“The pleasure is all mine, Ansel,” the man murmured in a deceivingly pleasant voice, a faint smile continuing to play at his lips though it was masked by his beautifully groomed beard. Lucio was quite pleased to see the two men playing nice, though he could see the flame that had lit in Ansel’s eyes the moment he shifted his gaze onto the gorgeous professor. He was<i>jealous.</i>Lucio couldn’t fathom why. Perhaps if Ansel was aware of his and Claude’s history it’d make sense, but he had no idea of their extensive past together, so he really had no reason to have such a foul look about him. He hoped Claude didn’t notice the man’s well masked glare.<br/><br/>Of course, he did.<br/><br/>The men were having a battle for dominance right there in front of him, albeit a literally and figuratively masked one, and Lucio found himself mildly exasperated. His lover’s words clearly grated his ex-lover the wrong way, and it was all Lucio could do not to cringe as Claude tightened his grip on him whilst Ansel leaned in. The kiss was electric, as all of theirs tended to be, but simultaneously it was beyond awkward as the oldest male in the trio was staring rather intensely. His gaze felt as though it was burning into the side of his skull for the entire duration, and when the parted Lucio let out a bit of breathy laughter and he skirted to the side slightly, slipping from the male’s bruising grip and sliding into Ansel’s arms as the man commented on the auction beginning soon.<br/><br/>“Why yes, my darling, I do believe it will be started rather quickly here. We’ve seats up close to the stage this evening, as I have to say a few words on behalf of the charity at some point,” he stated softly, tucking himself against the dark haired male’s chest and gazing up at Claude. He regained his composure as quickly as it had fled him and he smiled warmly up at his former partner, “It was a pleasure to see you again, my dear. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again soon.” The boy dipped his head politely in the direction of the elegant older gentleman. “Good luck in your auctioning endeavours this evening, Mr. Delou.” Lucio turned then, repositioning himself at Ansel’s arm and gently guiding him away from the offending gallery.<br/><br/>“Darling, I’d appreciate it thoroughly if you’d not be at the throats of my little fan club this evening. They’re some of the biggest contributors to the charity and I don’t need them angry this particular time, okay?” His words were spoken in a tone that could have barely even be classified as a whisper as they moved from the quiet gallery and back towards the lobby, which had emptied out significantly  as folks were being ushered into the auction hall. “Now, I have those three photos being auctioned off this evening, as well as a dinner date, and I’m going to need you to just be quiet and pretty for the duration of the auction, alright my love?” he murmured, leaning up and pressing his lips delicately to Ansel’s ear so he could whisper enticingly, “As soon as the last bid is placed I have an evening planned for you that you’ve been craving since our first eve together, I do believe.” Lucio pressed a sweet kiss to Ansel’s cheek then before leading the man through the massive, darkly stained wooden doors that led into the auction hall. It was technically a ballroom, that had been filled with tables and chairs as well a portable stage having been set up at the head of the room. The tables were all covered with sleep black clothes, atop of which sat place settings as well as an elegant centerpiece consisting of an arrangement of white roses and soft flickering candles.<br/><br/>“The decorations look quite lovely this year, do they not, darling?” Lucio commented quietly as he pulled Ansel along through the throng of bodies attempting to find and settling into their designated seats. He brought the pair of them right up to the front, only releasing Ansel’s muscular arm once they’d reached their seats, which were only feet away from the stage and the massive screen which would be displaying photographs of all of the items in question and Lucio found himself rather pleased with the placement as he settled down into his assigned seat.