A/N: We all probably know that Elan Morin Tedronai is what Ishamael used to be called, but some might not recognise Eval Ramman for Balthamel, so this is me pointing that out. Not that I'm doubting anyone's WoT trivia knowledge but, you know. He's not the most deeply explored Forsaken out there.

It was a late morning on a sunny midsummer day. The air was warm, with but a gentle breeze, and it promised to be an exceptionally lovely day. Eval Ramman leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs before him, ankles crossed, and picked up another slice of pear from the plate of fruits on the table. He resisted the urge to check the time; it wouldn't do to appear impatient, even if he was being made to wait. He wondered idly if he should have picked another place for this meeting. It was not that he was going to attract any special level of attention with his companion - if said companion ever showed up - he was a regular enough sight in the Ansaline Gardens with his various acquaintances of all genders… However, he never waited on anyone, and the fact that he was doing so now was bound to be noted. And he knew the conclusions that would inevitably be drawn by some of the people paying attention. Not that that part bothered him; he knew he had a reputation and it was one that he had carefully cultivated and quite liked.

He took a long sip of his wine and spared a lazy smile to a pair of young ladies passing by, pretty things with their high heels and shimmering dresses that left the ankles bare. Both smiled back but neither slowed their steps, and soon they vanished from sight. Eval spent a moment trying to remember their names; he had been acquainted with both before - separately or at once? he couldn't recall - but he rarely made a point of committing their names to memory. That was not because he had no head for such things - his memory was in fact excellent - he simply considered it a courtesy he spared only to the most special of acquaintances. One could almost say he made a point of forgetting the names of most of his casual acquaintances.

He drained his goblet and gestured to a waitress, who filled it again. He didn't deign to acknowledge her admiring looks; he knew he cut a dashing figure in his form-fitting dark burgundy coat, but he would never flirt with a waitress - in public, at least. He had higher standards than that.

Speaking of standards, he was getting tired of waiting. He could have been enjoying pleasant company with his breakfast, perhaps even his acquaintance from the night before, but instead he was waiting on a man who-

As if summoned by the thought, he suddenly saw the man approaching. Elan Morin Tedronai stood like a sore thumb out among the Gardens' clientele; he appeared to follow no fashion movements, and his suit of stark black was, while undeniably elegant in some oddly timeless way, some three decades out of fashion. Eval tilted his head, watching the other man with an appraising look; he had to admit that black suited Elan in a way that the richest, most expertly chosen shades of colour never would. Perhaps the choice of black was not indicative of indifference towards fashion, after all, but of a very specific kind of vanity? Then again, with Elan, it was impossible to tell.

"You're late," Eval said in a lazy drawl, gesturing to the waitress again. "Wine for my companion. And…" He arched an eyebrow at Elan. "Have you eaten?" The man didn't look like he had slept, at least; he had dark shadows under his eyes, all the more noticeable for the paleness of his face, and his eyes were red and bloodshot.

Elan shook his head. "I don't want anything."

"Wine," Eval repeated, waving the waitress away. He devoured another slice of pear while the waitress brought another glass and a pitcher of wine; the fruit's juice trickled down his chin and he grimaced, wiping it away with a napkin. Once the waitress was gone again, he turned back to his companion. "Lovely day, is it not?"

"As far as weather goes, I suppose," Elan replied blandly. He frowned at the wine before raising the glass to his lips; it seemed that his hand was shaking slightly as he did so.

"So…" Eval swirled the wine in his own glass. "Second thoughts?" he asked in a low voice. That earned him a sharp look filled with such contempt that he blinked in surprise; Elan did not usually express his feelings in such an obvious manner. "I'll take that as a no," he continued. "So you are still planning to go through with it."

"I see no reason not to," Elan replied with a small, eloquent shrug.

Eval let out a soft chuckle and shook his head incredulously; Elan saw no reason not to announce his allegiance to the Great Lord of the Dark in the Hall of Servants? That was priceless. "The Great Lord will be pleased, I should imagine," he remarked when the other man did not elaborate further.

Elan gave a razor-thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, he will." The utter confidence in his voice was somewhat unnerving; Elan actually claimed to know the Great Lord's mind? Eval wouldn't put it past him. Sometimes he wondered whether the other man was entirely sane… But then again, the line between insanity and brilliance was an ephemeral thing and Elan was quite generally acknowledged as one of the most brilliant minds of the Age.

"Tomorrow?" he asked. Elan nodded and took another sip of his wine. Eval sighed. "Well, I for one am glad for the warning. There will be… consequences." He considered for a moment. "Do you wish backup? You'll be lucky if Lews Therin lets you leave the Hall without a fight. You will be outnumbered, no matter how many Friends of the Dark there are in the Hall already under their very noses…"

This time it was Elan who chuckled. "You would offer your help? Heartwarming." The words fair dripped with sarcasm. "But no. That will not be… necessary." He fixed the other man with a sharp look, appearing more lucid than he had through the meeting so far. "I would say I appreciate the sentiment were the sentiment not more concerned with trying to steal a part of the spotlight." Then he shrugged again and the distracted, almost dreamy look returned. "Not, of course, that I care either way. It is just that, alas, you will have to work for your… moment."

The dismissive tone made Eval's temper flare. "Have I not worked?" he snapped, then remembered where he was and looked around to see if his outburst had attracted any unwanted attention. He drew a steadying breath and made a conscious effort to moderate his tone as he went on, "Have I not been an exemplary Friend of the Dark? Have I not waited for the day when we can openly declare our new Master for all the world? Have I not suffered…" He realised he was raising his voice again and cut off with a hissing breath. "Might I remind you which one of us was almost bound like a common criminal because those blustering fools in the Hall felt threatened?"

