Steampunk Shenanigans

Damien felt like he was on another planet. He woke up that morning with Evie curled up next to him, and he was on the verge of a heart attack when she finally woke up and gave him a gentle "good morning". He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Deep down, this was what he wanted. And he hadn't forced anything on her. He wasn't sure why he still felt like he was overstepping.

Now he was sitting next to Evie in a cab as she fussed with her hair on the way to the ball. She looked incredible in the gown Sylvia had helped her find, and Damien kept sneaking glances over at her. She really did look like the fairy princess from Fallon's book. She caught him looking and he turned red as he quickly looked away.

"I know, it's ridiculous," she said with a sigh.

"Ridiculous?" Damien frowned. "No, not at all. You look really nice. Really pretty."

"You think so?"

She looked up at him with those big eyes that made him feel like suffocating and he had to look away, but he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Yeah. You're going to kill them out there."

She'll probably kill me first. Her nerves seemed to be a little calmed at least. She took Damien's arm and he walked her into the event, which was already full of people dancing and mingling. At least in a large crowd, it was easier to hide.

"Evie!"

They both grimace when the first person to notice them was none other than Franklin Hawkins. He had completely ditched the pretty girl he was talking to so he could swoop in and take Evie's hand, placing a kiss on it. Damien resisted the urge to yank her away from him, but she pulled her hand away quite quickly anyways.

"It's so good to see you again," he said with a grin. "Still slumming it down with Dr. Hart, are you? I'm glad he hasn't killed you with boredom yet."

"He could never," Evie said, keeping her tone polite though her expression was just a bit annoyed. Not that Franklin noticed anything.

"Well I hope he's appreciative of how absolutely breathtaking you look tonight," Franklin said. "Truly stunning. He'd be a fool not to take you on the dance floor."

Damien's gaze hardened. "Actually, I-"

"Oh, don't tell me he hasn't," Franklin said with mock stupor. "That's just unacceptable. I'll have to swoop in to steal that first dance, then."

He didn't give either of them a chance to say anything before pulling Evie away from Damien and towards the dance floor. She looked over her shoulder at him for help, but he couldn't do anything as Franklin twirled her into the crowd.

Damien tried not to look suspicious as he walked around, occasionally chatting with people but mostly keeping an eye on Evie. Partially because he was making sure they didn't break their distance, but mainly because he was infuriated at the sight of Franklin's hands anywhere near Evie. He had her for a couple of songs, but eventually a dance started that involved switching partners.

Damien quickly took his opportunity to ask one of the students he recognized to the dance floor, timing it so he ended up with Evie by the end of the song. She seemed a little breathless when she was spun into his arms, then smiled when they continued the dance together.

"Sorry I couldn't rescue you sooner," he told her.

"Better late than never," she said. "He wouldn't stop talking about the important silk used for his suit."

"Oh, you're not into that kind of thing?" Damien asked, raising a brow. "You're always raving about fabric blends."

"I'm very opinionated when it comes to the luxury textile industry," she said sarcastically.

The song ended and everyone applauded, and Damien suddenly realized he was still holding her. They both turned a bit red and stepped away from each other. Before Franklin could find them again, they weaved through the crowd to get to the other side of the hall. Damien noticed Evie was a little uneasy and placed a hand on her back.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked. "Do you need some water?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "There's just a man over there looking at us. For a minute, I was worried Corbin sent someone to spy on us."

"Where?"

"By the appetizers."

Damien looked up and spotted the man looking their way, and the color drained from his face. Evie frowned at his reaction.

"Is it a spy?" she asked.

"No, much worse," he told her. "That's my father."

She turned pale too and Damien tried to pretend he didn't notice his father there, but it was a little late for that. Montgomery Hart strolled casually over to them with an easy smile. He was a tall and refined man, and Damien looked quite a bit like him. And yet, Damien couldn't never look as strong and commanding as he was.

"Won't you greet your father, boy?" he asked. "I taught you better manners than that."

"Dad," Damien greeted. "I didn't know you'd be here. It's good to see you."

"Care to introduce me to your friend?"

Evie had backed up and was almost trying to hide behind Damien, but she shyly came out and smiled politely.

"Right," Damien said. "Dad, this is my colleague, Evie Kipling. We've been working together to push her into the advanced classes at the university. Evie, this is my father. Montogomery Hart."

"Please, call me Monte," he said, politely shaking Evie's hand. "Truth be told, I've already heard of you. Seems you've made quite an impression on my dear Sylvie."

"Pleasure to meet you," Evie said softly. "Um, yes. She's a wonderful woman. She has helped me a lot."

"She speaks highly of your ambitions," Monte said. "You have an interest in engineering?"

"I do," she nodded. "I mean, I'd like to learn more. If possible."

