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One day turned into two, then three, then four, and René was staying over at Alexandre’s more often than he was staying in his apartment. He still went by to check the mail and pay his rent but otherwise, he was enjoying staying closer to his little blonde. He’d met a few of the other cousins at this point as well and it seemed that they were all pretty different but they all had that same blonde hair and blue eyes even if the shades differed slightly.

An issue started bothering him though because it made him feel stuck and he didn’t like that at all. It wasn’t good to jump things on Alexandre even if they had sort of jumped things on him here and there. After the whole space trip, he started staying over more but the fact that his lease would run out soon started to make him sweat. While he was at work he started to look into other places near his shop but he didn’t really know what would work out. Even though he had more of his paperwork for things due to Alexandre’s efforts, he was still at a loss for some things and didn’t really know the landlords or areas compared to others. Apparently he would have to fight against the students for lodgings and the prospect of it made him stress.

It wasn’t really like him to stress so he tried to shake it off each night by doing things that helped him relax with Alexandre. It was also nice that they cooked since he could always have something warm to eat when he finished up with work. It wasn’t something he had expected but he did enjoy it.

Tonight had been especially bothersome after he’d spent time on the phone for three hours trying to figure out what forms he needed to fill while struggling to understand the odd american accent of the woman on the other side of the phone. It ended up being fruitless and he’d sipped a bit more of his wine before locking up the store and heading over to Alexandre’s place.

The drive was easy for once due to the rain and he figured the other might be curled up with a fire going. It sounded like a good idea to just lay with them and get a bit of peace for the night but this problem of his kept gnawing at him. He couldn’t just live with Alexandre, they already shared the home with Hudson and he also liked the idea of having a place to go on the off chance they left him again. He didn’t want to not have a back up plan, he didn’t want to have to go back to Versailles because he knew his ex was probably still looking for him.

Pulling up he brought his coat over his head as he ran for the door with his keys out and at the ready. He didn’t need to bring anything in besides his satchel since there were plenty clothes of his in the guest room and scattered around the other’s home like easter eggs. Letting himself in he was a bit surprised, causing a bit of panic, to not see a bundled-up Alexandre on the couch at first glance. But once he pulled his coat back down and hung it up he saw them sitting on the floor near the fire.

“Working mon ange?” Shaking off some of the rain he hung his bag up too and moved to sit next to them on the floor. The fire felt nice after the cold rain and he leaned his head on theirs after pressing a kiss to their cheek. He tried as he always did to not seem stressed when he got here but today had been rough and he didn’t feel as much for talking. It was nice enough to just sit here with them while they worked.

“Clothing? Or things for here?” He was a bit interested in seeing what they ordered since he ordered just as many things that were delivered to his shop or apartment. He had become quite the friend of same-day delivery from Amazon and DoorDash here in the city. Pausing in his thoughts for a moment as they played with his hair he sighed a bit in return. “I’ll figure it out mon ange, you don’t need to help as you’ve already done enough for it by getting my papers back then.”

He knew they probably would solve the issue with no sweat but he felt like he needed to do it himself. They already did so much when it came to things in the Negaverse so he didn’t like that nagging feeling that he was a bit useless when it came to things still. There was still that smallest nervousness about them vanishing so he wanted to have a place of his own if things did fall apart. It was just difficult to figure out without the baseline knowledge of how it all worked here and who was a trustworthy landlord.

“But enough about that, we are both off work so it's time to relax.” Wrapping an arm around them he pressed a kiss back to their cheek. “The rain has been coming down so much that the road was clear. I’m surprised, maybe they have enough sense not to drive in a monsoon but I don’t think a monsoon would stop me from coming over~” Teasing slightly he leaned into them. “I was surprised not to find you curled up in a blanket like you usually are.”

“Of course sweaters and things, not a surprise. You have an army of them though they do look good on you.” Maybe a bit cute but he knew that wasn’t something they liked to here. But he knew their cousin abby had a similar opinion of Alexandre so there was at least some sort of alliance with the other Evans family members. That and Colette was more than willing to show him pictures of his little blond when they were even littler.

So they had some sort of plan… and it was hard to say no to them when they asked like that. It was hard to say no to them most times but especially when they asked so nicely. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have them look into landlords or leases to try and help him figure it out. He just hoped they weren’t thinking of kicking Hudson out to have him move in here because as much as he liked it here he didn’t think it would be right to have Hudson move. He didn’t want the baker to poison his tarts though that was probably more of something Alexandre would do to someone.

“Alright mon ange, but only because you asked so sweetly. We can figure it out, just don’t murder someone to get me one of those….” Mumbling through some words until he figured it out with a slight jump. “Rent controlled places?” It seemed like the thing people might kill over or falsify information for with how high the cost became at times.

“Dinner sounds good, something warm maybe and a bit of wine?”

Well at least there was that level of understanding even if his view on murder had…. loosened a bit after some time in the negaverse. It wasn’t something he liked but he could understand it needed to happen sometimes. Rent was not a good enough reason in his opinion though. “True even if I might say as much when trying to get some exclusive new fashion from a designer.”

Getting up alongside them he leaned his head on theirs. “I trust you petite ange.” Smiling just a bit as he followed them towards the kitchen, he went about his routine of pulling down a wine glass from one cabinet before migrating to the small wine fridge he’d taken responsibility for. The stock had changed quite a bit since the first time he’d been here and he’d heard the rave reviews from some of the other family members through the grapevine.

