Title:Binary Means Two
Rating: Still PG, eventually NC-17 hopefully.
Parings: Cain/Glitch/Ambrose, you know it's awesome when there's two slashes in there. Also, Jeb/OC
Summary: A annual and half after the defeat of The Witch, Glitch and Ambrose are two halves of the same person with very different priorities.
Part Four: Hard Decisions Require Thought
The tin man, his son, and the mapmaker arrived at the Winter Palace under the cover of darkness. Cain had planned to wait until morning but Tip was adamant that she was not going to be spending the night arse deep in the snow when they were almost there. She didn't care how much Cain grumbled.
Cain squinted up at the darkened palace, it was beautiful now that the ice had been cleared off it. A series of glimmering icy spires cutting through the stars and the clear night sky.
"Cain! Stop stalling!"
He looked up at Tip who was making faces at him and urged his horse forward as they came around to what they had figured was the servants entrance.
"Need I remind you, last time I was here I got shot and fell out of a window into an iced over lake?"
Tip pondered and then laughed, "You never do anything halfway, do you?"
Cain just shook his head as Jeb dismounted and banged on the door. Moments later there was a woman in a servant's uniform looking at them curiously before her face lit up,
"Ah, we've been expecting you."
Ambrose paced up and down his workshop glaring at the sphere shaped device on his desk. There was really no reason that the tin wouldn't be an excellent super conductor, especially in this environment, but he needed...
After a moment he blinked and pulled his watch out of his pocket then grimaced as he snapped it shut. Three 'o' clock, and that was definitely not in the afternoon. He stood still a second prodding around in his mind for Glitch but only got a sleepy rambling, something about 'sweetheart'... before nothing. Ambrose sighed. Maybe it was time for bed.
He switched the lights off in the workshop and made his way into the darkened bedroom. Someone had lit the grate without him noticing and he started digging around for something suitable to wear to bed, he really hadn't unpacked any clothing yet, preferring to pull whatever he needed out a few boxes. It would all make it back into the closet eventually...
Ambrose blinked as he heard a clatter and footsteps out in the hall, who in the O.Z. was making all that racket at this hour? He frowned, padding over to the door that let out into the hallway and opened it a crack.
"Your rooms are this way..."
Ambrose blinked as a maid turned the corner and was followed by a small dark skinned, redheaded woman dragging several bags along with her, who was peering up and down hallways. Ambrose watched her wander a few steps down a hallway that the maid hadn't gone down before a hand grabbed her collar and Ambrose felt his heart freeze in his chest.
"What are you doing? She went this way..."
Cain. It was Cain, with that irritable look on his face and melting snow coming off his hat. He tugged the woman a few steps back into the right direction as she fussed about 'exploring' but the blond only shook his head and pointed after the maid,
"Explore in the morning, hurry up."
Ambrose knew that she was grumbling something about 'old men' but Cain was turning around to look behind him and Ambrose only caught a flash of blue before he quickly shut the door.
He pressed his back against it as he listened to the muffled voices and footsteps fade away. He was panicking. No. Don't. It was fine. It was Cain. It was alright. It was... The tin man was going to be so angry at him. He closed his eyes and hissed,
"Glitch!"
Nothing.
"Glitch! Wake up!"
There was silence and then an almost fumbling feeling before,
"What? Hmm, I'm awake... What's wrong?"
"It's Cain."
"Cain!"
"Shh! Yes, he's here, he's..."
"Ohhh yeah. He's supposed to be."
Ambrose blinked and a bit of the panic dropped out of his voice, "I'm assuming this is one of those things that come up at breakfast that you never remember to tell me?"
He knew Glitch smiled, "Um, yeah. The Queen called him to the palace two weeks ago..."
"Two weeks!"
"She wanted him to report in! DG says her mom's going to try and get him to be Commissioner or help her pick him out or something..."
"She wants that man to be Commissioner of Central City?"
"Maaaybe."
"I need to lie down."
"That is a great idea. That's why we're geniuses..."
