Hello, it's me ~ [Elias]

Eros was pretty sure he was dying. All of his muscles were sore, head was pulsing and his cheek burning because of the fresh cut there. He knew he probably should have gone to treat it immediately but he was so damn exhausted. He needed to relax and fill up his stomach a bit with something hot. A drink. Non-alcoholic surprisingly. For example a dark bitter coffee could make him feel better. That's why he dragged himself towards the coffee stand at the Ministry. He still needed to report that he took care of the crazy hippogriff a rich animal lover couldn't handle. He was the one to take the creature from him and make sure it was safely moved. That wasn't so easy.

Firstly, the man was absolutely furious and shouted at him, how does he dare to take her away, secondly the animal itself was even crazier than the man. She was practically mad, wild was a weak word to use, trying to claw out his eyes. He always had a respect for these creatures and made sure they knew it, he was well aware how arrogant and prideful they were. This one however more likely decided to hate his guts for no reason, no matter what he tried or did. He managed to catch her though but she was able to leave a quite deep scratch on his right cheek. He still had a little bit of blood on his neck. So he would probably need a treatment in the St. Mungo's, quick visit so they could patch him up. He had a photoshoot arranged two days from now on, he couldn't look like a Tarzan.

He approached the stand and smiled slightly at the woman behind it. He visited frequently so she already knew him as well as where he worked. She eyed the wound on his face with worried eyes. "Rough day?" She asked. "Same as usually?"

Eros nodded. "Yeah thanks. Had a hard time with hippogriff, have to say she had a quite temper. But it's nothing a healer wouldn't be able to patch up in a minute." He leaned on the corner of the stand slightly and yawned. "But man, she drained every bit of energy from me." He added and searched for sickles in his pocket to pay. He then took his coffee from her and sipped on it happily, still not moving away from here.

It was the first Tuesday of the month and Elias had just been dismissed from his monthly afternoon department meeting. He had just spent the last three hours sitting in a small conference room with all of the other representative from Germany, his boss handing out new cases for review and debriefing them all on the most recent updates in policy change. Elias found his work interesting, generally speaking: he liked that he was able to help both Germans and British wizards looking to work abroad, and he enjoyed meeting members of the magical community from around the world. But even for Elias, a three-hour meeting where his primary job was to sit still and listen could be a bit boring.

Freed from the stuffy room, he had headed immediately to the Ministry atrium, in desperate need of a walk and a coffee. After ordering his double espresso he had seated himself at his usual table, glad for a moment to refocus before heading back up to his cubicle. There was always a large pile of paperwork waiting for him there, but he could allow himself a few minutes break. Elias gazed around at some of the other customers, many of them reading copies of the Daily Prophet or chatting quietly with colleagues. He smiled at a few that he recognized. There was a group of them that took trips to the coffee cart almost every afternoon and most of the faces were familiar.

He turned his head and saw another familiar face, though one that he had never seen (and had never, ever expected to see) at his place of work. The man was standing at the coffee cart, dried blood on his face and neck. Elias recognized those two eyes that had been much, much too close to his only a week or so before. Horrified, he turned away, panicking slightly. He was hit with the memory of this man cornering him in a club, grabbing him, humiliating him in front of a crowd of muggles.

The man from the muggle bar was here. At the Ministry of Magic. It seemed he hadn't been a muggle after all.

Elias was unsure what to do. His first option was to abandon his coffee and get the hell out of there, but with the risk of him attracting the stranger's notice by what would no doubt be odd and too-fast movement. The only other choice, as far as he could see, was to keep sitting here, look the other way, and hope against hope that the other man wouldn't see him. Elias would just have to pray that this man was too distracted by his injuries and whatever mission he was on to notice him, the man he had forced himself on last weekend, sitting only a few meters away.

He chatted a bit more with the lady about Daily Prophet and some other gossips. This was a good place to always hear out the newest things, what others talked about. Not that he needed to know but it was always good to stay infomated.

A few minutes later he turned around, another coffee in his hands since he still felt too exhausted to be content with only one, and went to find himself a seat. There was only one completely empty table but he didn't find the idea of sitting in a chair where sun beams would stick it's fingers into his face comfortable.

