Prompt(s): 'green eyed monster' and Adrian vs. Ian

Public Relations 101

When I woke up on Christmas Eve to find Zoe gone, my first thought was that something terrible must have happened. Zoe rarely woke up before me, and when she did, she always waited for me to be ready before leaving our room to face the 'monsters' outside.

I'd already tried phoning her twice and was just about to gather together the ingredients I'd need for a tracking spell when she called back. I answered within the first two rings.

"Zoe!" I exclaimed. "What's happened? Where are you? Are you okay?"

Zoe giggled. Giggled. "Merry Christmas Eve to you too, sis. I'm at Marquee's." Marquee's had become our regular breakfasting place during the holidays. We all usually met there in the morning to go over our plans for the day. "Come meet me?" she pleaded. "There's someone here I know you really want to see."

My heart hammered. "Zoe? What do you mean?"

"You'll see," she said mysteriously. "Just come." And with that, the line went dead.

A dozen possibilities raced through my head, each vying for least-likely-explanation as I hurriedly dressed and drove to the restaurant not too far from where we were staying. Zoe knew about Adrian and for some reason she wasn't mad. Our father had deigned to visit us. Our mother had somehow tracked us down based on the little information we'd given her.

When I entered the restaurant and saw the two people waiting for me, I froze. The reality was worse. Way worse.

"Sydney," Ian said, rising from the table with a shy, slightly awkward smile. "It's really good to see you again."

"What… What is this?" I asked blankly. Oh, God, was he here for good? "You're… you're not supposed to be here."

Zoe started to explain, but Ian cleared his throat. "It's okay, Sydney. I cleared it with Stanton and Jared Sage before I left. They both agreed that I could come." He said my father's name reverently, like he was invoking the name of his God.

"Are you staying for very long?" I asked, trying not to sound too horrified by the idea. Thankfully, he shook his head. "I'm just passing through. I have family nearby, and when I mentioned to Stanton that I was heading in this direction for Christmas, she thought you might appreciate it if I paid you a visit."

I sighed inwardly. Of course she did.

I sat down and began to make awkward small talk while Zoe smirked knowingly. I'd forgotten she'd been there to witness our 'date'. She looked up to him now like he was already a brother-in-law to her.

Our awkward conversation was disrupted by the chime of the front door and familiar voices. My heart leapt once again as I turned and took in the group making their way towards us.

Adrian, who had been in deep conversation with Jill, was the first to stop in his tracks. "Ah, good," he said sarcastically, eyes on Ian. "More company."

Ian had gone very white. At first I thought that it was because of the sudden presence of two vampires and three dhampirs, but then he stood and pointed accusingly at Adrian.

"I remember you," he said shakily, not bothering to disguise the distaste in his voice. "You forced Sydney to dance with you. At the vampire wedding."

Angeline, Eddie and Neil looked shocked at this. I didn't dare glance at Zoe, for fear of what I might see in her expression.

Adrian crossed his arms, his green eyes gleaming. "I did no such thing. Sage does what she wants. I don't think there's a single person on the planet who could force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."

Not helpful. I glared up at him, but he was still eyeing Ian coldly.

Ian glanced back at me. "You've been working with this guy all along?" He seemed bizarrely hurt by this. I suppose, given that he had no idea how much of our friendship was based on lies, this was a shock to him.

"I am on slightly more familiar terms with Mr Ivashkov than I let on during the wedding reception," I admitted. Behind Ian, Adrian tried and failed to supress a smirk at my wording. Slightly. What a ridiculous understatement. "He's part of the reason why I'm assigned here – you understand why I can't elaborate."

At my words, Jill shrunk back slightly and Eddie moved forward to shield her from Ian's view. I felt a rush of affection towards them for understanding me so completely. I knew how much Ian despised vampires. Zoe was family, but I would never entrust Jill's safety with him.

Of course, Ian had bent the rules to allow me access to the secrets he was in charge of, but luckily, Adrian's presence here seemed to have stumped him. He nodded vaguely. "Yes, yes, of course." He threw another withering glare towards Adrian. "I understand. I'm not at all surprised that we're keeping tabs on this one."

"That's right," Adrian snapped back. "Your creepy organisation has a whole department dedicated to putting up with me and my shenanigans and Sydney's in charge." He grinned. "Don't worry, she's doing a great job. She's very thorough. A quick study, you might say."

Beside him, Angeline and Neil looked even more shocked at his suggestive tone. Luckily, Zoe and Ian didn't seem to have caught on. Still, at the mention of my own words to him, I felt my cheeks go red. What in the world was he thinking?

Eddie, taking advantage of the bizarre staring competition Adrian and Ian seemed to be engaged in, drew Jill off to the side. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched them go.

"Ian is just passing through, Adrian," I said diplomatically, my eyes shooting daggers at him. "Ian, I don't believe you've met Miss Angeline Dawes or Mr Neil Raymond?"

My introductions worked – Adrian and Ian broke their ridiculous staring contest long enough for Ian to stiffly shake first Neil's hand, then Angeline's. If he realised that two of our party had disappeared, he didn't mention it. As he sat down again, I noticed him wipe his hand surreptitiously on his jeans.

