How Ardently I Admire

Mr Logan Howlett was a short man, with a thick head of hair, and though his brow was often creased, he did not seem to really be the surly type – he had excellent, unaffected manners, was quick to smile, and he greeted each new acquaintance with real warmth and enthusiasm upon being introduced.
He had brought with him some friends from London - two alphas named Yuriko Oyama and Warren Worthington, and Mr Worthington's wife, Miranda. Also with them was Mr Howlett's mother’s daughter-in-law, whom he called his sister – a widowed omega named Emma Frost. Yuriko and Emma were very fashionably dressed, and not quite as friendly as Mr Howlett. Mrs Miranda Worthington seemed a quiet woman; she was blonde and not unattractive, looked to be enough of a gentlewoman, and was otherwise unremarkable.

The last member of their party, however, was quickly agreed to be very decidedly remarkable. Mr Lensherr was an alpha who drew and held the attention of the assembly with his fine, tall figure, his handsome features, and his noble demeanour. If his expression had seemed initially too proud or too severe, it was soon forgiven once it had circulated around the room that Mr Lensherr had an income of ten thousand pounds a year. He was very much admired by all who attended, until about halfway through the evening, when it became gradually apparent that neither his money nor his looks could make up for his unbearable pride. He danced once with Mrs Worthington, and once with Miss Frost, and then, declining to be introduced to any other omega, spent the rest of the evening walking around the room, with a cold expression on his face, occasionally talking to one of the party he had come with but no-one else.

Charles found himself obliged to sit out for one of the dances, as there were more omegas than alphas. Mr Lensherr had declined to dance this set, and Mr Howlett left the dance for a few moments to try and persuade his friend to join them.

“Erik. I really wish you would dance,” he chided. “You look more stupid than dignified, to be standing around like this. Have another drink and try not to be so damn miserable.” He slapped Mr Lensherr on the arm. "There's no point being here if you're not going to dance.”

Charles, focusing on their conversation, could just about make it out, although he sat too far away for them to suppose he could be within earshot. He felt a swell of gratitude at Mr Howlett’s words; indeed, Mr Lensherr did look stupid, and clearly had no thought for the feelings of those wishing for a partner.

“Logan," Mr Lensherr replied, "you know I hate to dance unless I know the person I am dancing with. Miranda and Emma are both engaged, and there is no other omega in the room with whom I could bear to stand up.”

“I have never met so many pleasant omegas in my life as I have tonight,” Mr Howlett said, emphatic. “Erik, you’re either blind or stupid. Or both. Several of these omegas at least are uncommonly pretty.”

“You are dancing with the only handsome omega in the room,” Mr Lensherr replied. “And I note that you have danced with him twice, now.”

Mr Howlett smiled. “Mr Henry Xavier. You are correct; he is the most lovely creature I ever beheld, and I hope to dance with him a third time if his card is not already full. But his brother is sitting just along there, I think; Charles Xavier. He is pretty enough even for you, Erik, surely; and I expect very agreeable too. Let me ask Henry to introduce you.”

Charles looked over; he could not help it, and was a little startled to see Mr Lensherr’s cold grey eyes staring back at him, steadily. Charles averted his gaze, trying to appear undisturbed and collected, and trying not to blush.

“He is tolerable,” said Mr Lensherr, still thinking himself out of hearing, or perhaps not caring that Charles might hear, “but he is not handsome enough to tempt me. Besides, I am not in the mood to give consequences to omegas who have been slighted or overlooked by other alphas. You had better return to your partner, Logan, and enjoy those shy smiles of his; you are wasting your time with me.”

 “I’m always wasting my time with you,” Mr Howlett muttered, crossing back over to Hank, who was indeed smiling his usual shy smile, looking nervous but happy.

Charles was upset, of course, but managed to recover, turning the incident into an amusing episode which he recounted to his friends later in the evening. Ridiculousness always delighted Charles, and he readily agreed every time someone dismissed Mr Lensherr’s haughtiness as laughable and absurd.

Their father was still up when they returned from the ball, tired but still willing to hear about their first impressions of their new neighbour.

“We have had the most delightful evening!” Mrs Xavier exclaimed. “Raven was asked to dance every dance. Mr Howlett was struck with Henry right away, he asked to be introduced as soon as he saw him. And they danced two dances together, and I believe they would have danced a third but Henry was already engaged. And he danced with Charles as well, later on. Such a delightful man! So excessively handsome, so well dressed. He has a tendency to look stern, but he is never cross, I believe his face just rests like that. He danced a dance with Moira as well, you know, but I believe he liked Henry much more, Henry was the only one he asked twice – ”

“I almost wish he had broken his ankle and been unable to dance at all,” Mr Xavier replied, his patience wearing a little.