Instead he looked around, searching for other possibilities. There was a blond woman sitting alone at a table but Eros refused to sit next to any female witch. They were usually all crazy. So no, no way he would go sit there. Luckily, there were to other tables with only one person, both men. He didn't really look at their faces, just decided to head for the one closer to him, too lazy to make more steps than necessary.

"Uh, sorry but is this seat taken?" He asked the guy politely but with a cold voice. Fate or not, in that exact moment the face of the man suddenly emerged in his mind. He recognized him. It was the same guy from the muggle club. The same guy he forcibly kissed was here at the Ministry. So not a muggle but a wizard.

He blinked, shocked for a moment, then a small grin appeared on his face. He sat down, negative answer or not, and stared at the man before him. He was thinking through how he should act. He had so many possibilities, the most enjoyable probably start teasing the guy. That could also mean he would go away though which would be a pity, and Eros somehow wasn't even in the mood to flirt or anything. Not after the three hour fight with a crazy hippogriff, he was really exhausted to act anyhow beside being his normal serious self. True, somehow it felt a bit uncomfortable, sitting opposite him, staring into those eyes but it was probably more awkward for the other than him.

This was not happening.

His body had tensed as he had heard the other man's footsteps approaching, silently willing the man to walk in a different direction or see a friend or get distracted or simply leave. But apparently fate had other plans, and when Elias looked up at the other man's words, that familiar face was looking down at him. The question had come across innocently, but Elias had a hard time believing that this other man hadn't noticed him while ordering and then intentionally made his way to this table, if only for the sake of messing with him. Something like that couldn't be a coincidence, he was sure of it.

Indecision was overwhelming him as he looked up at the man. He knew that the polit thing would be to oblige; after all, the seat was free, but his instinct was to get up and simply walk away. He was not interested in whatever game this man was playing, and he was especially not willing to get into what had happened between them while he was supposed to just be on a short coffee break. He still had several hours of work waiting for him back on level five Before he could commit to one option or the other, the chair was being pulled away from the table and the almost-stranger had seated himself.

Elias stared back at the man in silence, furious with himself for somehow failing to avoid this situation. His voice had been colder than he remembered, and he didn't like the look of the smile that was spreading across his face. Elias had actually helped this man out of a weird situation, even after what had been done to him, and now this apparently-magical man was going to thank him by embarrassing him further.

Well, Elias wasn't going to turn it into a scene. If the other man was trying to get a rise out of him, he certainly wasn't going to oblige. He was above petty arguing and had no interest in dealing with drama while he was trying to drink an espresso at the office. He lifted the drink and took a careful sip, taking his time setting it back down in the same place on the table between them. When he was sure that his emotions were under controlf, Elias finally broke the silence. "I certainly did not expect to see you here. Do you work for the Ministry? I'm surprised we haven't met before now."

His crooked grin slowly vanished. Instead, his neutral serious face was showed off to the other as Eros took another sip of his dark strong coffee. He loved bitter taste as much as the sweet one. Even better to put them together, he thought. His gaze lingered on the man before him, listening to his question. He was a bit surprised the other didn't start on the incident that happened between them, being all angry and frustrated. Straight guys were usually no fun.

He pulled the cup away from his lips and set it back down. He leaned to the side on his hands, palm tucked under his chin, relaxing a bit his sore muscles. "I definitely can agree on that, I didn't expect you here either." He stated with a brief chuckle. "And I obviously work here, yeah, though I'm usually out in action rather than sitting hours in the building so maybe that's why we missed each other till now." He continued and shrugged. A yawn forced his mouth to open then and Eros stretched his arms over his head, hissing at the pain in his arms. Damn hippogriff, he though, frustrated.

He looked back at the other. "What's your job?" He asked him and took another sip of his coffee. "Oh, I'm Eros by the way, don't think I really introduced myself before." He added.

