thedevamper | [TRHS]

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Nikola Tesla was not a boy, man, boy to be trifled with. He might have only been sixteen, thank you birthday for at least adding some dignity to his youth, but he was not someone that you deliberately annoyed. Not unless you wanted to keep your fingers, your car, your pride or whatever it was that you held precious. And someone had made an enemy of Nikola today and for that someone was going down.

"Really Nikola, you're taking this rather personally old sport. School prank, freshmen hijinks."

Nikola scowled at James as he tried to comfort him. Comfort him! Nikola Tesla! Shrugging the hand off his shoulders, Nikola gathered his papers before slamming his locker shut and storming towards the changing rooms.

"This is ridiculous, hand me that towel." Nikola ordered one of the freshman, removing his ruined shirt. Discarding his cufflinks as he began to strip, Nikola examined his beautiful, handsewn, expensive shirt. Slushied. He had been slushied due to his stature and age they had thought that he, he, was one of those ridiculous freshers. Swearing in his mother tongue, Nikola looked up at the other boy in the room about to rant before pausing. Ah, it had to be him didn't it? "Towel, please."

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"Thank you," said Alcuin with a little smile, a blush. "It was, ah." He glanced toward the front of the car, but Alistair as usual was paying little attention to anything but the road. "Brad. Andrews." His mouth tightened in a straight line. "Welcome back, he always says." And a few other things that Alcuin didn't want to repeat.

He leaned forward then, and said to Alistair, "Straight home, please. Nikola is coming along, he's tutoring me. Is Anafiel back yet?"

"No sir," the driver said. "Mr. Delaunay will be delayed in Paris for another day."

"I'll take care of it," Nikola murmured. Nikola noted the names, glancing out the window as they drove past. Nikola smirked at them, giving them a two fingered salute before sitting back in the seat. Nikola couldn't decide how to proceed by erasing trust funds or grades or both, perhaps a subtle word first. Blackmail was always a possibility. Nikola did love playing the game with these idiots, they were so easy.

"Anafiel? Is he your father?" Nikola asked curiously after a moment before placing his hand down on the seat between him and Alcuin.

"My uncle," said Alcuin, settling back against the seat. "Well, not actually my uncle. He was my father's best friend, they grew up together. When my father died he became my guardian. I was very young, so he's like a father to me."

"And he's in Paris? Are you staying home on your own?" Nikola asked, listening to Alcuin interested. Nikola was often on his own, despite his young age he had been sent here to study. It was with Helen and the Five that Nikola had found a home, a family away from his village that was his. "That must be..." Lonely. "... nice."

Nikola stretched his hands out, his small pinky finger brushing against Alcuin's hand ever so slightly.

Alcuin nodded. "He travels a lot on business. It can be... lonely. It's a big house, it feels empty, even when it's just the two of us."

He hesitated, an then let his fingers brush out a bit toward Nikola's as well.

"Well, then we'll have to try and fill it a little then. Won't we?" Nikola replied with a smirk, glancing down at the accidental brush of fingers against his. His cheeks flushed a little with colour though he didn't move his hand away, instead he lifted his small finger placing it on top of Alcuin's finger casually. "I'm surprised you haven't thrown a party yet or been conned into throwing one. A guardian out of town, a big house..."

"I... don't really have any friends to have tried to talk me into it," Alcuin admitted, and sounded almost embarrassed. He paused, and then added, "Anafiel asks me sometimes if I'd like to give up modeling for a while so that I don't miss as much school, but then... then the kids are so mean to me, like today, and I kind of want to just stop going full stop."

"Well, perhaps we can change that?" Nikola said glancing down before looking up at Alcuin with a more honest smirk. More of a smile really. Nikola let his fingers stretch a little more across Alcuin's as he spoke before his hand covered his. Looking ahead as if he had done nothing Nikola leaned back in the seat. "Don't worry about them. You're my... student? Apprentice? Friend now. I'll sort them out for you."

Alcuin opened his mouth, then closed it again, and then nodded. Smiled a little, too. "You... seem like someone good to have in my corner."

The car began down a long driveway then, through a gate, and up to the front of a very large house. When it stopped, the driver got out and walked around to open Alcuin's door for him.

"Of course I am, I'm Nikola Tesla. I always get my way," Nikola replied with a smirk as Alcuin smiled at him. Nikola let his eyes close for a moment, sliding his hand across Alcuin's before he pulled his hand away as the door to the car opened for Alcuin. Nikola opened his own door, saluting the driver before looking up at the house. "You really weren't understating the house size were you? Come on then, thermodynamics won't learn themselves."

Nikola waited for Alcuin to lead, following him towards the house.

Alcuin smiled again and led them toward the front door, taking out his key to open it. "It's late enough that the maid would be gone as well," he said. "I suppose we have the place to ourselves. Can I make you some tea?"

The inside of the house was well decorated, and Alcuin turned to lead them towards the kitchen.