“Well, I will speak of another subject, then,” Mrs Xavier said, forced to move on. “You will like it much less. Mr Howlett’s friend, Mr Lensherr, proved himself to be a very rude and arrogant man. He was too proud to dance with Charles, although he could see Charles was in want of a partner for one of the dances. Instead he simply walked about the room, fancying himself so very serious and so very much above everyone else. Charles does not lose much by not appealing to Mr Lensherr’s fancy; in my opinion he is far too conceited a man to be bearable. Charles, not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set-downs. I quite detest the man.”

Once everyone had said goodnight and gone to their own rooms, Hank came down the hall, and stood in Charles' doorway.

“Come in!” Charles gestured. “Shut the door, tell me about Mr Howlett.”

Hank closed the door, and seated himself next to Charles. “He’s a good man,” he said quietly, turning pink and adjusting his glasses. “So good-humoured and lively. And he has excellent manners.”

“He’s also very handsome,” Charles added, “which is, I think, another important element.”

“I never expected him to ask me to dance twice,” Hank murmured.

“Why not? I did. He could not help noticing that you’re about five times as lovely as any other omega there. Well, he is certainly very agreeable, and you have liked stupider people.”

“Charles!”

“It’s true! You are far too inclined to like people. You never speak ill of anyone. Everyone is agreeable to you; that’s why you need me to find fault with people when you cannot.”

Well,” Hank replied, “I would never want to be too quick to criticise anyone; but I do always speak what I think.”

“I know you do,” said Charles. “That is the mystery. You have such good sense, Hank, but so often you are blind to the flaws and follies of others. Do you like Mr Howlett’s companions as well? Their manners are certainly not equal to his, you know.”

“Well,” said Hank, “perhaps not at first. But they are pleasant once you talk to them. Emma is widowed, you know; and she intends to live with her brother and help keep his house. They are not really siblings; I believe Logan’s halfbrother was married to Emma, before his death. But I don't think she is interested in Logan. She has enough money of her own, and their personalities don’t match at all. I think perhaps he forgets sometimes that she is an omega and not another alpha; at least, he gave that impression when he spoke of her." Hank adjusted his glasses. "Really, I expect she will make a very charming neighbour, Charles; you do not have to look so sour,” he teased gently.

Charles could not be convinced. The behaviour of the women at the assembly had not seemed calculated to please; and he had noted that they could be agreeable when they were of a mind to, but otherwise they both seemed too proud and too conceited. He had felt especially ill-at-ease when Miss Frost had looked over at him; something about her gaze had unnerved him, a look on her face that suggested she knew his mind. Perhaps she had perceived his initial attraction to Mr Lensherr; he hoped she had not, as he had been so slighted.

~ ~ ~

Erik had always acknowledged the opposition of character between himself and Logan, and tonight was no exception. Sometimes, in one of his tempers, he would ask himself why they were friends at all, and then Logan would slap him on the back and offer him a cigar, and smile at him, and accuse him of being the most miserable and insufferable man to ever live. Then Erik would find himself smiling a little despite himself, and would find himself realising that Logan was the only person he allowed to speak to him like that without consequence. He was too fond of Logan now to ever turn against him, even if they could never seem to share the same kind of thoughts.

“I just can’t believe how unsporting you had to be!” Logan exclaimed as soon as they were back Netherfield. “I declare, I’ve never met with pleasanter people, or prettier omegas in my entire life. There was no formality, no awkwardness, I was acquainted with everyone in the room in about five minutes. As for Henry Xavier –” He paused.

Erik glanced across at him and cursed internally. Logan looked infatuated. Deciding to get it over with, he asked, “As for Henry Xavier?”

“I couldn’t dream up a more beautiful creature,” Logan said, a little gruffly, looking down as he poured them a drink each.

“Well, I thought it was a horrid event. All I saw was a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no real fashion – typical of the rural gentility – and I had not even the smallest interest in any of them. I suppose Mr Xavier was pretty enough, but he blushed too easily and he smiled too often.”

“Erik, I believe you are right about the assembly as a whole,” Emma said before Logan could open his mouth, “but Henry is a sweet thing, even if he does smile too much, and Warren and I both admire him. I would not object to knowing more of him.”

Having received the sanction of Emma if not of Erik, Logan felt authorized to think of Hank as fondly as he chose, and encouraged Emma to invite Hank and his siblings to wait on her.

“I suppose you could be just happen to be passing by outside, or be coming through the parlour, if you knew when they would visit,” Emma said dryly.

“Precisely,” Logan replied, smiling and lighting another cigar. "Precisely so, Emma. And if Erik knew when they were visiting, he could take himself out of the house, away from the - what was it? - little beauty and no real fashion they offer."

Erik glared. "I'll not take it back, Logan."

Logan smiled, and handed him a drink.