Buying Time.

The doors of the law firm opened with their usual cringe accompanied by a bell sound as the extravagant boy (or girl?) entered the building. Nina was far too busy filing an asylum application to look up and find out who it was, so she did not even bother looking at first. After hearing footsteps and noticing a rather peculiar figure walking in her direction she looked up with a fake smile.
The eyes of the girl in the front desk lit up with a ray of light as soon as she noticed who it was. He only giggled as a response.
"Excuse me, I hear you represent foreigners in this firm..." he asserted moving a hand towards the offices behind them, his green-blue eyes roaming around before looking at her again with a hint of mischief. His mocking grin was irresistible.
"Piero what on earth are you doing here?" Nina asked through the wide smile on her lips, hoping her boss would not come downstairs anytime soon. She couldn't believe he dared to show up in her workplace- and wearing a feathered jacket, a black hat and heavy eyeliner (which is how he normally looked, but not in his girlfriend's workplace).
"What, do I embarrass you?" he asked leaning down over the desk, his eyes meeting her browns at the same level. Nina blushed immediately.
"No"
She swallowed. Piero looked at her lips and then back at her, through his long and feminine eyelashes.
"That's good, a firm should never be embarrassed by its clients" he replied moving back and slowly walking into the conference room right across from Nina's desk "Will you take my information then?"
He leaned back on the wooden desk and looked at Nina while shrugging softly, once again in a move that was more feminine than he would ever know. He looked so delicate waiting inside the big room, the sunlight coming in through the window hitting his black hair as it framed the pale face Nina adored.
"Miller, I'm waiting" he demanded.
She shook her head and walked into the conference room, shutting the door behind herself. He smiled and sat down as Nina took her place behind the elegant desk.
"What are you doing?" she asked, now puzzled "I thought we were meeting later tonight"
"I told you, I'm a client" he responded, the corners of his lips curling with a smile he was trying to hold "I am a foreigner who needs legal advice and you are supposed to give it to me, isn't that your job young lady?"
Nina tilted her head, looking at him in all his flamboyant glory - his feather jacket contrasting terribly with the sober office, his red lips and big eyes demanding all of her attention as if it wasn't his already. How did she end up stuck with a boy who was more of a girl than her and on top of that had her more in love than any other guy ever did?
The boy lifted his eyebrows in a clear sign of impatience, which was enough to snap her out of her thoughts.
"It is" she nodded, opening a new file and deciding to play along "How can I help you sir?"
Piero grinned once more, leaning forward and ready to carry along with the game.
"You see, I have a question about-"
"I must let you know that this consultation comes to a two-hundred dollars cost" she interrupted, not even looking at him.
"Does that mean you're mine for an hour?" he asked, leaning even closer to her over the desk. Nina did not take her eyes off the file.
"Indeed, I will assist you with whatever your case may be"
"No problem then, I'll pay when we're done" Piero continued "As I said, you see, I met this girl, and she is a foreign - as much as me"
"I understand" the girl finally looked back at him, shaking her head. Was everything a game to him? Was he really getting into a consultation just to mock her? Whatever the case, Piero didn't seem to care as he continued explaining while stretching his arms towards her across the desk. She couldn't help but notice his painted nails showing, once more screaming anything but masculinity.
"I was wondering, since I am a legal permanent resident and she isn't, if there's anything she could do to change that" he stopped his hands once they reached both of her wrists and locked around them. His green eyes looked directly into hers and she could feel her heart-pounding.
"Is this girl, uhm, here in a visa?" Nina felt her voice tremble. Piero smiled.
"Yes, a work one"
"Those last for three years only" she acknowledged, pursing her lips "Unless she renews it, she has to leave"
A sigh took hold of the girl's chest against her will. Piero blinked but remained close to her.
"I see. Do you think if she marries a resident that would change, at all?"
Nina froze. Why was he asking this?
"I... Yes, most definitively" she frowned and added, unable to hold herself "Piero, why are you asking this-"
"I am paying for your service" he clarified, letting go of her wrists and standing up, the feathers on his jacket moving as he did "And I would do more if necessary to keep you- her, to keep her here"
The sepia-toned eyes followed the androgynous boy's every move, confused yet still adoring. He was pacing around the room, hands on his hips and eyes looking up at the ceiling, avoiding hers.
"Are you saying you would marry her? Isn't that a bit..."
Nina couldn't continue.
"A bit what?" Piero looked at her, standing still right beside her.
"I don't know..." Nina kept a pleading look as he kneeled before her, his hands cupping hers "A bit much"
"Don't you want to stay?"
His voice came as honest as she ever heard it, even though she still knew she hadn't heard enough.
"I do but-"
"What, would it be embarrassing for you to marry me?"
"No, never, that's not what I'm saying, I just-"
"Nin, sweetheart, you don't believe in marriage, neither do I, but if that's what it takes to keep this going..." he squeezed her hands as her eyes began to water "Then it's nothing, right? Just a formality so that this fucked up world and its fucked up rules don't tear us apart - don't tear you apart"
She shook her head, auburn hair moving softly out of place when she did.
"This can't be taken lightly, Piero, we can't just jump into something so big with little thought to it"
"Of course we can!" his nasal voice got more impatient "It's what makes sense, Nin, you need something that I can give you and that I want to give you, so I will! It's logic!"
"I don't want marriage!" she exclaimed, taking her time in between every word. Piero was not bothered by such words.
"No, what you don't want is to be dependent on someone, which you won't be. That's not how we work, that's not what marriage will do to us - it doesn't even exist, Nina! We just have to sign some papers and everything will be solved!"
Piero placed a hand on the girl's neck, attempting to calm her. She was overwhelmed and unable to reply, which he took to his advantage.
"Nin, we are doing this. If there's a person on earth I would do this with is you, and if there's someone I would do this for is you, specifically. Think about it. No one else would, and you wouldn't want to marry anyone either - unless we both know what we are getting into, which we do. We really do!"
"We've known each other only for a few months" she whispered, still shocked but with a tone that suggested surrender.
"Yet we act like it's been years, right?" The boy smiled, his hat caressing the top of Nina's head "Sweetheart, we are both as crazy and unique as the other is, even if the insanity is a tad more visual in my case" they both laughed, Piero softly shrugging and Nina biting her lower lip "Let's make the insanity last. I only want to buy us more time"
She didn't say anything, but the kneeling boy knew she was convinced.
Piero stood up and cupped Nina's face with both hands, kissing her with tenderness as he did.
"And I thought you just wanted to have sex with me in my work place" Nina whispered against his lips, to which they both laughed.
"That too" he replied, pressing his lips against hers once more.