"Strong, no milk. Lemon, if you have it." Nikola answered, following Alcuin into his home. It was beautiful, just like Alcuin but empty and lonely. Nikola caught up to Alcuin, walking alongside him and allowing his fingertips to brush against the other boys casually as they walked together. "Where do you want to do it? Study, I mean."

"Well, there's a table in here," Alcuin said as they stepped into the kitchen. "Though the weather is lovely, we could go out by the pool." He opened a cabinet to reveal a number of tins of tea, and pulled one out, turning to smile somewhat shyly at Nikola.

"Let's work by the pool," Nikola replied, glancing outside before turning his attention on Alcuin who was smiling rather shyly at him. Nikola looked at him before smiling back, a more genuine one before coming to stand behind him. Looking up at the teas Nikola reached over his shoulder, considering the blends before agreeing with Alcuin's choice. "You have good taste."

Placing his hands on Alcuin's hips, Nikola pressed his lips together taking a breath before he stepped back. "Shall I set up outside or would you like me to wait with you?"

For a moment, Nikola was standing there behind him, and Alcuin had the strangest sensation, like perhaps the other boy was about to kiss his neck.

It was then that he realized he wanted him to.

A slight flush rose to his cheeks yet again as he said, "It will just be a moment, I'll bring the pot out to steep. Feel free to step outside and have a look around." There was a set of double doors leading to the back yard from the kitchen.

"Sure," Nikola replied shifting his books in his arms as he headed towards the door. Nikola paused at the doorway looking at Alcuin stood there with flushed cheeks before adding. "Oh, by the way... You're hot when you blush."

Smirking, Nikola left through the double doors. Wandering through the garden, Nikola headed towards the pool and set up on one of the tables there. Gathering two chairs, Nikola spread out their work and loosened his shirt, rolling up the sleeves as he sat waiting for Alcin.

For as much as Alcuin was valued for his appearance, even hearing you're hot (though perhaps not in so many words) more times than he could count over the past year, hearing it had never felt quite like that. His stomach seemed to turn over, and as he watched Nikola walk outside he realized that he was nervous.

He managed to boil water, though, and get out a teapot, and a few minutes later he walked out with a tray, holding the pot steeping with tea, and two cups, a small saucer of milk and some lemons.

"Do you like swimming?" he asked with a smile as he set down the tray.

Nikola cleared a small space for the tray of tea, opening the science books to the pages where Alcuin's class should be up to by now. Looking up from the text book, Nikola pushed out the chair for Alcuin to sit beside him and reached for his teacup.

"Yes, I suppose so. I tend to spend far too much time studying though," Nikola replied, adding a slice of lemon to his tea. "I suppose it would depend on who I was swimming with. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I just thought, maybe... after we're done..." Nikola offered him a sheepish smile and slid into the seat next to him.

He reached for the book, flipped back a few pages. "This is where we were when I left... and I've missed these two chapters while I was gone."

"That would be an interesting proposition except for the fact that I don't have a costume. Although I suppose we could go skinny dipping," Nikola replied with a smirk as he glanced across at Alcuin. Waiting for him to find where he was up to, turning the pages Nikola nodded before pulling the book towards him. "Generating electricity, my speciality."

Nikola stretched his knee across, casually bumping Alcuin's leg with his as he opened up the page. "Okay, so with this you'll be asked about renewable and non renewable sources of energy."

Alcuin refrained from commenting on the possibility of skinny-dipping, though he did blush a little again before they began with the book.

Even if he didn't completely understand the material just from reading the rather poorly written textbook, Alcuin was bright, and he asked insightful questions as Nikola began to explain the material to him.

He was smart, smarter than his tutor probably gave him credit for. No wonder he hadn't done well with his tutor if the man's expectations were low. Nikola added some of the more complex pieces that he would learn later on, adding a few equations as Alcuin asked him questions about the topic. Alcuin wasn't just pretty, he was quick as well and that just made him all the more interesting.

Nikola leaned in close as they worked, using their close proximity to press his leg against Alcuin's. His hands lingering a little on Alcuin's arm as he taught.

"I think that should be enough for today, I'll set you a few problems to work on and quiz you later this week if you like." Nikola said leaning on one elbow, leaning close to Alcuin.

Alcuin nodded. "That would be helpful, thank you." He hesitated, and then added, "We haven't discussed payment, but really, whatever you think would be fair... you truly are a lot better than my tutor, at least in this subject."

"Oh, Alcuin... never let anyone name their price. I could take advantage of you," Nikola replied, resting his chin on his hand as he grinned at Alcuin, all teeth and smirk as he looked him over. Laughing, Nikola sat up straight and began to tidy away the books. "It doesn't matter about the payment. Let's call it an investment. Besides it'll look good on my resume, seeing as Helen beat me to student council again."

Nikola paused though looking at Alcuin, his hand resting on his arm as he faced him. "At least in this subject? I'm good at all subjects, I am a genius after all."

"Oh, I just meant... I don't have any experience with your knowledge of other subjects."

It was easy to forget that Nikola was his own age - the boy acted so much older.

"It was kind of you to decide... not to take advantage of me," he added softly.

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