Mason looked at the Master contemplating whether he was comfortable with the idea or not.

He'd asked him to go to a gala, apparently one that involved very many rich people. He didn't say that bit of it but it was a little obvious. He'd never been to a gala before.

When he was younger, they used to have family dinners and casual parties where many people came; relatives to be precise. Nothing as big and as fancy as a gala. And looking at the Master, everyone was going to be rich or something like that.

"You'll come with me," he had said.

Mason might have looked hesitant when he said it because then he added, "I'm not forcing you, if you would like to protect your privacy then we'll end this discussion right here."

"Nice way to ask someone out on a date," Mason said instead.

"It's not a date," the Master said firmly.

"But you want me to come with you... and spend all my time with you."

"I do," the Master said. He was looking at Mason like he knew the argument would go no where.

"And I'm going to say yes, so it's a date," the man insisted.

"It's not a date," the Master said again. Mason ignored it like he didn't hear that bit of it.

"I'll try my best on this date but I don't think I'm cut out for it," it seemed like the Master wasn't expecting him to say anything like that. "The last last date I went for didn't turn out well. Or several others for that matter."

The Master shouldn't even be interested in what he was saying. So why did he say it, what did he want from him? "What? Your date had bad breath?"

"I wish he had a flaw," Mason laughed. "He was perfect. He just left me there. Told me I wasn't worth it, got up and walked away."

The Master did not reply him immediately. "Why did you tell me?" He asked him. His voice carried no emotion whatsoever.

"Forget it," said Mason. "What should I wear?" He asked.

"Whatever you want," the answer was immediate. "If you need anything then I'll get it for you."

"Yep. Definitely a date," said Mason before walking out of the room.

He couldn't deny that the Master grew more and more confusing by the day. And he was trying so hard to understand the type of man he was.

Leave it. His properly working brain told him constantly.

He didn't listen to it. People never did, and then they questioned why everything hurt in the end.

Mason was having these thoughts, trying to make his way to his room, he bumped into Zel. "Ow!" Zel rubbed his nose from where he had landed on the floor.

"Are you okay sunshine?" Mason asked helping him up. A worried look plastered on his face. "I'm sorry."

"I'm okay. Daddy told me to stop running around all the time but I still am, it's my fault."

"You should probably take that advice."

Zel righted his clothes. Then his hair; it couldn't really be righted as it was out of control constantly. Mason felt the urge to do it for him.

"You're being careful right?" He asked. He wasn't referring to this current situation in particular.

"Yeah, I really am." The ball of energy replied, almost like he thought Mason wouldn't really believe him.

"I'd watch Riley if I were you." The reason why Mason had said this was not random.

He'd started to notice how close the two had become, and there was no other way he could put it, it was beautiful.

"You don't have to worry," Zel said, and he believed him.

"Okay good," said Mason. He ruffled the hair he'd been wanting to fix before continuing on his way.

It came to his understanding that all the forces in the universe just didn't want him to achieve something as simple as reaching his room. Riley backed him up against the wall.

"Hey..." his somewhat raspy voice said.

  "Hey," Mason replied. It was just the slightest bit, but he was turned on. Just a little, nothing to worry about.

"I need your help with something," said Riley.

"Yeah? What would that be?"

Riley leaned in and his breath fanned Mason's lips. His breaths were going to become embarrassingly shallow if Riley didn't stop such stupidity.

"Come with me?" said Riley. It meant everything and it meant nothing.

"I'd really want to, Riley. If you considered the fact that I am not stupid." Mason's reply earned him a look of shock; it was priceless. "I don't have my tag with me. I know that's what you want."

Riley recovered really quickly. "Was I that obvious?"

"No, but I know bad acting when I see it, it's not an ability many people have," Mason aimed a smug look at him.

"But come with me," he held Riley's hand and the latter got confused. 

"I don't have my tag either."

"Shut up, I'm not flirting with you. Let's just have a drink together."

"Why?" Riley was suspicious, anyone would be.

"What? I just want to. I promise I'm not trying to get your tag from you. And if I were, I would do a better job."

"Ouch," Riley sat down as Mason fixed them drinks.

"Relax, you are always so sure about yourself, this shouldn't be any different."

"No I just don't know what's going on," Riley said. And from the sound of it, he really didn't. He sounded like someone out of their element.

"So you become all nervous when you are uncomfortable huh?" Mason observed.

"Maybe," said Riley.

Mason put a drink in his hand. "So like, this is not poisoned?" He asked.

Mason took his glass from him and took a sip, then gave it back. The part he'd drank from facing Riley's mouth.

"Okay now you're more than flirting with me."

Mason shook his head and smiled, sitting back and enjoying himself. "Just tell me about you then."

"Are you serious?"

"I am, I kinda want to know about you."

"Why?"

"I don't know I just do."

Riley regarded him skeptically for a while, then sighed. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

Mason peeked a little bit of the man that was Riley. He wasn't as confident as he liked to make people believe. It was extremely cute to Mason.

He'd even averted his eyes when Mason had asked him his favorite colour. He'd never guessed he had a soft side. He wanted to know more, but he'd do it over time, Riley would just have to be prepared for it.

He didn't even know what he was doing either.

༻༺

"Mason doesn't have the tag," Jet said to Riley before he could get a word out. 

"Yeah he told me, but how do you know?"

"I watched the whole thing. It's all in his body language, he left so many openings you would have the tag right now if he had it. Next time don't be so... possessive- all over him and stuff. And I know what you are thinking now, you want to get Zel's tag, not now, that would be too obvious. Give it time."

"Aye aye captain," Riley replied, then confusion colored his face. "He invited me for a drink."

"I know, I walked away after that. And don't even bother I'm not interested in hearing it."

Of course Jet would say that.

"Fine, whatever."

༻༺

If someone else saw this from another angle, it would look like Pierre was the interest of several suitors, everyone came after him one by one and he mislead them all one by one.

Linder asked him to tell him how each of them had acted.

"Jet was obvious to me, he really wanted to know where my tag was. He asked clever questions. Ones that the answers would have pointed him in the right direction," Pierre told him.

"That sounds about right," said Linder.

"I think I know where Mason's tag is."

Pierre's moment with Mason was almost weird but very flattering at the same time. Mason stared at him like he was under a spell, he even mumbled mindless things at one point as if he wasn't really listening to him.

Pierre didn't want to sound egoistical but Mason had looked like he was ready to drool. He couldn't really believe it, it had to be acting.

"Let's keep being careful," said Linder. "You might have just earned us a tag. I could kiss you right now."

Do it, Pierre thought.

And as if Linder had heard him, a kiss was dropped to his temple, and it warmed his insides.

Now if only there were more people to trick.