"Glitch, do not fall asleep right now."
Glitch sighed as Ambrose kicked off his pants, settling for just sleeping in his boxers and undershirt. He groaned into the pillows as he pulled the blankets over his head. This was... This was... No good could come from this...
He felt Glitch uncurl a bit in the back of their mind as his other half woke up more and sighed,
"Come on, you have to talk about it sometime."
"He's going to be very, very mad at us, Glitch."
"And why is that?"
"Umm..."
"The library?"
"Yes."
Glitch flopped down and Ambrose felt the creasing frown that he was certain his other half was giving him.
"Why won't you tell me?"
Ambrose was silent, near trembling and Glitch blinked as a memory surfaced and flitted between their shared mind...
I-I don't want Ambrose to be m-mad...
I don't want you to be mad at me...
Glitch blinked, "You don't want me to be mad? At you? Why would I be mad at you?"
"You don't know what I told him!"
Glitch fought to not yell back, no, that was how the arguments started, "Ambrose, what is going to make me so mad? What made Cain mad? I can't be mad or not mad if I never know."
Slowly Ambrose sat up, dragging the blankets around him and curling his arms around his knees. He hadn't sat like this since after the operation, when he'd curl up in the middle of the bed, and will everyone to not touch him.
"I told him I..." Ambrose fought with his words and he felt the glimmer of concern from Glitch, the feeling of comfort from the other.
"Glitch, I told him I didn't need you. I told him that I could suppress you... That I was going to make you go away..."
Glitch was quiet and Ambrose hid his face in his hands. Glitch was never going to talk to him again. It was going to be so quiet and he was going to be alone again...
"Why didn't you?"
Ambrose lifted his head and blinked, his eyes wet, "What?"
"Why didn't you make me go away?" Glitch didn't sound mad... Just hurt, and curious.
Slowly Ambrose took a breath, "I can't do it. It isn't possible. I tried to shove you away at the beginning, remember, when I kept panicking?"
"The headaches?"
"And then we threw up and I couldn't stand to try it anymore."
"But you knew that before you talked to Cain..."
"I know Glitch. I lied to him."
Confusion blossomed from his other half. That was the beauty of Glitch, he knew what lies were, he just never saw the sense in them.
"Why would you do that?"
"I needed to make him go away. It was too much... Too soon... Because he loved you. Because he could have loved us." Ambrose's voice broke on the last word and he buried himself in the blankets as if he could hide from what he knew Glitch was going to ask.
But Glitch was quiet. He was thinking, thinking and understanding.
"He overwhelmed you, like you said. It was too much and... and you got scared."
Ambrose nodded from inside the blankets, trying hard to not rock back and forth like he had while he was getting used to his body again.
He heard Glitch sigh and after a moment felt the warmth circling his mind, and he knew Glitch would hug him if he could.
"Ambrose, you need to make me a promise."
Ambrose blinked as he poked his head out of the blankets,
"I need to what?"
"I want you to promise me that if you're scared, you'll tell me."
Ambrose laughed, but it sounded hollow in the quiet of the bedroom, so he swallowed and pulled the blankets higher over his shoulders.
"And I suppose if I tell you, you're going to make it all better?"
"Of course! That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"
Ambrose felt himself smile as a tendril of relief rose through him, "Of course."
Ambrose scooted back until he leaned against the headboard, looking at the mess he'd made of the bed sheets.
"Glitch, what if he doesn't like us anymore?"
"Well, we don't know that now do we? And what do we say about assumptions without evidence?"
Ambrose smiled, settling back and for a moment heard his mothers voice, "An assumption without evidence is as useful as a birdhouse for a fish."
He chuckled and he felt Glitch beam. It was okay. That wasn't the same as saying it wouldn't be hard, but it wasn't impossible. Maybe... Maybe talking to the tin man wouldn't be so bad after all.
"So! We need a plan!"
"We're going to attempt this logically, are we?"
"Do we know any other way?"
"Hm, I guess not. So, a plan?"
