Not Then, Not Now, Not Ever (S/Exam)

The cerulean sky was clear today, with that blinding sun planted in center of the sky and glaring down on the people of Earthland. Normally, for Louie Calvin Klein, the sun was merely an accessory there to brighten his stage—a force that only complimented his own radiance. But today, he hated its heat. Louie hated it. He hated what had just happened, he hated that guild, and he hated that he let it unfold in the way that it had. The way the sun's heat made him feel humid and stuffy in his torn clothes soiled with liquor and alcohol, and how beaten he looked on his way home to his private suite. He hated it.

Thud!

A bright red sports car pulled up to a luxurious looking hotel, and from it, Louie stepped out and slammed the door shut. He had a dark look on his face, a wave of silent anger visible in his expression as he stormed into the building. quickly walking past the employees at the receptionist's desk. Both of them stared at him with a shocked expression at the state of not only his clothes, but the wounds revealed underneath, and with how quickly Louie had passed them by and that dark look on his face, neither of them had a chance of asking if he was okay and were hesitant to even ask at all.

Louie took the elevator up to the highest floor, glaring at the closed doors until that familiar buzz rang in his ears. The elevator doors slid open to reveal a luxuriously decorated corridor, lined with vacant suites, and Louie's well-dressed chauffeur, William, standing in front of his private suite with a startled look on his face.

"Mister Klein..." started William, a tinge of concern visible on his face as he began to step over to Louie with a handkerchief ready to go. But Louie brushed past him, carelessly bumping into his shoulder as he placed his keycard over the lock. "Mister Klein, is everything alright—"

"Another word, couchon, and you're fired." Louie interrupted him, not giving him so much as a glance. There was a silent pause between the two before the familiar click of the door unlocking broke the silence, opening as Louie stormed in.

Without hesitation, the first place Louie went to was his shower. He quickly undressed as he got there, leaving a trail of soiled clothes scattered across the floor until they'd eventually stop at the bathroom door. The squeak of the shower knobs, followed by the pleasant hiss of the water pouring through the rainfall showerhead drowned Louie in sounds of water. He felt the hot droplets run through his golden hair, along his long, smooth arms, and embrace his hips with its heat. The dark look on his face remained, and like a set of scales, the young multimillionaire was suddenly thrown off-balance.

"AGH! Hnnngh...!!" he croaked with pain, crashing into the shower floor on his knees and hugging his chest. Blood began to trickle from his mouth, running down his chest and floating down the drain. After his scuffle with Vandrad just twenty minutes before, it was no doubt that at least a few ribs had broken. But even then, Louie hadn't made a sound. He refused to make a peep that had even a small chance of satisfying that brute, but unfortunately, not even the great Louie Calvin Klein could stifle that pain for too much longer. He could feel himself fold like a card table, agonized groans filling the bathroom, and washed away underneath the noise of the water. Alone in the shower, Louie sat there for a long time.

Knock-knock!

Suddenly, the noise of knuckles tapping against the door could be heard over the water. Louie didn't look up, continuing to wince at his feet. At first, he didn't even respond, but when the knocking came again, Louie could feel himself become too annoyed by the sound to dismiss it.

"What?!" he shouted through the sound of the shower, hearing his voice echo throughout the bathroom. The door creaked open only slightly, revealing the white-gloved hand of William on the knob.

"Mister Klein, you've been—"

"Je jure devant Dieu, I told you to say nothing! Rien!" Louie snapped at him.

"It's your father, Mister Klein—Julian Calvin Klein has summoned you to a dinner party in Napedia."

"What?" Louie stared at William's blurred image through the fogged glass doors with a look of confusion and disgust on his face. "Why would I ever go to see that man? Whatever invitation or call you receive, just dismiss it!"

"Yes, Mister Klein, but unfortunately..." William trailed off, and Louie's eyes narrowed fractionally.

"Unfortunately what? Spit it out!" Louie demanded, still holding his chest.

"They've sent sorcerers that can directly transport you to Napedia, Mister Klein. They said they would be coming back in an hour."

Louie stared through the fogged glass doors with a baffled look on his face. Unlike a private jet or perhaps an invitation by letter, he knew that he could not ignore sorcerers sent for him alone. In fact, it would have been harder to avoid them than to just go to that silly dinner party.