Elias' face tensed a bit at the man's comment. He did not appreciate the condescending attitude; the idea that Elias should have concluded he worked here, that having an office job was less important or interesting somehow than field work. Elias had chosen not to enter an action-packed department intentionally, deciding it was more mature and, ultimately, useful to be a part of a group working on creating change rather than putting out little fires around the country.

He lifted an eyebrow at the sound of pain the other man let out, temporarily softening as he realized the stranger might really be injured. Maybe he should be working on getting him some medical attention rather than sitting here, waiting for their conversation to push into an area that made him truly angry. Elias opened his mouth to suggest that they relocate, but the man beat him to it.

Eros? That didn't sound very English. But if the man was foreign, surely he would have been around the Department of International Cooperation before now? "Dörfler, Department of International Magical Cooperation," he responded automatically. His hand twitched forward, but he redirected it and lifted his espresso cup instead, draining the glass prematurely. A handshake was his automatic reaction to an introduction, but he felt that Eros had already chosen to introduce himself in a different way. Elias had no need to give an indication that their relationship might turn friendly going forward.

Elias set his empty glass back down on the table. "You look like you need medical attention. Perhaps I should escort you to a healer," he offered. "I was just on my way back upstairs, but I don't mind taking a minute to see you to someone if you would like. You seem to be in quite a bit of pain." Although he wasn't thrilled at the idea of spending more time with the man, especially not alone, it was the decent thing to do. He couldn't in good conscience walk away from someone who needed his help, especially not when he had the time and ability to offer it.

Eros pouted. "No first name?" He whined dramatically. Where was his serious mood now? Acting like a drama queen might not be the best idea. He chuckled, lifting his cup to take another sip of his coffee. Setting it back down, he added, "I'm not surprised we haven't met, I don't really hang around your department much. I work in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and I'm here only on days, when I'm needed on more dangerous matters...usually, though that's not so rare case," he shrugged. He supposed it was thanks to the type of work he did, he had a time taking modeling offers as well.

Eros subconsciously reached out to touch his wounded face. He grimaced a bit, looking at the red color on his fingers, once he withdrew his hand. It wasn't oozing so much anymore. "I had worse before," he confessed, "much worse, though I usually try to keep my face in safe distance from claws, teeth, hooves or whatever is trying to put me down." One of his corners quirked up, "But escort would be nice," he pointed out, his voice slightly teasing. He emptied his cup and stood up, groaning at his sore muscles. "Uh, I seriously feel like rode over with dragon," he grumbled loudly, massaging his left shoulder.

He ran his hand through his hair to straighten them up a bit, two colored orbs flickering to Dörfler for a moment. "So how long you're in London? And which German city are you from?" He asked curiously and to keep the conversation flowing.

It was amazing that a man bleeding from the face could take such a casual tone about his injuries. Elias was doing his best not to be impolite and stare, but in the end he felt that Eros had hardly established their relationship as a considerate one. How must he look, conversing with a clearly-injured man but doing nothing at all obvious to help him? He settled for taking Eros' cup as well as his own back to the stand and placing them in the tub, where they immediately started cleaning themselves.

With a nod, Elias gestured for Eros to follow him out of the atrium. Eros didn't look in a great state, and he wasn't sure whether the man would be comfortable apparting into St. Mungo's when he was already hurt. Apparting wasn't a comfy experience, even for the most skilled. Deciding that muggle transport would probably be the best option for them, Elias led him toward the visitor's exit and stepped into the lift.

"I've been living in London since the war ended," Elias answered delicately, hoping his discomfort with the subject wasn't too obvious. Every time he remembered how he had left his English coworkers and friends to deal with the situation alone, he felt immensely guilty. "But I am from Hanover originally. Have you ever been to Germany?" It was only polite to ask.

As they stepped out onto the pavement, Elias headed off toward the main street, intending to hail a taxi to drive them to the hospital. "I thought taking a car might be easiest for you. Do you mind?"