Glitch nodded as sagely as he could, "We need... to have a... a scouting mission! Y'know, test the waters, check the weather, poke the button..."
"I get it, we need more information."
"Yes! We do wonderfully when we have all the information. So... hm... Do you think he'll come to breakfast?"
Ambrose grinned, "Gods, I hope so, I won't have to deal with him then."
"Exactly! I bet I could find out if he still likes us!"
"Well, he might still like you, I don't think he ever..."
"Shush! He has to like both of us now, and if he doesn't, well, then we'll just think of something else. We're smart."
Ambrose nodded as he sighed while he rearranged blankets and scooted under them. This was insane. This was... It was overwhelming but... It was normal, wasn't it? People liked other people and if he didn't feel... Then... Well, then he was just a brain in a jar. Ambrose frowned, he didn't like that at all. No, it was going to be fine. He'd send Glitch out to breakfast and he'd figure things out. Glitch was good at that, he could read people, and Ambrose could translate that into the numbers and figures that he understood. But his mind kept flashing back to those blue eyes in the library, flashing with anger and hurt, real hurt and he'd done that. He'd flinched when Cain had stood up like he was going to...
"Glitch?"
"Hm?"
"What if he wants to hit me?"
"We can take him."
"We can?"
"Don't you remember the two seasons you spent learning self defense?"
"Well, yes, but I've never... Glitch, have you hit someone?"
"I've hit a couple of someones, kicked them too."
Ambrose blinked, but he was slightly impressed, he remembered not doing very well during those classes, "Glitch, you delinquent."
"One of us has to be."
Meanwhile, Jeb had just settled in for the night when his door opened and Tip slid in, wearing one of the palace robes. She was frowning and he fought not to cringe from the force of it.
"Gimme your pajama top."
He blinked for a second before she put her hands on her hips.
"I'm not speaking in code. You'll still have your bottoms."
Jeb sighed and dragged his shirt over his head, tossing it at her as he settled back under the covers. She always knew when something was bothering him, that was why he loved her. He closed his eyes as he listened to the rustling of cloth, then the light went out. In another moment he was being prodded and he lifted the blankets, waiting for a moment before she squirmed against him and buried her cold nose in the crook of his neck.
"My father will kill us if he catches you in here."
"Your father won't do a damn thing but blush like a virgin and you know it."
"That's because you intimidate him."
"Hell yes, I do."
Silence passed between them as he curled his arm around her waist and listened to the calm.
"Are you going to tell me anything, or do I have to guess?"
Jeb smiled, "I'd be afraid of anything you'd guess."
"Then out with it, or I'll start waxing psychology."
"It's just... dad..."
He more felt Tip chuckle than heard her, "Are we back on the 'oh my gods, my dad likes a guy'?"
"A little bit."
"You know you're going to have to give me a better explanation or I'll just tell you to put on your big girl pants and deal with it."
"Well, it's just, what if it works out? What if they... y'know... in front of people?"
"You mean like what if it turns out they are madly in love with each other and they hold hands and make kissy faces and embarrass the hell out of you?"
"In not as many words, yes."
"First of all, has your dad ever been prone to displays of public affection?"
"No."
"Then I think you're fine."
"It's not him I'm worried about."
"Look, if Glitch runs up and plants one on your father, your dad is going to be embarrassed enough for both of you."
It made sense. He hated it when Tip made sense but he didn't have anything to argue back with. He felt her smile against his throat,
"Come on, farm boy, work with me here. You want your dad to be happy, right?"
"Yes."
"And if Glitch makes him happy?"
"Then I should..."
"Man up and shut up. Besides, we have already defined your father as definitely 'not gay'."
"How did we figure that again?"
"I am assuming you recall our little foray into Westfall, when he broke that guys arm because the idiot couldn't keep his hands off your fathers ass. I don't think I need to tell you how much of a heterosexual reaction that was."