"Zut," Louie cursed underneath his breath, spitting out the blood that had collected in his mouth and onto the drain, "get my white suit and call a medic or something. I don't care. Just make sure it's done within the next fifteen minutes! Oui?! Now get out!"

"Of course, Mister Klein." William replied, clicking the door shut and leaving Louie alone in the bathroom once again. Although the blonde had always had a short fuse with his employees, he seemed especially brisk today. Feeling the hot water pour onto his body helped clear his head, but was far from relieving him of the pain. It was terrible stress that he was undeserving of upholding the burden of, but even he had to admit that he needed to polish his blade.

Angry, frustrated, and eyes clouded with thoughts of hatred, Louie twisted the shower knob and stifled the pour of the steamy-hot water. He wiped away the vapor on the glass, staring at his glaring eyes in his reflection.

---

The hour had passed, and as promised, Julian's sorcerers hadn't wasted a second in showing up at Louie's front door with a portal ready to be stepped through. It wasn't the first time Louie had stepped through a portal—and they certainly weren't an uncommon means of transportation in a land rich with magic—but it was definitely the unhappiest he's ever felt by stepping through it. William, however, stayed behind.

When Louie walked through the portal, he found himself in front of a large, white mansion. It was quiet and vacant of all human life except for the gardeners that could be heard snipping away at bushes and trees in the near distance. There were fountains, flowerbeds, and young cherry and apple trees scattered around the property—all things Louie recognized. He was on his father's property and was the same place where he first met him six years ago.

Behind him were the two sorcerers that transported him here, to begin with. They were two muscular men who wore shades, black suits, and had short, slicked-back hair. One had hair as black as ash, and the other had hair the color of chestnuts. Needless to say, they looked more like bouncers than glorified taxi drivers, and if not for their hair colors, they would have been identical.

"The dinner party will begin in two hours, Monsieur Klein." said the chestnut-haired fellow.

"Please wait inside Julian Calvin Klein's estate just ahead of you. He says you can help yourself to anything you see fit." the other added on, and then both of them left through the same portal they had just exited through. There they left their boss's son, Louie Calvin Klein, to his own devices, and needless to say, he was not thrilled with these new developments.

As much as he disliked being here, and the look of displeasure and disgust on his countenance could easily attest to that, there seemed to be only one way to go—forward—and that's exactly what he did. He didn't meander through the gardens or investigate the fruit trees, and swiftly made his way to the enormous white, marble doors, which were unlocked.

Louie stepped inside, greeted with a noticeable amount of... white. The walls were white, the decorations were white, the flooring was white, and perhaps everything else in this mansion was white as well. Even before now, Louie was aware of Julian's fondness of white and other bright colors, and not quite because of any exchange they've ever had—it's just that it's hard to overlook after seeing any of his properties, his portraits, and even the clothes he wore. While Louie hadn't thought of it until now, he quite enjoyed white and other bright colors as well, although he'd never admit that to Julian. Even his dinner suit was white, and if he could change it, he would.

"May I help you with anything, Monsieur Louie?" said some older woman, her heels clicking to a stop behind him. She was short, had her grey hair wrapped neatly in a single bun, and had small, rimless spectacles resting on the bridge of her nose. When Louie turned around, he found that there was a line-up of at least a dozen younger maids awaiting his request, all dressed similarly and equally as silent. There was not a single boy to be found among them, and there were likely few if any at all beyond the teleportation sorcerers and the gardener. Louie also recalled Julian's fondness for women, and how he practically made his workforce a collection of young women—like a harem.

"Absolutely not," he said irritably, "I'm here for one thing and one thing only. After this is over, I'm leaving, so don't send for anyone until this dinner party is terminé! Oui?"

"Oui, Monsieur." she said. After that, all of the maids left him alone, leaving him to his lonesome yet again. His fists clenched and his expression scrunched up as if he had just smelled something foul, and to some degree, he had. Being in this mansion made him feel something akin to illness, and he hated to be there. He wanted to kill time, but not through any of the things Julian had here. As quickly as he came inside, Louie left the building for the gardens. While he had originally taken no interest in it before, it was less stuffy to be outside in the gardens than to suffocate in that mansion of his.

