Succulent

[Trillian]

Brael relaxed when Zeus admitted that there would be no public castigation. The idea of it had horrified him enough to put tension in his shoulders. He felt a surge of admiration and gratitude for Zeus for being so forgiving.

Brael's confusion stayed with him at Zeus' request for privacy. "How will you remain private while in the role of leadership?" he asked, wishing to know his boss' plan for such things. "Will that not cast eyes on you?"

When he and Zeus had been out of the public eye, they'd been able to do what they wished without anyone else needing to know - not that anything so interesting like discovering a daughter had needed sharing. They did have their secret together, but even Brael understood the importance of keeping that to themselves. It was made especially more important now that Zeus had reclaimed the mantle of leader for his district. They could have continued how they were for eons if Jake McCloud hadn't interfered with his sorry excuse for a takeover.

[The Cedar Witch]

He let out a little indignant huff through his nose.  Was Brael suggesting that keeping his life as private as possible would make him, what, somehow more suspicious?  Was it so strange for someone to not want their personal affairs up for public examination at every turn?  Of course, people would talk, but they'd do that regardless of the information presented to them.  Stories would be made in the absence or presence of facts, surly. 

"I will not go out of my way to divulge irrelevant information."  There was a twinge of guilt behind associating his fathering a child with being irrelevant information.  But it had little to do with how the district would be run, the services provided, the politic...

Well, it had implications should a kind of relationship result.  Maybe.

His face twisted slightly with the effort, caught somewhere between a look of disgust and uncertainty, fully aware that he was essentially dodging the question. 

"I'm not expecting to be able to keep everything a secret, but broadcasting them is a completely different thing."  He stated a bit coldly, frowning.

[Trillian]

Brael, finally subdued by Zeus' anger, swallowed and thought about what he'd done, 'broadcasting' news about Sabrina to everyone in the Block. His boss hadn't wanted that done. He didn't want it shared. It seemed he didn't want anything shared. He wanted to be a reclusive, private leader of a district. Brael didn't understand how that would be possible. He felt foolish for his ignorance.

"I will keep information to myself in the future," Brael promised. It would be difficult to go against his instincts, but not impossible. Sharing news was a choice.

[The Cedar Witch]

"I don't want to completely suppress your inclinations - just check with me first."  Zeus pressed his lips together tightly as he gave the other demon an assessing look.  He valued other inputs and perspectives and didn't want to see Brael shutting down any channels of communication between them. 

"Particularly when it pertains to my business," he clarified. 

[Trillian]

"But it's all your business," Brael said unhappily. "My life is your business, now. For the next thousand years."

It had been a long time since he'd brought that up.

[The Cedar Witch]

Zeus' face wrinkled in confusion.  He was quiet for a moment as anger stirred sluggishly beneath the surface.  Impulsively, he wanted it to be as simple as saying "Fine, then, I release you.  Do as you please," but nothing was that simple.

His features smoothed as he took on a colder demeanor.

"Who I fuck, and whatever comes of that, are off-limits for sharing without my explicit knowledge and permission."  He exhaled slowly through his nose, disliking the blunt way he felt compelled now to communicate.  "That is what I mean by my business."  And that particular business was all he was discussing now.  But it seemed that Brael had something else on his mind. 

[Trillian]

At first he revealed his shock at being spoken to in such a way, though it hadn't been the first time it had certainly been a long time. He and Zeus had gone a giant step backwards in their relationship.

Relationship? He'd been kidding himself. There was no friendship here and he'd been foolish to think it was. It was an understanding.

Brael's gaze hardened as he hid his hurt. "Yes, boss," was all he said. He would wait to be dismissed.

[The Cedar Witch]

As he watched the shock pass over Brael, Zeus felt a twinge of regret that settled somewhere deeper after Brael's acquiescence.  He hadn't even really listened to what Brael said before lashing out.  This entire Sabrina issue had him acting and speaking before thinking, worse still while he was seemingly unable to process his own feelings.  Grappling with the fact that there were feelings to be had in the first place.

A ridiculous thing, really.

Zeus took a deliberately measured breath, expression flowing from apologetic to pensive before he addressed Brael again.  "I have shown you undeserved hostility," he paused, fighting the urge to dismiss him and be done with this instead of saying anything that resembled an apology.

Or admitting he didn't know what the fuck he was doing with this "family" nonsense.

"You are unhappy," Zeus acknowledged, "Speak your mind."  He wanted to know why the thousand-year clause was brought up in this moment, suspecting there was something else besides his own reaction to the Sabrina issue.  Better to air things now than let them fester.

[Trillian]

"I spoke out of turn," Brael said immediately, not wanting to explore his negativity. He'd made his inappropriate comment and been smacked down for it. It had been fair if not kind. He had to remember that he was no longer with his kin, he was playing with a different set of rules. He was still new at this, after not quite two years. He would learn how to be a better second-in-command.

Though he wasn't sure he was even that, anymore. He was the muscle.

"It won't happen again," he promised.