Jeb grinned, that had been epic, or maybe just the look on his fathers face when he'd figured out exactly where that man's hand was. Tip stretched against him and for a moment he forgot what he was thinking about but then she started talking again,
"He just... likes Glitch, or Ambrose. Your dad's kinda confusing when he talks about them. I mean he's not gay... Glitch and Ambrose, they're just... special. I don't think he even knows why," Tip frowned and her fingertips traced sleepy patterns on his shoulder, "it's fine Jeb. 'S nice, everyone should do it."
"Everyone should fall in love with people of the same sex?"
Tip giggled, "No, silly, everyone should fall in love..."
Jeb smiled, "You say such sweet things when you're half asleep."
"I always say sweet things... I'm sweet."
"You're crazy."
"Some people call it 'open minded'."
"Not all of us were raised by drag queens..."
He got a prod in the side for that one and a sleepy murderous look, "Hey, I thought we agreed not to haul my upbringing into this?"
"Couldn't help it."
Another beat of silence before Jeb bent down and kissed the top of her head,
"City girl."
"Country boy, now go to sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be fun and I wanna watch."
Glitch sighed and stared in the mirror again. He'd gone over what he was wearing twice already. Not that he was nervous! Just that sometimes he got the buttonholes wrong or didn't tuck stuff in properly and it wouldn't get fixed until Ambrose woke all the way up. If he saw Cain this morning he didn't want to look completely like a headcase. He was an advisor, an important person. He could even remember stuff now. But right now all he had to remember was breakfast and to smile. Cain might not even come to breakfast, he'd had a long journey. The man might be tired.
Glitch frowned but nodded as he turned from the mirror, it looked like everything was in it's place. He'd even combed his hair, it was just long enough to tie back now and Ambrose did that but Glitch liked it loose. It was kind of one of the things that he did so people could tell them apart right away, like whistling, or not buttoning his coat. Sometimes he just didn't want to answer questions that were supposed to go to Ambrose. He flicked his watch, their watch open and peeked at it before sticking it into the pocket of the vest he'd remembered to wear. Hmm, almost seven, he was a little earlier than usual but not by much.
He hummed cheerfully as he made his way down halls, taking the time to check his mental map of the palace that actually came when he thought about it. He was a floor up from the palace kitchens, which was very exciting because it was much closer that before.
"Good morning, Mr. Glitch."
He grinned when he entered the kitchens, the cook always knew who he was and sure enough he was the first one there, "Hi Rose! Do I smell cinnamon?"
The large woman grinned and popped open the oven just a crack to let him peer inside. Cinnamon rolls. He didn't know why Ambrose didn't love breakfast.
"I supposed you'll be wanting one of those along with your usual?"
Glitch nodded, "Yes, please, thank you."
He made his way over to a discreet and scarred wooden table in the corner. DG had dragged it out of storage after finding it, saying that it was a perfect breakfast table. Of course no one had known what she'd meant at the time. But DG had said that breakfast was the most important meal and that it should be fun and shared. Glitch had though that was a wonderful idea even as Ambrose had frowned. So every morning since then, all of them, DG, Az, the Queen, Ahamo, or sometimes just a few of them would meet and talk about the silly things, all the things you couldn't talk about at dinner when you were trussed up like a goose and people were starting to send courtiers your way.
Sometimes people just stopped in to get a cup of something and say hello, or usually Ahamo would come to get a tray for him and Queen Ozma but he'd talk a bit while Rose put it together. Occasionally it was just Glitch or DG would complain that she missed everyone at breakfast but it was one of those nice things that could change day to day but everyone always remembered it.
Glitch liked things like that best of all.
He blinked as Rose came by and deposited his first course on the table smiling as she left him orange ginger tea with a lot of sugar and just a little milk, a sliced apple with a bit of honey, and two slices of toast with butter. He ate a lot during breakfast, mostly because Ambrose was a notorious meal skipper, and Glitch couldn't always drag him away from whatever he was doing to go have dinner.