Finding a bench just beneath an apple tree, Louie took a seat and found temporary solace in its shade. He felt the gentle Napedian breeze sweep over him and the sound the rustling treetop made when it did. He looked up and saw the apples dangling from their stems. The cherry-redness irritated him, and his eyes narrowed fractionally when they did. He hated that fruit and what they reminded him of. 'I hate this place' was what came to mind when he saw them. So, eagerly, he fell into a light slumber to avoid seeing it at all. It was all very taxing on his mind.








"Je jure devant Dieu—enough, you bumbling germe!" Louie barked at her, his eyes quickly opening with visible anger, "Do you not have ears? Do my words of patience and kindness fall onto deaf ears? You truly are the most disgusting, disobedient, and foolish wrench I've ever se—"


Standing behind the young maid was a man dressed in a dapper, crisp-looking suit. It was an optic white, adorned with small, subtle, and intricate golden patterns, and a standard and yet expensive black and brown tuxedo underneath. His hands were gloved in black, and in the center of his palms was a bright red, half-eaten apple. His hair was regal, short and something in between and pale white and light brown—something resembling a blonde. His eyes were the color of gold itself and were an overall tall, attractive man. None other than Julian Calvin Klein himself.

---

There was a great tension between both Louie and his father when they first saw each other. Julian with his smug smirk, relaxed pose, and casually tossing his half-eaten apple up and down from his palm, looking amused. Contrarily, Louie was glaring, crossed-armed, and impatiently tapping his foot, as if he were teetering on the edge of spitting on his shoe or cursing his name. It was a look of deeper, more intense hatred than he had ever shown someone like Vandrad.

"I like your suit. White's a fine color, is it not?" Julian bravely began the conversation, biting in his apple, "My photographers will make excellent work of your appearance, haha!"

Louie looked away from him, exhaling through his nose. "Why are you here? The dinner party doesn't begin until later." said Louie, curtly. Julian paused, looking almost surprised for a moment before that quizzical look on his countenance reappeared.

"I didn't think I needed a reason to be on my own estate. And besides," Julian lifted his wrist and pushed the sleeve of his arm up, revealing an overtly expensive wristwatch, "the party is starting now, and the guests are arriving. You've been asleep all this time. Exhausted, are you? What's someone as young as you have to be exhausted about?"

Louie locked eyes with him again. He could still feel his ribs ache after his scuffle with the mile-wide forehead, Vandrad, even after medics had healed him of his wounds with ease. He had sold his soul to an elusive woman of many mysteries for magic, killed dozens of people, and even murdered his wife and unborn child. His older cousin, Beaux, who was announced as missing just years passing, was in Fiore this entire time, happier and far more satisfied than Louie could ever hope to be. What started as a vacation became far more taxing than he could have ever anticipated.

"I don't get exhausted, and even if I were, you probably wouldn't care to hear it, now would you?" the blonde scoffed, although the rest of his face wasn't nearly as amused

Julian's face softened into a far more chipper smile, neither confirming nor denying what he just said, though his smile was incredibly telling. "I'll be inside, greeting my wonderful guests. We're here to celebrate you, Lou, so I don't think you'd want to miss it. Be inside in the next ten minutes, oui?" he chuckled, both him and his young maid taking their leave, and Louie sitting the bench alone. He was glaring at Julian's backside as he left as if the six years of radio silence between them had never existed at all. So why the sudden interest? Why was his father suddenly so invested in him? Hiring his guardian, controlling his finances, and now this? As much as the blonde felt himself becoming fed up with his father, he had to hear of what this celebration was—nothing was ever done in good faith with Julian.

---

Inside the once empty mansion, just occupied by a lineup of servants before, was no filled with formally dressed men and women. Their tidy appearances, delicate pangs of makeup, the rows of food and desserts that they all seldom indulged in—the guests had arrived. They were people coming from all over Earthland, and consisted of politicians, successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, high-ranking officers in international militaries, and perhaps some of Julian's Estryan coterie. They were all speaking and chatting about their endeavors with him, and showered him with praise even when he wasn't directly among them. Julian had a way of surrounding himself with people who adored him and inflated his ego more than they should. How pretentious.  