Breakfast was a painfully uncomfortable affair. Ian had insisted on sitting next to me in the booth, and Zoe, still star-struck by the older, vaguely attractive alchemist boy, sat on the other side of him, leaving the vampires to sit opposite us. Of course, Adrian just had to sit directly opposite me. I avoided his eyes and silently vowed to ignore him for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, Adrian wasn't about to make that easy for me. I'd barely started on my waffles when I felt the barest brush of his fingers on my knee. I jumped, nearly elbowing Ian in the process.

"Sydney?" Ian looked at me worriedly. His hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I lied shakily, as Adrian's fingers drew circles on my knee. Because of the unseasonably warm weather I was wearing a sensible pencil skirt with tights and I could feel the heat of those fingers as though he was touching my bare skin. I gripped the edge of the table. "I just… thought I saw a spider."

"Really?" Adrian asked airily. "Marquee's has always seemed so clean. But I suppose our first impressions of places are always misleading. People, too. You might think someone's stiff and uptight, but when you really get to know them…" His fingers slipped further up my thigh, playing with the material of my skirt. "You realise that they're anything but."

Ian stared. "Um. Okay."

I thought I might spontaneously combust if I sat there any longer. "Adrian," I said sternly, finally meeting his eyes over the table. "Do you mind stepping outside with me? I'm worried about Eddie and Ji – um, Jane. They've been gone a long time."

Ian frowned and started counting the vampires at our table. Adrian's hand mercifully left my skirt and he stood with me. I stormed out of the restaurant and rounded the corner, not bothering to check if he was following. I slipped into an alleyway and checked to make sure we were out of sight before rounding on him.

"What the hell were you playing at in there?" I hissed.

Adrian crossed his arms defensively. "Just making small talk. Is something wrong?"

"Adrian."

"Stop saying my name like that. He started it."

"He's an Alchemist. Of course he was going to be rude. You know better than to encourage him. And you know you can't say or… do anything around anyone else. Especially Zoe."

He deflated at that. "I know. I just miss you."

I uncrossed my arms, my anger fading. "I miss you too," I told him. "But can you please play nice with Ian when we go back in there? Just for a few hours, then he'll be gone. And I'll figure out a way for us to be alone soon. I promise."

Adrian stepped closer to me. "I just don't like the way he looks at you. Like he thinks he owns you."

I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't. You know that."

He snorted. "Of course I know that. Hell, I'm the one who encouraged you to seduce him in the first place, remember?" He let his hands drop to his sides. "Doesn't make it any easier to watch some way more suitable guy flirt with you."

The raw honesty in his voice undid me. I bridged the distance between us and cupped his cheek with my hand. "I don't want a suitable guy," I told him.

He looked down at me, his eyes impossibly green beneath thick, dark lashes. "What do you want?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me closer.

"This," I whispered against his lips. And then I tugged him down to kiss him for the first time since Zoe had arrived in town. We clutched mindlessly at each other and I happily gave in to the familiar thoughtlessness I experienced whenever he kissed me.

Adrian pulled away first, breathing heavily. I reluctantly untangled my fingers from his hair. "We have to go back inside," I said glumly. "And think of an excuse for Eddie and Jill. I'm sure Ian's already suspicious."

Adrian growled at the mention of his name. I shoved him playfully. "At least pretend to be nice," I warned him.

"Don't want to," Adrian said childishly. "He thinks he has a claim over you. He doesn't even know you. Not like I do." His lips were at my ear and he paused to brush my hair away before nipping lightly at my skin. My eyes fluttered closed and I let out an embarrassing whimper. One week without this had been too long.

"He doesn't know you," Adrian continued in a low, heavy voice. "He knows how clever and organised and sophisticated you are." His lips dipped down to my neck. "But he thinks you're like him. Straight-laced and humourless and brainwashed. He doesn't know how brilliant and powerful you are. Or how beautiful you are when you're unravelled in my arms like this. How passionate you are. My fiery warrior girl."

Oh, God. My mind was on fire. Adrian's voice was like silk against my skin and I couldn't for the life of me remember why we needed to stop. I wrapped my fingers in his hair again, tugging him closer.

"He could never do this to you," Adrian whispered against my cheek. "He'd like to. But he'll never know how to leave you breathless and wanting with a single touch. Not like I do. Just remember that." He brushed his fingers over the hem of my skirt again before he kissed me lightly on the mouth and stepped back. My hands reached out for him to pull him back, but he slipped away.

"Love the skirt, by the way," he said, smugly. I opened my eyes and glared at him, moving to press my rumpled skirt and blouse flat. How dare he make me want him so badly in a public place while we were just feet away from two completely oblivious alchemists? How could I possibly go back in there now and pretend like nothing had happened between us?

"You're evil," I complained, my voice shaky with suppressed longing.

Adrian laughed. "Spoken like a true alchemist."

I brushed past him and made my way back to the restaurant, preparing to ignore him for the rest of the day. "I'm getting you back for this," I vowed under my breath. "Consider this a warning."

He followed me, raking a hand through his hair, presumably in an attempt to settle it back down into its carefully styled mess. "Oh, Sage," he said in a voice that sent shivers down my spine, "I'm looking forward to it already."