The palace was coming alive now, it was going to be bustling all day with the gala tomorrow night. He'd peeked into the ballroom yesterday on their way back from speaking to the Queen and it had looked great! But Ambrose was still nervous about going so Glitch had resolved to be excited for both of them. He didn't see why it had to be so nerve wracking. It was a gala. One went there to have fun, to dance and talk. Not a lot of people got to go to gala's. Of course not a lot of people lived in a palace and made amazing things while being surrounded by amazing people. Glitch smiled over his tea, if only Ambrose knew how great life was. Nearly perfect even. Nearly.
"Cain! Get up and eat breakfast!"
It would be unfortunate to have made it all the way back to the palace for him to have to kill her now. But he had come up with this inane theory that when they reached the palace he'd be rid of her ridiculous wake up calls. But no. It couldn't be that easy. Cain pushed himself out of the blankets and glared at the hall door whose knob was rattling.
"Cain! You locked it!"
Damn right he did.
"Go away Tip!"
"No! Get up and do things!"
"Go bother Jeb!"
"I already did! He wouldn't get up either!"
Cain growled as he slid out of bed, sleep rumpled and frowning in a pair of pajama pants. He quickly twisted the lock and yanked the door open. Tip was standing out in the hall in a dress, and smiling like a perfect little angel. Cain blinked, he could have just told her to go away and gone back to bed but now he had to ask,
"Who'd you steal that from?"
Tip frowned, "I've always had it. I just couldn't wear it. Now come on sunshine, are you going to come to breakfast or not?"
Cain sighed and glared at her, "Go on, I'll be after you once I get dressed."
"Promise?"
"Fine."
"All right, the kitchen's downstairs and if you're not there in fifteen minutes you have to dance with me at the gala tomorrow!"
Cain blinked as the fluff of green silk that was Tip bustled down the hallway and he fought not to curse as he shut the door and stared at the bed, calculating just how much worse Tip could make tomorrow if he skipped breakfast today.
Cain rubbed his hands over his face, no, it couldn't be worth it, no matter how soft those sheets were.
Clothes were yanked out of unpacked bags and Cain frowned as his mind started up again. He'd been trying very hard to not think about anything in particular. Not about the Queen or the gala or Glitch Ambrose.
Now they all seemed to make a line and demand that he deal with them. The Queen had to be the easiest, he did not want to be Commissioner, however if she wished to employ him in a lesser capacity he was pretty sure he could deal with that. The gala was going to be east too. He was going to have to wear something stupid, talk about frivolous things and keep Tip or DG from dragging him out onto the dance floor. But it was only for one night and the chances of survivability, when he really thought about it, were high.
That just left the most difficult topic.
Which his mind expertly skirted over in favor of him getting dressed. If he thought about Glitch, he thought about Ambrose and he did not want to think about those narrow brown eyes and that thin line that seemed incapable of smiling. Instead he ran a comb through his hair and buttoned his vest as he looked out into the hallway trying to figure out which way 'downstairs' was.
It turned out to be rather easy to find since as soon as he had found stairs he heard laughter. DG definitely, Tip too. Which was not a comforting combination. He took a few steps down the hall and paused for a moment...
"No! I swear I have never seen a look like that on anyone's face, and then he just shrieked 'bees!' like a little girl..."
Ah, she was talking about Jeb. He could live with that.
He slid in somewhere between laughter and story but found himself stopping in the door. They were all sitting around a worn table, Tip was of course talking, she was always talking, her hands flying a mile a minute as she traced Jeb's path in the air for the others to see. DG was laughing so hard she was almost snorting and Az was in the corner grinning with her hand over her mouth as if she could hide it but her blush and her eyes gave her away.
But it was Glitch that captured him, it had to be Glitch because he was laughing. Brilliantly laughing over a cup of something and empty plates, his eyes full of joy and a dozen memories sprung to Cain's mind. Brushing fingers in DeMilo's truck, rhythm, that smile, numbers, those brown eyes, kissing with his arm in a sling, the balcony looking over Central City, arms around him, the musty scent of that jacket, hands slipping, picking absently at buttons and seams...
