Thomas was practically vibrating with nerves. His parents, during their last phone call, had casually mentioned that they’d recommended Ethan for a job here in Russia. (”You two get along so well! Won’t it be nice to have a friend around?”- to which Thomas had replied with a non-committal “Yeah, I guess”) Which meant that Ethan was coming. Here. To the castle. It was maybe the only thing that could make this place bearable for Thomas in the long term.
He’d sent Ethan a few texts, excited but appropriately distant- he never could be sure if his phone was being monitored, especially after the kidnappings- to confirm the news, and now that the day had arrived, Thomas had no idea what to do with himself. He and Ethan, after learning that Thomas would be sent away, had distanced themselves- or tried to. Thomas already felt guilty enough about dragging Ethan into his life, and into a relationship that they both knew could never go anywhere, trying to maintain that relationship while separated by 3,000 miles would’ve been even worse. But now... They’d be together again.
Thomas had forced himself to go about his day as usual, though all he’d really wanted to do was hang around the front gates and wait for Ethan. That might’ve been a little suspicious, though, so instead he’d spent the day distracting himself until he couldn’t anymore. He was just about to excuse himself from dinner- though he hadn’t even gotten his food yet- to text Ethan, when in walked the man himself. Thomas’s heart leapt into his throat.
“Ethan!” Thomas called out, forgetting his pristine manners for a moment and drawing the attention of a few others in the dining hall. He blushed, aware of the eyes on him. He cleared his throat, muttering an apology to the princess a few seats down who looked quite affronted, before turning his attention back to the guard. “Would you join me for dinner?” he asked, gesturing to the empty seat next to him. “If you aren’t otherwise occupied, of course,” he added hastily- Ethan was technically at work, after all.
