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Four hours into their clandestine meeting, Zedaph slams his face into the paperwork in a more literal sense. He is careful of his ornithopter plans, but pays no respect to the financial paperwork before him.
Tango groans, and sighs, but to his credit does pet his hair.
"This isn't getting anywhere," Zedaph whines. "Are you sure your parents won't help?"
"After what they caught us doing in the barn? It's a surprise you've still got a stipend. Give them a few months and they'll forget, but until then..."
"But then it won't be ready for the exhibition!" Zedaph wishes he regretted what the two of then got up to, but even with this on the line... Maybe they should have been more careful not to get caught by the farmhand, but he refuses to regret being Tango's dirty little secret.
It is far more fun being a rich gentleman's "ongoing mistake", to quote Lord and Lady Tek, than a proper partner. A proper partner has to look respectable, but like this? Zedaph can just spend all day with his inventions, and his nights making out with their son.
Unfortunately...
"I really did think the bank would give you the loan," Tango apologises all over again. "A retained inventor is a perfectly respectable job! I even offered to guarantee the loan, and I have a whole factory complex as personal income, let alone my parent's money."
"They probably spoke to the bank."
"Probably..."
Zedaph might be the favourite of the Lords Tek, but they do have their limits.
Tango needing to marry someone of "good breeding", no matter what side affairs he has, being one of them.
"We could always elope," Tango suggests. "Then you'd have my income."
"Tango!" Zedaph pretends to be shocked. "No, no, I'll work this out, or maybe exhibit next year... I like your parents paying me. And you like your parents when they're not insisting your husband also needs to be a nob."
"I guess." The cogs in Tangos mechanical arm click as he puts weight on it - another point in Zedaph's favour, saving their heir's life and building him a new arm. "It would make things easier, though."
"But Tango, when was easy ever worth doing!"
On rare occasion, Zedaph wished that anything simple sparked joy in his life.
He also got the impression that Tango wished the same, just significantly more often.
Still, neither of them would stifle the other's fun, and so the identity of the young master Tek's "mistress" remained the worst kept secret in Tek Manor.
It continues a little longer, both of them pretending that there is a solution beyond "delay the showcase". There is not, however; both of them can see the paperwork, and the answer is still grim.
Eventually, their time is up. A knock comes from the door. Both pause, and look at each other.
Zedaph checks the clock - if the maids catch him in Tango's office so soon after they were caught in the barn, his parents are going to take even longer to forget.
"Oh. My meeting with Keralis," Tango lets out a sigh of relief. He straightens out his waistcoat, then gives a louder call of "Keralis! Come in!"
A second later, Keralis peeks his head around the office door. Soot is smeared over his cheek, and his cap is slightly lopsided.
"Is the time bad?" He asks, glancing between the two. "I come back later?"
"It's fine," Tango gestures him in. "Zed and I- We were just discussing the ornithopter funding. You have the train schedules?"
"Hmm, yes, train schedules," Keralis does come in, eyeing the two of them. The schedules are handed to Tango, even as he announces "hey Zeddy!"
Zedaph, face still against the table, waves a hand.
"You should have drinks. Drinks never fix it, but it feels better." Comes Keralis' sage and knowing advice.
"Won't help," Zedaph grumbles. "The bank's being mean. Says inventing isn't a real enough job for a loan, not even with my portfolio!"
Nobody points out that his portfolio is mostly quirky and not exactly efficient or exceptionally profitable.
"Tango has a job, no?" Keralis' eyebrows curl up.
"My parents," Tango sighs. "One of the maids caught Zedaph and I in the barn last week, so I'm a black sheep until they forget."
"Hmm... tricky..." Keralis ponders it for a bit, before lighting up. "I have a job! And your parents do not know my name, yes?"
"I don't think they care beyond you being a good conductor," Tango agrees. "Which you are! No accidents since you took over the train network. And they like no accidents on the train network."
Zedaph, confused as to where this is going, and deep in his pity party, just waits for them to continue.
"See? See? I have a real job, yes," Keralis nods along. "And my mother. She is old. She writes to me, asking when I give her a grandbaby. So I tells her, I am not interested, no, I love no men and no women, only trains. But then she cries, because she wants to see my wedding, and she is old. Says no wife, no inheriting. So I think, well, I am happy here, this is fine. But Zeddy? Zeddy has Tango, but the bank needs a husband. So, we put Zeddy in a dress, and we make mama happy, and we make the bank happy, and we are happy!"
In any sensible group, the idea would be immediately shut down.
Zedaph, however, turns his head, and narrows his eyes.
"I want pink ribbons on the dress."
"Many pink ribbons!" Keralis easily agrees.
"And he can't give your mother grandbabies." Tango points out.
Keralis shrugs, "I don't like it. We steal one. No, not steal, steal bad. Adopt? There are many babies. We wait, if mama is not happy, says no baby no inheritance, we find a single lady. Lots of single ladies with babies. We pay her to say the baby is ours when people ask, but only when people ask. Otherwise, she is our cleaning maid. Job for lady, inheritance for me, bank money for Zed, we all win!"
"Oh Keralis, you're a genius!" Zedaph bolts up, grin finally on his face.
"Thank you? That is you, not me, but thank you," he replies.
"Tango! Tango!" Zedaph grins over at his partner. "If I marry Keralis, we can defraud the bank, pretend to your parents I settled down, AND I can be having an affair with you!"
"And everyone knows affairs are more passionate than marriages."
"Just like mistresses are more passionate than wives!"
"Yes, yes! This is perfect! A solution to all our problems! Thank you Keralis."
"Excuse me," Keralis pipes up, looking between them. "But, it is not fraud? Not when we are doing a marriage?"
"Oh don't worry," Zedaph grins. "We'll make sure it's fraud. I have a few ideas. For a start, we'll have to forge the license to get the ceremony soon enough for the bank..."
He pushes aside the papers, grabbing a blank sheet and beginning to plan. In his enthusiasm he misses the look that Tango and Keralis share. Each of them take a seat, however, and the trio get to work.