Then Glitch was looking at him, brown eyes grinning, absolutely pleased to see him,
"Hello stranger!"
Cain knew he couldn't keep the memories out of his eyes or the smile he returned, so he didn't try. He managed a 'hey' moments before his arms were full of an excited DG and Tip was yelling at him to come sit down.
But all he noticed was the way Glitch seemed to brighten when he came near.
Glitch hurried down the hall. Mostly because he was excited and mostly because when he got excited Ambrose tended to use that time to have a panic attack, because if something was exciting Glitch it couldn't possibly be good for him.
He slid into their bedroom and shut the door. It had taken him way too long to escape breakfast, partly because he didn't just didn't want to and partly because DG kept asking Cain questions and he had wanted to hear the answers. But Ambrose was up and hyperventilating so he had to excuse himself on the pretense that Ambrose probably had something terribly boring to do, and he'd noticed the hurt that passed over Cain when Glitch had to leave because of Ambrose. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all.
"He hates me."
"Hate is a strong word."
Hands that were and weren't his own pulled a gold ribbon from their dresser and smoothed their hair back,
"You saw the way he looked every time I got brought up. That mapmaker noticed it too. You saw how she started asking questions."
"She was curious, we are rather curious, you know."
"I know. This isn't going to work Glitch. He isn't going to like me."
"We don't even know what isn't going to work so stop fussing, and he's going to like you just fine, I didn't like you when I first met you."
"Thank you, Glitch."
"That's not what I... You know, you are a very difficult person to warm up to and..."
"It didn't used to be that way. I know."
Ambrose pushed memories away for his own good and buttoned up his jacket walking briskly over to his desk. Now that he had the information, he didn't want to deal with it. It wasn't important, it wasn't...
"If you're not even going to try you might as well tell him that."
Ambrose fought the need to start arguing, to get mad. Glitch was mad and he had no right and every right to be. Ambrose sighed as he let himself down bodily into the desk chair. Slowly his hands came up and he hid his face in him. This was going to be a disaster. He knew it. The Ambrose before... The old Ambrose would have known exactly what to do. The old Ambrose knew all the tricks, he knew all the moves. He could have anyone he wanted and he had, whether it had been a whim for an evening or a whirlwind affair that lasted weeks. But now, now it had all gone to crap. He jumped whenever people touched him, he could barely keep himself talking for more than a few moments at a time, he was a mess in social situations... He was already planning an excuse to leave the gala early tomorrow night. He used toown gala's.
"Ambrose at least talk to him."
He grumbled something under his breath.
"Ambrose..."
"And tell him what? What could I possibly tell that man?"
"I don't know! Anything! Tell him the truth! Make something up! Say hello..."
"Tell him what truth?"
He could feel Glitch grumbling and fidgeting, "Ambrose, do you like him? Or are you just doing this because I like him?"
That was an excellent question and if he gave the right answer they could be rid of the tin mess forever... But the right answer wouldn't necessarily be true.
Ambrose sighed as he folded his arms and plopped his head on the desk.
"He is attractive."
Glitch was curious, "Okay, is that all?"
"Well, his mannerism are attractive as well."
"Mannerisms?"
"I seem to like the notion of that ridiculous boy scout behavior. There is nothing wrong with that."
"Course not." There was a moment before Glitch spoke up again, "Ambrose, is he like the others... The others we've liked before?"
Ambrose looked pensively at a pile screws and bolts that had been left scattered on top of his papers. He flicked a screw, sending it spinning across blueprints and reports,
"No, Glitch. He isn't like them at all."
"Oh."
"He's much better."
The screw hit the floor with a 'click' and Ambrose listened to it roll for a few more inches before it stopped and he closed his eyes.
That was the issue wasn't it? Cain was a good man and Ambrose hadn't any experience with those. The entire notion of not having anything to compare this to terrified him, worse than touching. If he didn't have any... data to base this off of... then he could very easily make a mistake but he didn't want to do that. How many chances did one get really? He'd already messed up once. He had to... He needed... They needed...