Louie was standing in the front of the crowd, next to a stage with a microphone mounted onto a podium. In the background of the stage were various prints of famous labels, something akin to sponsors, and many of which included Julian's companies. Standing next to him were various people, who were either in their mid-forties or over. The smell of their perfume and cologne were nauseating, and Louie was itching to leave. Fortunately, it seemed as if that were finally coming true.

The crowd suddenly became quiet as the man himself, Julian Calvin Klein, appeared from the side of the stage and casually made his way to the podium. There was a confidence in his stride and a complacent look on his complexion. He was easily the most attractive, most successful man in the room if you had asked anyone but Louie.

At first, when Julian settled down at the podium, there was silence among everyone. It remained this way until he raised a hand, and suddenly the room filled with applause. What Julian did that garnered such a response was a mystery to Louie, but with a crowd like this, Julian's very existence was worthy of praise. He hated it, and stood there, glaring at him.

"Bonjour, mes amis!"

---

"Thank you all for attending this dinner party. It will warm this old heart of mine to see so many new and old faces here tonight to celebrate our achievements! It's been a bumpy road for us all, but without each other, we wouldn't be standing here today..." Julian continued, praising everyone and no one at the same time. Louie's father was every bit as narcissistic and self-important as his son, but he wasn't nearly as honest. Although Louie was hardly paying attention to these compliments, he knew that only a fraction of them were his true feelings. If he had learned anything about his estranged father over the years, it was his craft of withholding information and manipulating others with it.

"...and this brings me to my announcement! As many of you are aware, my one and only son is here among us tonight. He's hopped from country to country, never really finding his calling... until now!"

Louie flinched, looking upon at the podium with a tinge of shock. "Huh?!" he stifled, trying to keep his voice low, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!—"

"Calvin Klein Events! Starting today, my diligent son will leading one of my many and great projects!" Julian gave a wide, appealing smile, "As young and inexperienced as he might be, I know you all will support him as if he were your own son. Merci, and please enjoy the party, everyone~"

The moment his face lifted away from the microphone, the venue quickly filled with the rough and consistent applause of everyone attending. The old men and women standing next to Louie looked at him with promising smiles, some of them going as far as giving him a reassuring pat on the back. At the moment, the impatient young blonde had no choice but to smile as thank them.

---

After the announcement was over and others were invited to speak on the podium, Julian was beginning to take himself behind the curtain of printed sponsorships, to which Louie was quick to accost him. Julian knew that he had just set an oil spill aflame, and yet the confidence and subtle carefreeness in his stride hadn't altered. When the two were finally alone behind the curtain, submerged in a sea dancing between the dim lighting and the darkness, Julian stopped and leaned against the wall separating them and the crowd. Louie walked up to him, his face screwed into a nasty frown, glaring at Julian indignantly.

"What the hell was that, couchon?" Louie started, angrily.

"Just as I said—Calvin Klein Events. Weren't you listening?" Julian chuckled, looking at his fingernails, "I've been wanting to make this chain for a long time, but as you could expect, where would someone as busy as me have the time to kickstart this wonderful little idea, right? In fact—"

"Spare me the details, you piece of shit. First the contract with Ae-whatever her name is, then the rings, and now this?" Louie could feel his fists begin to clench as he recounted all of the things that were beginning to happen to him because of Julian, overwhelmed with spite, "What are you really after?"

For a moment, Julian looked playfully surprised. "Ehh? What, a father can't show his son a little love? I'd be lying if I said that didn't sting a little!"

"You...! This is nonsense! I don't care what you have planned for me—I'm refusing it all! You can kiss my ass, couchon!" Louie barked, beginning to storm away with the same malicious frown as before.

Julian finally lifted his gaze from his fingernails, looking at Louie's backside as he began to storm away. "And where do you think you're going, Lou? The party's not over yet."

"As if I'd tell you!"

"By the way, I don't mind where you go in your free time, but don't you think your vacation to Fiore has been going for a little too long?"

Louie stopped. "What?"

"Have you made a lot of friends? You even joined one of those guilds, oui? What was it called... Fairy Tail?"

"What's it matter to you? Since when did you care about what I do in my free time?"

