Prince Among Men

[helpdesk_hero]

Frankly, he hadn't expected to get this chance. At all. Didn't matter that he was the top of his class. That he learned things mostly instantly. Sure there was a lot of reasons that this shouldn't have happened. Yet here he was, two days in to an internship at the Genoshan royal palace. And David's been moving through things carefully, juggling a large pile of folders and binders. A lot of stuff went on behind the scenes he'd learned, working as he did under a minister of commerce and trade.

And as an intern his main jobs seemed, at least for these first few days, carrying things back and forth and fetching coffee. He'd networked with someone who did the internship the year before and learned that yeah, it sucked the first few days, but then you started doing cool stuff, so he had his fingers crossed.

Okay, not actually, he was too busy moving quickly through the halls, trying not to trip and drop a massive pile of reports that he was certain had only been given to him because hazing the new guy who had already turned out to be smarter than half of the undersecretaries. Oops.

The big problem, of course, is taking a corner too quick. It wasn't that he meant to run into someone, but there it was happening anyway.

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

Well then, I'll put faith in you.

[wearingthestars]

As it should be.

[helpdesk_hero]

I don't understand you, my prince.

[wearingthestars]

Well you've only just started to get to know me. Give it time, David.

[helpdesk_hero]

You're right. We've only met once.

[wearingthestars]

You made a very good impression though.

[helpdesk_hero]

Maybe I'm just trying to impress you.

[wearingthestars]

You succeeded. Now do the same with your interviewers.

[helpdesk_hero]

I've got, what, three different ones set up? You've taken over my life, Princeling.

[wearingthestars]

Princeling?

[helpdesk_hero]

To keep you and your brother distinct from Crown Prince Pietro.

[wearingthestars]

I like it.

[helpdesk_hero]

Really? I didn't think you would.

[wearingthestars]

From you at least.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Oh, well that's something that has David blushing. And then he sighs.]

GTG. Someone is knocking at my door. If you don't hear from me again the Red Guard has disappeared me.

[wearingthestars]

Be safe. I expect to be seeing you soon.

[helpdesk_hero]

I don't even know if that's true. They might, like, keep me all of tomorrow with this. I'll talk later. It's... Holy fuck that's Darkholme at the door.

[wearingthestars]

Try not to piss her off.

[helpdesk_hero]

There isn't a response that night. In fact, it's not even the next day, and David isn't at work if Billy goes looking for him. There isn't a bit of response from him for the full of the next day. There is total silence even the day after that. Enjoy that. At least there's Tommy around to harass his brother, asking why he seems so anxious. Not that the twin even cares TOO much about it.

It's not until the dawn of the third day that there is finally a David back in the building, looking very tired as he moves through his work. Tired and clearly worn out. At least then he can be found. Though he still doesn't have his phone while people go through all of his electronic records.

[wearingthestars]

At first the Prince writes it off as David being understandably busy, but the more time that passes, the more worried he becomes that that teasing might have been more serious than he though.

He tries stalking the halls where he'd first met David, but it's not until his third day of trying that he actually spots him. There's clear relief on his features, and then something like guilt at just how tired he looks.

"...I was worried you really had been disappeared."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I was. For two days," David says, but he moves to meet Billy. His boss can bite him, to be honest. But he offers the man a soft smile. "The interviews were... very thorough. Including telepaths, empaths, and one prophetess. The last one is that I'm apparently supposed to see one last person. A dinner interview. With your grandfather."

David looks half sick at even saying the words. Erik Magnus, the most powerful man in the world. And he's got to sit down and talk to him.

"I was just supposed to be an intern."

[wearingthestars]

William's brow twists apologetically, and he worries then that this has been a truly selfish exercise to put David through this. He was happy enough as he had been, there was no need for him to come turn his life upsidedown.

"I'm sorry. I...I didn't think it would be so- mm...It's not too late to call it off."

[helpdesk_hero]

There's this brief moment of David nearly glaring at the prince. After all he's gone through, you are NOT taking this from him now.

"You're important to this country, my Prince. And I don't doubt that his Majesty knows exactly what you're up to. While they may see me as useful in the way that you're putting forward, it's very clear that no one is fooled by your request. I'm certain that any man you approached that your people were aware of would be treated the same way."

[wearingthestars]

Even that small moment is more than enough to shame the Prince about as skillfully as his mother, and he looks apologetic, cheeks flushing as David continues.

He wasn't aware how transparent his intentions were.

"He's...not as terrifying as he seems," he offers, speaking of his grandfather then, "So long as you don't cross him. He might try to intimidate you, but he won't do more than that."

[helpdesk_hero]

Yeah, Billy. Not terrifying. David's just an African-American first generation mutant from an atheist family who made his advantages in life by copying the knowledge of others. He's not inherently at crossed purposes with Magnus at all.

But he nods and tilts his head as he considers the prince.

"Listen, make it up to me with lunch?"