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“And for my failure in Pandemonium—”
“You were outsmarted by your younger sister, according to the report that Miss Twinings handed in on the incident.”
“Well, that is obviously a biased report. I wasn’t outsmarted. She just knows where I keep my valuables.”
“In your back pocket. Of course.”
No one else got to see the slight smirk that crossed Thorndyke’s face: there wasn’t even need for any other security agent in the room when Kasim was already there, and never off his guard. Already, snow was starting to fall over the green hills of Ored State, all visible from the grand window that was situated right behind Thorndyke. Kasim was admittedly not the fondest of snow, and his boss tended to laugh at him when he was cold as early as October when the more bitter northern winds started to bite at any exposed flesh. The deserts got cold at night, but Ored State in the winter liked being cold all the time. Cold desert nights could hardly compete with falling asleep and waking up in a bone chilling snowstorm… Even though that whenever he and Thorndyke flew to the south of Zemuria, their positions on the weather would immediately switch.
Even when his boss should be sweating through his three-piece suit in the Tharbad desert, though, he always kept that same calm smile on his face: the same calm smile that Kasim was looking at right now.
Bright cat-like eyes stood out against the gray sky.
“You seem rather proud of yourself, in spite of the failure in Pandemonium, sir.” Kasim spoke up, unable to look away from Thorndyke’s smirk that hadn’t left his face the entire time. “It was my own complacency that ended up getting Marduk removed from the tournament.”
“Well, for one, you did better than Zechs Arms. If you didn’t, I don’t think I could justify not firing you. Though I am sure they’ll continue trying to be a thorn in our side, I am also sure you scared them off at least for now.” Thorndyke spoke in his usual stable tone: that same tone that had first caught Kasim off guard when the man had extended his hand to the so-called strongest Jaeger in history with an ever so slight smile on his face. “And your so-called failure did propel both one of our concierges and one of our product testers, who you trained, to victory and even to saving the world. We got amazing results on both Miss Twining’s body and on the stun caliber. You got to see that little sister of yours do something phenomenal. A win for everyone, except for Almata, I’d say.”
Gilliam Thorndyke was not emotionless. He was able to keep a straight face even when business deals were soured, but he would still let the façade drop once it was only those he trusted in the room. Before he was recruited to Marduk, Kasim had never seen someone get so invested in investments or get all fired up over a new weapon he would never wield. Those were just extra oddities that the general manager had, and that Kasim, beyond his own control and smarter reasoning, fell in love with.
He was a peculiar man, but so was Kasim, in some senses. And as one of the strongest jaegers that ever lived met stood before the man that led the company that could compete against the Society when it came to beast-like machinery… they were a peculiar pair.
Truth be told, Kasim was dreading going home for the New Year. It was starting to become difficult to keep secrets from Ferida. It was at least in part Arkride’s fault for sure that his once innocent little sister had started asking questions about relationships and the like. No doubt that the Wei boy wasn’t the best influence either.
His parents were already suspecting that after he left the Warriors of Kruga that he had found a partner, bugging him with letter after letter about if he would be bringing anyone back with him to celebrate the new year. Before Ferida found herself involved in the same affairs found himself involved in, the plan was to permanently keep his family life far from his professional life. Of course, that was completely out the window now.
Thorndyke stood up and stepped around his desk to stand directly in front of Kasim. Whenever it was just the two of them, it seemed as if the other man stopped being able to help himself. Longer eye contact, longer touches, all that would certainly create a scandal big enough to win a gossip reporter a Fulitzer Prize. Perhaps it was the difference between their upbringings. Perhaps it was the difference between a jaeger trained to fight his best lest he died on the battlefield and a young manager who needed to take what he wanted when he wanted to show any hope of dominating international terrorists at their own game.
A cold hand on his cheek. Thorndyke’s hands were always cold. “We didn’t lose, my dearest. We got exactly what we needed from that whole ordeal. Now, you can be proud to go home for the holidays and see your siblings and parents proudly.”
To the world around them, Gilliam Thorndyke and Kasim Al-Fayed were a general manager and his chief of security. A pair never to be seen apart, and two men that held enough power and influence to bring nations to their knees if they so desired it. However, when the doors were closed, and the large open windows were far too high for anyone to see…
Kasim never initiated it, but nothing stopped him from putting his hand over Thorndyke’s and encompassing it completely. Even as Thorndyke spoke to ease Kasim’s anxiety, there was a bit of shame that pulled at him… and not just that, but a gut feeling about his eldest youngest sister as well. Even beyond her figuring out what the true relationship was between himself and his boss, and despite the growth she had shown since she started to work for Arkride, the nagging feeling that she would still come up too short when it came to fulfilling her role in the corps. Even as she progressed in combat…
“Well, you have a long flight tomorrow.” Thorndyke spoke up to interrupt Kasim’s train of thought, pulling his hand away from Kasim’s face with the same slow, graceful movement he did to first kick off their flirting. “So, I was thinking we could go for a little dinner date. Shall we?”
It was a question, by the rules of grammar. But it wasn’t a question in the sense that Kasim could decline. Nor did he want to decline either way. Gilliam Thorndyke was the epitome of the wealthy brat that always got what he wanted, not by demanding it, but by making people want him more. It wasn’t like a trap that Kasim had fallen in to, but instead a desire to see the other man smile at something that wasn’t a successful business deal or a job well done. And maybe, dare he be selfish, it was an excuse to feel loved.
----
Kasim Al-Fayed started as a somewhat blurry photo on a page. Gilliam Thorndyke knew he was one of the strongest men in the world. He was the only man in the world with machines that could rival the creations of the mad scientist of the secret Society. Yet, his strength was completely different than the strength held by the man on the page.