"Never, Lou! Haha! But I thought you didn't like people. Fiore isn't a particularly wealthy country either. They have so many monstres and les criminels out and about... I'm glad I contracted that woman to guide you!" he giggled. Louie sighed and looked down at his feet. He was tired of hearing Julian's voice. He was tired of this entire conversation.

"It's none of your business—"

"—Nessa Cordelia Lux, was it? A decent looking girl, and she's well on her way to success. You like her, don't you?"

Louie flinched and could suddenly feel himself become irritated again, quickly turning around to face Julian again. Without hesitation, the blonde grabbed his father's collar with a doggish look in his eyes. "What did you just say?!"

Julian grinned. "Ehh? Did I strike a nerve? Oh, wait, maybe you do like her? Incroyable!"

"What?! You truly are a foul beast! To think that I'd...! It's disgusting! Filthy! I would never sully my value by indulging with pigs! To even jest about is—"

"Temper, temper! Anyone could tell, Lou! I may be an incredibly attractive old gentleman, but I know my way around LacBook, too! In all of my days, I've never seen you so eager! Oh—désolée. You're still mourning your late wife, are you not? How insensitive of me..."

At that moment, Louie could feel himself choke on his anger. He recalled the tussle between him and Vandrad just today, the sudden announcement of his arranged life plan, and now this? He truly hated this man! He hated him with every fiber of his being! He hated the stench of his manor and he hated everyone attending today's party to celebrate such a ridiculous, putrid cesspool of human filth! He wanted nothing more than to leave, and that an even stronger desire than the one to beat some sense into his sire.

"This isn't worth my precious time. You're a disgusting piece of filth, Julian. I understand that roaches are hard to kill, but I can maybe stomach your existence if you keep our conversation in written letters from now on. Oui?"

"Oh, I don't know! I'll start to get lonely that way. But, no matter. I'll have my men send you back home! Au revoir, my son!"

---

The way back home was as quick as the way to the estate, with modern translocation magic being a solid way of getting from one place to the next with no time in between at all. When Louie stepped back into his private suite, William was waiting there with a handkerchief and a platter of expensive food spread out for him. There was a dark, solemn look on his face as he stepped inside.

"Welcome home, Mr. Klein." William bowed politely before holding up a large bottle of expensive and unique red wine, handing it to the blonde young man before him, "I've prepared your favorite red wine, Mr. Klein—"

Crash!

Shattering against the wall and spilling onto the surface, Louie threw the bottle like a throwing knife. The dark, solemn look on his face had broken and transformed into something closer to a wild rage. "Ridicule! Ridicule! RIDICULE!" he barked, storming over to the platter off food and silverware before launching them at the wall too, "Who the fuck does he think he is?! Huh?! To think you can waltz into my life! My life! Foolish! Disgusting! Ludicrous! To lay me out bare in front of those old men! To grope my plans with those disgusting hands of his! RIDICULE! I come first! This world was created with me in mind! I am destined to reap it of its treasures! Everything of value belongs to me! Me! Not him! Not anyone! ME! People, things, place—they're all mine! Who else be better to use them?! And that dimwitted Nessa! To think he'd even joke about such a pitiful, piggish woman! Disgusting... disgusting... disgusting! Fairy Tail and all of those germs within that pitiful guild is nothing but trash! Trash! The lowest of the low! I only humor them! I'm there for my own benefit! Me!"

The final plate shattered against the wall, leaving the place looking dismal among the mess. The sheets and the furnishings were covered in the wine, and the food scattered among the floor. In the middle of it was stood Louie, panting as his tirade passed him.

William, standing there quietly the entire time, cleared his throat. "Is everything alright, Mr. Klein?"

Louie looked down at the palm of his hand, noticing a cut on his hand from one of the plates he had broken. He watched his beautiful blood cover and roll down the sides of his hand as he breathed heavily through his nose. Everything that was happening to him seemed to have poured out in one massive fit of rage. As much as he hated Julian, he had an uncanny ability to stick his words in Louie's hand longer than they were welcome. As inconvenient as the business plan was, he was hardly as irritated by that as by the comment made on Nessa. He didn't know why, but as far as he was concerned, it was all grotesque.

---