Looking for Somewhere to Be (Richard)

Gabriel wandered into the library, glancing around. And was about to walk out again when he spotted a young blond boy in the corner of the room.

He was looking for somewhere to be. Anywhere that wasn't his and Jean's room. It was so awkward hanging around there when neither of them had anything to say to each other. Just to get away for a bit would be nice.

Just to talk to someone else. Anybody else.

He sat down in the seat opposite the boy with a cocky grin, watching him in amusement.

"Hello, squirt."

With the cold whether setting in, Richard found himself spending less time outside painting and more time in the library, snuggled up by a fire with a book and a cup of tea. Despite his vampiric form, he still could not stand the cold, even though deep down he knew he could stand the harshest winters without batting an eyelid.

He also found himself wearing a polo shirt more often. Though, more for the convenience of hiding the few hickies that Ignicio would sometimes leave. No matter how many he gets, and how uncaring the rest of the coven seem to be, they still embarrassed him.

Hearing the creak of the door and footsteps, at first he ignored the vampire that joined him in the room. And continued to when they sat down in front of him. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance when he heard who it was.

"What?"

Icy eyes glared at the other vampire, hoping that he will have his fun and leave so that he can get on with his book. He was just at the part when Marie would finally stand up to her brute of a husband.

"Hmm, I would have thought a young princeling such as yourself would have better manners."

The taller vampire got comfortable in his seat as a grin spread across his face. Richard wanted him to leave. That was obvious. Well, he had no intention of leaving. The room was silent and uncomfortable, and he had finally found somewhere to be that had some form of entertainment.

Frankly, he didn't care what Richard thought of him. He was going to sit here and piss him off for his own entertainment.

"Don't call me 'princeling'." Richard snarled, his hands clenched a little around the pages of the book.

"And I have perfectly good manners."

Every fiber in him told him to hate the taller vampire and cause a fight. But his conscious knew that not only was he going against his words of having 'good manners', but it also told him to stay calm, and not to bite every time the taller man made a comment. He knew that it will only make matters worst, having dealt with it for years with Ignicio (and still does).

But, oh, how much he wanted to punch that grin off Gabriel's face.

Taking his conscious advice, he looked down and tried to ignore the other vampire by trying to read is book.

"Could have fooled me."

He grinned, stretching his legs out and propping them up on the coffee table between them and starting to crack his knuckles slowly, one by one.

This was fun. It reminded him of what he had been missing since he had been spending all his time with Jean. Pissing Jean off wasn't quite as much fun. His reactions weren't as irritable as Richard's.

His feet waggled under the young man's nose annoyingly.

"What got your nappy in a twist, anyway?"

Richard attempted to ignore other vampire, yet he could not focus on his book with each crack and pop of a joint. Instead, he found himself quickly become more wound up, regardless of telling himself ‘ignore him, and he will go away’. Gritting his teeth, he soon snapped as Gabriel 'popped' the sixth finger.

"Stop it. And keep your feet off the table.”

Glaring at the vampire opposite, he batted the feet away with a swift slap.

A huff was the answer to Gabriel’s question. He knew that Gabriel knew the answer; himself. Reminding himself of the plan to ignore him, he turned back to his book, despite now having lost interest in it.

He took his feet off the table when Richard slapped them. And then put them back up again with a cocky grin and a low chuckle.

"No chance. Winding you up is too much fun."

The man stretched, back arching as a series of joints down his spine cracked satisfyingly.

Oh, now this was fun. Pissing Richard off was a great form of entertainment which he was surprised that he had not indulged in more before.

Richard's knuckles turned white as he clutched his hands around the book when Gabriel simply propped his feet back on the newly cleaned and polished table, cocky grin still in place. Blue eyes glared at the taller vampire. Oh, how he really wanted to punch that smirk off off now.

Breathing in and out deeply, he tried to forcefully calm himself, tearing his eyes off Gabriel and back onto the book.

As soon as he heard another the series of clicks and cracks of joints the books flew out of his hand, aiming for Gabriel's face.