“I like getting surprised by what you order, it’s almost like a holiday every time. But also that sounds good for dinner, paired with a red wine.” Showing them the one he’d picked, he filled his glass and sat at the kitchen island. It was nice watching the other cook and he was so glad they’d never asked him to do more than chop things. He still didn’t really know how to do much when it came to cooking but at least by now he didn’t burn noodles. It had been something he worked on in his apartment in the few days he spent there so the other didn’t witness the crimes he committed against the poor noodles and eggs as he tried various “easy” recipes.

“I have my ways mon ange, just as you have yours~” Teasing slightly he swirled his glass of wine before sipping from it. Perking up at the mention of them trying clothes on he smiled wide. “Of course, it’s like getting to unwrap present after present when you try things on. Better than any Christmas I had before meeting you. Especially since it happens more than once a year.”

Resting his elbow on the table he took a moment to watch them while leaning his chin in his hand. “You learn well which is always good. It makes me glad to see how you pair things and come up with new dinners to cook.” Thinking for a moment as he watched them pace and prepare things, he was so very glad that they were okay with staying home more and maybe cooking. Delivery was always an option but he loved watching them fiddle with things here in the kitchen and work their magic. It was outside of what he could do himself which made it that much more amazing to see them cook with ease.

Watching quietly, he couldn’t help but feel a bit more at ease with them cooking, with them already apparently having an idea on how to help him. Even if he felt conflicted about not being able to figure it out himself, he knew that they would make sure he didn’t get separated from them. It was something he worried about less and less as time had gone on but it still nagged at him sometimes when he stayed in his apartment. Just that little worry deep down that he might pop over and find them gone, that they wouldn’t respond to his calls or texts again. It wasn’t something that had as much pull on him but he still felt it from time to time on top of the worry about them getting hurt. He’d been forced to see things from magic that had shaken him, always relating to Alexandre getting hurt or just disappearing. He didn’t even notice that he’d chewed his lip until it bled as he found himself lost in thoughts, staring off towards them without really seeing for a moment.

“True, you know the area and the people here much more than I do. My petit ange knows so many people’s secrets and that means I get to hear the gossip I very much enjoy.” He also knew that all the problems he had were nothing for them to handle which did make him feel a bit useless sometimes. But he still very much enjoyed things with them and dragging them into new things with varying levels of interest on their part.

Maybe that was why he had started actually trying to learn how to cook, so he could surprise them at some point with breakfast as well as their espresso which was easy enough for him to prepare. That in itself he was glad for because it was something he could do on his own that eased them into the morning as they weren’t the same type of morning person as he was it seemed.

“Oh? So you’ve been planning something already have you?” Not that that was surprising, not with how they managed to surprise him with things often in one way or another. Sighing a bit he smiled and shook his head. “Of course, mon ange, always making sure it’s done properly by doing it yourself? You do well to give them hell, I doubt any singular order member would be able to do much.”

Though he knew anything could happen and had happened here and there over the years. He’d seen the scars and he’d heard Lorcan bitching on top of seeing them in his shop injured but it seemed to be happening less because he was around. It was something that did relieve him a bit, the fact they were finding some sort of middle ground between the normal life which he liked and focused on, and the war which they wanted to make sure was going as well as it could. It was something he admired, that stubbornness they had, even if sometimes he felt like it was hard to get them to change their habits. He was still not happy with how they’d been stubborn and left him but things had changed a lot since then and he hoped it would all work out because he really hated the cutthroat landlords he kept trying to talk with.

“I thought you might be prepared in a way but here? What about Hudson? I wouldn’t want you to put him out or is he alright with me staying in the guest room more permanently?” It wasn’t the best option but… it would give more time to figure things out so he wouldn’t have to try and fight against the students moving in as well. Though he wondered if they might get sick of things if he was there constantly with the activities he liked to do with them most nights.

Listening to them weave another poetry-like tale, he thought it a bit romantic, much as they were when they’d actually confessed to him. It did help, really it did, as he sat there listening and watching them cook before they moved in close. Sipping his glass, he offered the bottle to them for cooking. He did trust them but that didn’t mean he didn’t trust everything else still, there were too many things going on and he didn’t like not having options even if he did like it here in the brownstone.

Sputtering as he inhaled his drink on accident, Rene coughed and took a moment to think as the topic of marriage came up. It caught him off guard and he looked at them for a moment trying to tell if they were teasing him. It hadn’t even been a year yet since they’d confessed and now marriage? But he could tell they were nervous so he got up and walked over to them, pulling them in close. “From the ones in books I’ve read, I think that’s true but my experience has been… different.” Thinking through things he rested his chin on top of their head as usual as the gears turned in his own head.

“I wouldn’t have to worry about you running away again then I would hope? But maybe…” He hadn’t really had a good track record with the idea of marriage, he still had a scar from where the last would-be spouse had shot him after he’d left her at the altar. “It could work but mon ange, there are a lot of other things to figure out before then.” Leaning down to kiss them, he smiled. “One step at a time, I know you offered your name at our first meeting but I think a few more holidays with your family might be a good idea first. I guess I need to pack my place sooner rather than later. My shark of a landlord might be on the hunt once they figure out I’m not resigning the lease there.”