, getting his attention.
Herbert looked up, eyes full of light and purpose, and immediately made his way over to Kaz and stood in front of him with a smile. “Good day, sir. How may I be of assistance?”
“I need a card holder for some of these,” Kaz said, holding out the card.
“Yes, sir! Right awa—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.”
Herbert froze at the sound of the voice behind him, his fingers millimeters away from the business card.
Kaz, Lexy, Gottlieb, and Herbert all turned to see Arcangelo with the East Side Gentlemen behind them. They all stood there in silence for a few moments, before Arcangelo stepped forward.
“What? Has my spectacular new look rendered you all speechless?” Arcangelo asked. He was indeed sporting a new wardrobe, and it was, indeed, spectacular. He flipped his hair and smiled at them.
“No. We’re just used to you and your boys rudely demanding our attention every time we run into you,” Kaz said, giving him an annoyed look.
“Well, that was the old me. Haven’t you heard? I’m rebranding. Why demand attention, when you can command it instead? And I’m more than beautiful enough to pull that off, after all.”
“Please.” Lexy folded his arms and rolled his eyes. “Get over yourself, Corelli.”
“I’ll try, Lexy, but I’m not sure that’s possible. No one has ever managed to get over me before,” Arcangelo answered.
“What do you want, Arcangelo? Can’t you see I’m with my friends?” Kaz asked.
“Oh Kaz, haven’t you realized?” Arcangelo asked, now wearing an oddly intense smirk. “With an enemy like me, you don’t need friends.” His features softened, slightly. “Though, unfortunately, as fun as our little rivalry has been, I’m afraid having an ‘arch-nemesis’ doesn’t fit very neatly with my new brand. If I’m trying to say I can rise to the top on my own merits, there’s no need for me to push anyone down.”
“That’s…” Kaz gave him a puzzled look, “surprisingly mature for you.”
“It’s not just about me, Kaz. After all, it doesn’t look very professional for you to be constantly fighting with the heir to one of Neo Yokio’s most powerful families.” Arcangelo held up his hand and snapped his fingers. One of the East Side Gentlemen stepped forward quickly and rushed over to Kaz, handing him a small Louis Vuitton bag. “So, in the spirit us of turning over a new leaf for the new year, I got you this.”
Kaz looked at Arcangelo for a moment before reaching into the bag and pulling out a black leather card holder with Louis Vuitton monograms imprinted on it.
Arcangelo leaned down a bit and looked directly into Kaz’s eyes. “So, Kaz, what do you say?”
Kaz looked at the card case for a few seconds, then looked up at Arcangelo with a smirk and offered him his hand. “Alright. Sounds good to me, assuming you promise not to go back on it the second I knock you out of the top spot.”
Arcangelo took his hand and shook it. “Deal. ...Not that I have anything to worry about.” He looked Kaz up and down. “Especially with you still dressed in clothes from last season.”
Kaz looked down at his own outfit then back at Arcangelo. “As much as I love this Lemaire blazer, I have to say, your new ensemble is pretty chic.”
Arcangelo flipped his hair and held up his arm as to fully display his outfit. “Fine, if you insist, I’ll give you the grand tour.” He looked at Kaz with an almost sinisterly competitive smirk. “Unless you don’t think you need it, that is.”
Kaz surveyed him a few times. “Am I expected to do it just on sight?”
“Of course not,” Arcangelo took a step forward and leaned down, lowering his voice a bit. “You’re free to touch whatever you want.”
Kaz returned Arcangelo’s competitive smirk. “You’re on.”
Kaz took a few steps back, and then a walked around Arcangelo, looking him up and down. Once he’d circled him completely, he knelt down to look at his shoes, then reached out to lift Arcangelo’s pant leg enough to show a black sock with white stripes. He then did the same with the sweater. “Mohair-wool blend ...and it’s softer on the inside.”
Herbert leaned over to Charles as they watched Kaz evaluate the outfit. “Oh my, this is exhilarating, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s always inspiring to watch the young master analyze couture.”
“You giving up?” Arcangelo asked.
“On the contrary,” Kaz said. He took a deep breath before he began. “Gucci Queercore brogue black boots over vintage logo Versace socks. Versace wool blend black suit trousers, and while I can’t tell without looking, since they’d be otherwise identical, I’m betting yours have the printed belt, since, if I recall correctly, it would match your usual color palette. Tom Ford, pale yellow, poplin shirt underneath a— well, I’ll be honest,” Kaz smiled a bit, “the sweater did give me the most trouble—but I’m pretty sure it’s Hermes.”
Arcangelo looked at Kaz with an almost contented smile on his face for a moment before he shrugged. “All correct.”
“And as for the coat…” Kaz paused for a moment. “Well, I’m fairly certain from the buttons and the style that it’s Balmain. But I’m also completely certain they’ve never made a coat in...” Kaz trailed off, clearly looking for the exact color.
“It’s midnight aubergine,” Arcangelo said. “And no, not until now they haven’t. But before we get to that, you missed a spot.”
Kaz let out a small laugh. “Oh, no I didn’t. I was just being polite. But if you’re fine with everyone knowing you got that violet ganimede silk blend scarf from Versace’s women’s collection, I certainly don’t mind telling them. Though, I will say it does pull the whole look together.” Kaz looked at the coat. “Now, tell me what’s up with this Balmain?”