"We need a plan 'Brose."
"I know."
"You need to talk to him."
"I know. Say hello, make something up, tell him the truth..."
Ambrose blinked as he pushed himself up, tell Cain the...?
He stood, quickly shuffling around his papers until he found something that looked official, "Come on."
He felt Glitch perk up, "Where are we going?"
"We are going to find an opportune moment."
"Sounds exciting."
It had taken well into the afternoon to just find the man. Of course he'd been sidetracked by DG and then that chatty mapmaker... What was it? Tippterius? Who engaged him in a rather thinly veiled discussion that was and was not about Cain, until Cain's son had dragged her off with an almost apologetic look on his face. Ambrose had smiled a bit. He was going to have to watch out for them. They were both terribly protective of the tin man, just in different ways.
Ambrose frowned at the closed door. He knew that the Queen was speaking to Cain. She had called for him exactly seven minutes ago. But logically if Ambrose had only come down the hall four minutes ago, he couldn't possibly know that Cain was in the room. It would be a logical mistake. He could feel Glitch bouncing in the back of their mind. He hadn't exactly told his other half what he was doing, he was afraid if he explained it, he'd lose his nerve.
So he knocked and stuck his head in the door, looking suitably surprised when the Queen looked up and Cain turned.
"Oh, my apologies, your majesty. I did not know you were in conference."
Ozma just waved her hand and smiled thinly, "I think we may welcome an interruption, is anything wrong?"
Ah, so Cain wasn't giving into his Queen's wishes? Ambrose fought to not grin but it did seem right to, with the utter wave of discomfort that was coming from the tin man as he stepped into the room,
"Nothing is wrong, your majesty, I just needed to borrow the blueprints of the Tower back for a few hours. Some changes had to be made to the auxiliary generators and I need to see if any alterations have to be made overall."
"Oh! Of course, I have them in my study, one moment please?"
He bowed as Cain nodded while the Queen swept out of the room and then it was just him and Cain.
Cain who stood staring at the door to the Queen's study with his arms crossed not looking at Ambrose at all.
Oh Gods. Ambrose fought not to simply bolt from the room as he tried to control his breathing. Gingerly his eyes skirted across boots and gray trousers, stopping for a moment as his mind reminded him of sleeves and collars and... Cain was acting like he wasn't even there. This was stupid.
Ambrose lifted his head and took a step forward so that he stood next to the tin man, eyes on the study door with Glitch practically humming and then finally he spoke.
"I believe I owe you an apology."
He knew he heard Glitch gasp in the back of their mind but he ignored it.
There was a movement besides him but Ambrose didn't chance a look at Cain, not yet.
"An apology?"
His voice was gruff and Ambrose was pleased that he didn't flinch when the other had spoke.
"Yes, for that afternoon, in the library."
A sharp intake of breath came from the tin man and Ambrose fought to continue,
"I-I did a great many things that I regret those first few months but..."
He looked up to meet blue eyes with the anger in them fading being replaced by something else... and suddenly Ambrose found that speaking wasn't so hard,
"But I believe those words in the library are what I regret the most."
There was a moment of silence between them that could have been a moment or it could have been an hour as just a hint of softness touched the edges of blue eyes and Ambrose swallowed.
"Is this what you wanted, Ambrose?"
His head snapped up as Cain turned quickly away and he smiled politely at the Queen when she entered with what he was looking for but not what he wanted.
"That is exactly it, your majesty, thank you."
He bowed politely as he took the offered papers. A quick nod and one last look at blue eyes before he turned and made his way back out into the hall.
Where Glitch pounced him almost immediately.
"Ambrose! I can't believe you did that! Did you see how he looked at you!? That was good!"
Ambrose blinked as he stood in the hall, blueprints clutched to his chest.
"I can't quite believe it either..." Ambrose closed his eyes, trying to not shake from the sheer adrenaline of the moment, "I think I may throw up."
"Oh! Let's not do that. Come on, back to the lab."