Zemuria was home to many powerful men and women, and the title of the strongest was no easy feat. Divine Blades such as Cassius Bright were often seen as the strongest, which kept the Ashen Chevalier in the higher strength tiers long after his Knight had vanished. Bracers, be they also Divine Blades like Crossbell’s A-Rank bracer or masters of martial like the Immovable fought for the spot in the public’s eye. Monsters like the Almighty Conflagration lurked in the shadows were Marduk made its money, and it was a big open secret that the society held more strength in its ranks. Even the Septian Church, as innocent as they seemed to outsiders, had their own dogs to send like the Partitioner, or most famously the fictional-heroine-come-alive, Carnelia herself. Of course, Carnelia’s strength was said to be equivalent to the Golden Rakasha’s… And all this was discounting various princes and the hidden power they all seem to hold on top of political influence.
Zemuria was home to many powerful men and women. And among them all, jaegers consistently competed for the position of the strongest. The Red Constellation’s War God and Zephyr’s Jaeger King may have been matched in strength, both sitting as possibly the strongest Jaegers in history, yet Valestein of the Northern Jaegers was certainly no one to scoff at. To the far east, there was Ikuruga and its vice-captain (also a Divine Blade, Gilliam couldn’t help but notice), and in the Central East…
Hasam Al-Fayed, and his eldest son… Khamsin. The man in the blurry photo on his desk was young, only a few years younger than Gilliam himself. And yet, as much power as Gilliam held via Marduk, it was rumoured that Kasim held in pure strength.
It was at that point that Gilliam put his plan into play… Marduk needed a chief of security: a face of their might that would manage to strike clients, rivals, enemies, and the public as someone strong. Someone that people could picture going blow for blow with their favourite sensationalized bracer, or someone that appeared they could handle whatever the dark underworld of Zemuria could throw at them. Kasim Al-Fayed was that face, that strength that Gilliam needed.
Once everything was settled, all it would take is one press release. One case of declaring this young man as the strongest jaeger alive, or even the strongest jaeger to have ever lived… It would be free promotion for the company, and as a bonus, Marduk would gain a new talented head of security.
The only thing Gilliam didn’t anticipate was the additional bonus: the way that Kasim Al-Fayed made him feel.
----
The floral notes of the red wine tasted like Ored State. Kasim decided this years ago, the first time that Thorndyke had uncorked a bottle and offered Kasim a glass of the stuff. Even as seasons flew by the taste of Thorndyke’s favourite wine didn’t change, even as he sipped it in the quiet, overly formal restaurant that they tended to frequent.
Sometimes, there were company parties here. All on the general manager’s mira, employees from all sections would enjoy food of unparalleled quality, though it was followed by repeated thanks and praises on his generosity. Sometimes, the two (or, mostly Thorndyke) would entertain clients, as conversations about advanced weaponry were discussed casually over expensive plates and glasses. And, on the rare occasion, it was just the two of them.
“A good batch of wine.” Thorndyke broke the silence. The golden light of the candles brought an unusual warmth to his gray hair, yet his green eyes still cut through the surrounding darkness like the sharpest of knives. “At least, I believe so. I should make sure I give my compliments to the winery.”
“It’s alright.” Kasim answered as he held the wine glass in his hand and tilting it, his eyes focused on how the deep red liquid shifted. “Though, I believe the batch you had during your recent meeting with Calvard’s president was slightly more balanced in flavour. This one is a bit sweeter than any red wine should be.”
“Oh? And since when are you such the expert on red wine, love?”
No one else was around to hear the quick-spoken pet name, yet Kasim still found his eyes wandering all around them as he felt a slight heat across his face. The wait staff at the restaurant could be trusted to a certain extent, but then again even rumours of the two of them could end with a secret that could no longer be kept. “Well, obviously I am not as well versed in the intricacies of Ored wine as you, but I can compare this to the wine we had before.”
With another one of those smiles, Thorndyke lifted his own wine glass and took another slow sip, as if he was savouring every little note he could taste. “Well, maybe I just like sweet things more nowadays. I won’t disagree that the wine we had with President Gramheart was exemplary, though. A balance like that reflects our relationship with Calvard and its government perfectly as well.”
“So, you could say that this wine tastes like a one-sided deal, General Manager Thorndyke.”
“Well, you know very well that I enjoy those too… and even when its just us, you remain so set on calling me that.” It was probably the closest thing to a ‘whine’ that Kasim had ever heard from Thorndyke, though it was very quick after the two started dating that the ever clever businessman started to show Kasim a side that no one else got to see.
A beat of silence following the whine.
“Kasim.”
“Thorndyke.”
Another beat.
“Kasim.”
“Thorndyke.”
And another. Kasim couldn’t keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“Mister Al-Fayed.”
“Mister Thorndyke.”
“Oh, you’re fired.”
“I know you don’t mean that.” Kasim couldn’t help but laugh, even if Thorndyke had sounded completely serious. He was still smiling (though, Kasim had seen Thorndyke fire people with a smile on his face, though that honour was typically reserved for spies from their rival companies). “You know that if you fired me, it would hurt Marduk’s general brand at this point more than it would hurt me. I would go back to Kruga, and you would be left without a head of security, a mentor for new recruits, and a boyfriend.”
Thorndyke took another sip of wine, before shaking his head. “Then, you’re lucky that I don’t want anyone else to get their hands on you. If another company, or another person, wants you, they will have to get through me, first.”
Kasim nearly choked on his wine as he felt blush dust his cheeks.