Evie's answer seemed genuine, and Damien couldn't help but crack a smile. The more Monte talked to her, the more comfortable she was. She was even laughing at his jokes now. Damien knew his father was a charming man, but he also treated Evie with the respect she deserved and she responded well to it. She was telling him about her unfortunate run ins with Franklin Hawkins and he was laughing. Seemed like Monte was just as charmed with her as Sylvia was.

Damien had gone quiet and listened to the conversation until someone suddenly hugged him from behind and startled him. Of course, Monte hadn't come to the ball alone. After the death of his wife, he usually had one of his daughters accompanying him. Tonight, it was Alexis.

At only 17 years old she was definitely the beauty queen out of the three of them, with her jet black hair piled elegantly on her head and an elegant gown that brought out her blue eyes. When Damien tried to hug her back, she squeaked and told him not to muss her hair.

"You never come home anymore," she pouted. "All you do is spend your time in that stuffy lab by yourself."

"Not completely by himself," Monte noted playfully.

Only then did Alexis notice Evie, who had gotten shy again. The girl squealed and threw her arms around Evie in a hug like they had been friends for years. Evie's eyes were wide as she looked at Damien, and he just gave her a shrug and a smile. While Sylvia was a polished and sensible woman with a well-mannered personality, Alexis was all hugs and frills. She was a little too loud and friendly, but it was hard not to like her. Clearly, she had heard about Evie, too.

"Franklin made you dance with him?!" Alexis asked after hearing the story, eyes wide. "Oh, you poor thing. Did he get grabby? He got grabby with me once and Damien tackled him into a fountain."

Damien turned bright red and Evie looked over at him with her eyebrows raised.

"He did?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alexis grinned. "He got angry because I was only fifteen at the time and Damien said I was too young for Franklin to get handsy, and Franklin told him to mind his business, and then Damien full on rugby tackled him into a fountain. I think he wanted to drown him."

"I did not!" Damien said quickly. "I wasn't going to drown him. I just got a little heated."

"You should've drowned him," Alexis said, wrinkling her nose.

"What are brothers for, if not protectors for their sisters?" Monte chuckled. "You know, he did a lot for Sylvia when they were younger. Before she met Hudson there was this awful man, Langston. Broke her heart one night while I was away on business and left her stranded outside the restaurant. Damien went out looking for her when she was late to come home, and carried her all the way home because her feet hurt from her shoes. Can you imagine?"

Damien was bright red with embarassment now, but Evie had a warm sort of sparkle in her eye as she looked at him.

"He always puts everyone else first, does he?" she asked.

"He's got a pure heart," Monte nodded. "Terrible for the business world. He wouldn't last two seconds in my line of work. But I suppose he's a good engineer."

"Dad, please," Damien begged. "I think that's enough."

"Alright, alright," he chuckled. "I think we're being sent away, Alexis. You two have a pleasant night. I'm going to take my little girl for a spin on the dance floor."

Alexis hugged Evie one more time, completely forgetting Damien like everyone else.

"Come visit me," she told Evie. "Please? You have to promise."

"I promise," Evie said.

Alexis grinned excitedly and took Monte's arm, following him to the dancefloor.

"I'm so sorry about them," Damien said to Evie. "My family can be a bit forward."

"No, they're wonderful," Evie said. "Did you really tackle Franklin?"

"I did," he grimaced. "It wasn't my most graceful moment."

"I'm glad you did it."

Damien cracked a smile. "Yeah, me too."

They didn't stay much longer after that. They mingled a little while longer, but Damien was feeling a little overwhelmed with having the same conversation over and over. Yes, it is a shame he passed. Yes, I'm very proud to continue his work. Yes, I'm quite excited to begin teaching.

When they finally called a cab to head home, Damien sunk down into his seat with exhaustion. Evie seemed glad to leave too, but she was happy and seemed to have had a good time for the part. The few minutes she had to spend with Franklin weren't great, but Damien didn't mind that she ended up in his arms at the end.

He was still thinking about it as he started getting undressed, removing his jacket and unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt. The suit was really starting to feel suffocating. There was a knock and he turned to find Evie had appeared in his doorway. She was still wearing the gown but she had taken the pins out of her hair and let her curls fall around her face.

"Hey there, Ducky."

"Hello."

She just hovered there for a moment, then stepped forward and took Damien's hands to remove his cufflinks for him and set them on the side table.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked.

"Only because you were there," she said. "I had a good time. With you."

"I had a good time with you, too."

She was still holding his hands as she looked up at him in that way that made him melt.

"Everything you do, you do for everyone else," she told him. "How come?"

"I do it for the people I care about," he told her.

"You care?"

"I do."

She paused for a moment, then pulled him down by the front of his shirt and kissed him.