“Fine, seeing as you did so well on the rest of the outfit. It was a gift from their ambassador, so it was a custom job,” Arcangelo said.
“Woah, seriously?” Kaz asked. “And it’s what? Pure cashmere?”
“Naturally.” Arcangelo held up his arm as Kaz ran his fingers over the sleeve.
Lexy looked at Gottlieb and Charles, before looking back at the two rivals. Arcangelo was watching Kaz fawn over the coat with an expression that simultaneously seemed too sinister to be merely satisfied, and too genuine to be truly predatory.
“Yo, man, this shit is getting super weird. Look, I guess I’m down to be friends with Arcangelo and his boys, but this is starting to feel like stalker territory to me, dog,” Lexy whispered to Gottlieb, who nodded in agreement.
Lexy looked back over at Kaz, who Arcangelo was now lightly guiding away from them and into another part of the store. “Now, come on, I saw a Purple Label jacket with your name on it.”
Gottlieb watched them walk past, shaking his head. “...Yeah, red flags, for sure. We should definitely keep an eye on that.”
“Word,” Lexy answered, grimly.
“See, I told you that you’d find something you liked,” Arcangelo said from the other side of Kaz’s fitting room curtain.
“I think I was just turned off from the new collection by all of the foil outerwear.” Kaz was standing in the fitting room, now wearing a white turtleneck sweater and dark brown pants, with some more vests and jackets hanging up in the fitting room next to him.
“You don’t like it?” Arcangelo asked.
Kaz made a face. “Well, it doesn’t exactly say ‘Classic Elegance” does it? I’m not sure it belongs in the Purple Label.”
Arcangelo let out a small laugh. “And here I was worried that you were becoming disillusioned with fashion and materialism.”
“Oh? I mean sometimes I guess? But whenever I feel that way, it’s honestly pretty hard for me to care about much of anything,” Kaz said, pulling on a blue vest and looking at it for a moment before taking it off. “...Ugh, no.”
Just as Arcangelo was about to respond, one of the East Side Gentlemen tapped him on the shoulder. “Yes?” He turned around, and upon seeing who it was, his expression grew irritated. “What do you want?”
“Sorry, Arcangelo, but your phone’s been blowing up for the last ten minutes now,” he said.
“Well, tell them I’ll call back later if I think they’re worth my time,” Arcangelo hissed.
“Man, no way I’m going to say that to your dad.”
Arcangelo sighed. “...Fine. Put the phone into my hand.” He held out his hand for the phone. He looked down at it for a second and made a face, then sighed. He turned back to the East Side Gentlemen “Hey, bad news my rad dudes, we gotta head out.” He looked at the others. “Later, new friends!” He turned back toward Kaz’s dressing room. “And I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, bestie!”
Kaz popped out of the dressing room a few seconds later, but Arcangelo was already gone. He was wearing a short navy blue coat over the brown vest and white turtleneck. Lexy and Gottlieb walked up to him.
“Man I thought he’d never leave,” Lexy said, looking in the direction that Arcangelo had gone before looking back at Kaz. He smiled approvingly at the outfit. “So first of all, that coat is tight.”
“Definitely you,” Gottlieb agreed.
Kaz smiled. “Thanks guys.” He looked over at Herbert. “Sales Clerk, I’ll take it all.”
“The Ralph Lauren Purple Label wool melton trench coat in Chairman’s Navy over a Purple Label quilted suede vest and Tom Ford’s cashmere silk turtleneck and brown mohair shelton trousers,” Herbert said, nearly breathless as he looked at the outfit. “All tied together with Gucci’s leather team motif loafers. Simply inspired!”
“Yes, it is inspired,” Kaz answered with a smile. “Just remove the tags and charge the total to my account, would you? I’d like to wear it out.”
“Of course, sir.” Herbert dramatically produced a small pair of clippers and began to carefully remove the tags from the outfit as Lexy and Kaz continued their conversation.
“But second of all—” Lexy said.
“What? Is something wrong with my new look?” Kaz said, almost in a panic. Herbert instantly stopped clipping tags.
“Not with your new look, man,” Lexy answered. “With your new friend , Arcangelo.”
Kaz suddenly seemed disinterested, and Herbert resumed his work. “Look, Lexy, I know you don’t like him, but I already told you that Agatha’s been super intense about me ‘rebranding.’ And Arcangelo has a point that us fighting all the time doesn’t look good to the old families. So, you’re just going to have to deal with it, okay?”
“Well, I for one think it’s beautiful,” Herbert said.
“The outfit? I know it is. And you already said that,” Kaz answered. He seemed annoyed by the fact that Herbert was drawing attention away from the previous line of conversation.
“No, I mean your new friendship with Mr. Corelli,” Herbert replied. “I may be just a Sales Clerk, but I’ve watched all of you bachelors for a long time now, and if you ask me, it seems obvious that you and Mr. Corelli should have been friends all along. It’s very satisfying to see you finally overcome the differences that society has placed between you.”
“Well, I didn’t ask you, but I do appreciate the support,” Kaz said in a friendly tone. “And it’s good to know that this move will play well with the public.” Kaz smiled and looked at Lexy and Gottlieb. “See, this is a great idea. You guys have nothing to worry about.”
Lexy and Gottlieb looked at each other, before Lexy sighed. “Whatever you say, B.”