Eros waited on Elias as he fetched their empty cups and went to put them back. He straightened his blood-stained shirt a bit, scowling at those red droplets. He wasn't so excited from the fact he would need a new one. Damn Hippogriff, seriously, people should learn to tame their pets, if they wanted something more dangerous. Not make them a bloodthirsty madness. Eros' hand went through his hair. He eyed Elias a but suspiciously as he answered his questions but didn't ask. "Well, you're lucky then. I participated in the war a lot. My job were mostly Werewolves as there weren't many competent people who could take them on. Then went to the last Battle," he explained. "It's better to stay away from it, it wasn't nothing nice." He sighed. "Still have few ugly scars and I ended up lucky, unlike others." He shrugged. "No, never been to Germany." He shook his head, "though I'd like to go some time."

Eros ran his hand through his hair again. "Ah, I still need to hand in the report from today," he sighed. "I really don't get people who get such dangerous creatures as their pets when they're unable to take them and make them behave at least a bit. That Hippogriff today was absolutely mad. Seriously, what was the guy thinking?! It tried to jump at me no matter how much respect I showed her and how considerate I was. Had to take her by force in the end. She wouldn't calm down," he started rambling as, leaning against the wall of the the lift. He followed after Elias as they stepped out seconds later, going down the street. "I don't mind. Apparating wouldn't do me any good," he said.

Suddenly, though, the man wobbled on his feet. "Crap." His vision swam, head spinning and he stepped backwards, groan slipping past his lips. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, feeling blind and disoriented.

Of course he had been a part of the war. Even people like Eros, who clearly had not been raised to display the utmost decency as Elias had, had stuck around and fought against the rise of the Death Eaters. He supposed it was a good thing that Germany had stayed out of it all, as it was perfectly likely they would have sided with the blood purists, but it still made Elias' stomach tighten to think that people he cared about had been hunted while he had turned away.

Elias let Eros talk as these thoughts turned over in his head, hardly taking in a word the man was saying. He nodded politely when Eros stopped for breath, but otherwise let him talk until the lift opened and they stepped out onto the pavement. With Eros' permission, Elias flicked his wand covertly and a taxi immediately pulled over to the side of the road in front of them. Elias was on the point of opening the door for his companion, ready to give the address to the driver and make his escape, when Eros swayed.

Instinctively, Elias, grabbed his shoulder, helping him steady himself and looking with greater concern than ever at the man's wounds. There was no question: he would have to make the trip to the hospital with him. What if Eros fainted and the muggle abandoned him somewhere along the way? Or called one of those mad muggle healers to try to treat the magical wounds?

Resigning himself to the thought of an afternoon of work lost, Elias guided Eros into the car before sliding into the seat next to him and snapping the door shut. After making sure that Eros was supported and upright, he gave the address to the driver and settled back, hoping the ride would be quick and that the healers would be able to do their best for the beast hunter.

[out]

Eros felt his head pulse and his vision swam. He could feel Elias close as the man tried to steady him but a feeling of nausea distracted him. Okay, he might have misjudged his state. Maybe the wounds were more serious than he thought. Maybe he had forgotten about the gash on his side that was now coloring his shirt in dark red, though it wasn't even deep or anything. It was soaking his damn shirt. Well, great, the Beast Hunter thought, frowning. He ruined his favortie shirt thanks to his stupidity. Now, this was a real disaster. The former Slytherin should have probably been more concerned about his state rather than a piece of cloth but he couldn't help it, okay. He really liked his clothes and it wasn't so cheap to begin with - especially this shirt. Eros really hoped there was some kind of spell for getting blood off textil. He couldn't remember with his muddle up brain and the slight ache he was feeling on his cheek, if anything like that existed but he bloody well wished for it.

"Sorry," he grunted towards Elias, blinking. He smiled a little and for the first time it had seemed completely honest. The Beast hunter then moved to slide into the taxi, shifting around, a slight burn appearing where his cloth was soaked. He suddenly felt really exhausted - maybe because he had barely gotten any sleep that night from haunting nightmares which involved too much violence and memories. His eyelids dropped a little before Eros slumped against Elias not giving a damn at the moment and closing his eyes with a soft pained groan. Or maybe it was the sound of his frustration over his ruined shirt, who knew. Either way, if Elias didn't push him away, Eros had fallen asleep by the time they left the street, heading for the Wizarding hospital.

[out]