Elan merely watched him, unfazed by the tirade. "The one who was a fool enough to commit petty acts of violence over, what was it again, being rejected?" he countered, sounding almost bored. "Really, Eval. The Great Lord may appreciate your… efforts… but if you're stupid enough to get caught you will face the consequences on your own. He will most certainly not interfere."

For a moment Eval pictured himself shattering the pitcher against the other man's head… Forcing his fists to unclench, he counted to ten before he could trust himself to pick up his glass without giving in to the urge to destroy something. He drained the wine and set the glass back on the table with a sharp sound. He thought he saw a glint of amusement in Elan's eyes, but it was gone so quickly that he might well have imagined it altogether. "Be that as it may," he said eventually. "Tomorrow… The world will change."

Elan flashed a smile that bordered on openly condescending. "The world doesn't change." He, too, finished his wine - and merely gave a resigned sigh when Eval filled his glass again. "Our perception of the world is the thing that changes," he continued, ignoring the newly filled glass. "You're a historian; do I really need to explain this to you?" He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "No, don't answer that."

Eval refilled his own glass, too, and raised it in a mock salute. "Very well; I stand corrected. Tomorrow, a great many people will have to re-evaluate their perception of the world." He tilted his head and flashed a grin. "Better?"

The other man shrugged. "Good enough."

"So very glad you approve."

A not quite comfortable silence reigned for some time. Eval was the first to break it. "Have you plans for the rest of the day?" he asked. "Memorising your speech for tomorrow?" There was something infinitely amusing about making the announcement that would shake the world to its core sound like a trivial thing.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of the other man's mouth. "Oh, I have my… speech… committed to memory already," Elan replied lightly. "In fact I was thinking of going to see a play; The Raven and the Rose is on for the last week at the Crimson Hall. I've heard good things about it."

Eval gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Really, Elan!" he exclaimed. "Oh, very well then; I've a mind to accompany you - if you don't mind that is."

"You're quite free to do whatever you please," Elan said as he pushed his chair back and stood up. "I shall be the last one to try and stop you from enjoying the fruits of our civilisation… while it lasts."

Shaking his head, Eval stood up too and fished a few notes from his pocket and placed them on the table; the money covered the cost his breakfast and the wine and left a generous tip. "While it lasts, indeed…"

The play was about a woman who murdered her lover, but the lover's soul came back in the shape of a raven to haunt her and eventually guilt drove her to kill herself and the story ended with the raven cackling gleefully over the woman's lifeless body. All in all, the plot was very predictable and the characters not overly realistic; the woman's motive for the initial murder was never explored in any depth, and personally Eval couldn't see why she was driven to such desperation by the appearance of the raven. Surely, if one were to commit a murder, they should be prepared to live with the consequences? But the actors and the effects and lighting were excellent, even though Eval spent more time watching Elan watching the play, than the play itself. The way the other man's eyes lit up with amusement at the scenes that were undoubtedly meant to be heart-wrenchingly tragic was entertainment in itself.

Afterwards, Eval managed to talk the other man into joining him for dinner at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Paraan Disen. The Golden Trident specialised in seafood, which gave it an exotic flair in a city that was nowhere near the ocean. From their table they had a gorgeous view over the city bathed in the golden rays of the sun as it began to creep towards the horizon on the western sky.

They ate mostly in silence; there was only so much to say about the play, and they didn't exactly have that much in common beyond their affiliation with the Shadow. Eval watched his companion; he would openly admit that he found Elan attractive despite the signs of sleeplessness and stress that currently marred the delicate face. Elan himself appeared preoccupied, staring out through the glass wall, barely seeming to remember that he had company. Out in the city, streetlights were being lit as the afternoon turned into evening gloom.

The sky was dark by the time they finished their dinner, the latter part of which had mostly consisted of Eval consuming a good amount of expensive wine while Elan continued to ignore his dessert. The clock atop a nearby building striking the hour seemed to shake Elan out of his reverie. He sighed softly. "I suppose I should try to get some sleep tonight," he said with an almost self-deprecating half-smile and stood up to leave. "Will you allow me to settle the bill?" he asked wryly.

Eval made a dismissive gesture. "Absolutely not," he replied; even if Elan wasn't one of his casual acquaintances, he had a certain reputation to maintain.

"Very well then," Elan said and turned to go.

"Or you could come back to my place." Eval nearly dropped his glass when he heard himself speak the words; he had entertained the thought at a few points of the day, but he had never made the decision to actually suggest it. He recovered quickly, though, and by the time Elan turned to look back again, he was completely at ease again. He flashed a quick, easy grin. "I'm sure I could help you relax."

Elan arched an eyebrow and the look in his eyes told Eval that he knew exactly what kind of relaxation the other man had in mind. "I'm sure you could," he began, but then something in his expression changed and he laughed softly. "Oh, whyever not?"

Eval blinked. He had not expected Elan to agree. But Elan was looking at him with those beautiful midnight eyes of his, at once distant and intense - however that was even possible - and there was something like curiosity in that look. "Indeed," Eval said slowly. "Whyever not."

Eval's apartment was on the top floor of one of the tallest apartment buildings in Paraan Disen; small compared to the price of the rent, but money was not a problem and he wouldn't have changed the location or the view for anything. The decor was a combination of functionality and elegance; Eval rarely entertained guests in his home and therefore it didn't need to be impressive.

"Welcome to my humble abode," he said with a theatrical flourish as he closed the door behind them.

"Humble," Elan repeated wryly, with and appraising look around the livingroom. He walked across the room to stand before the window-wall facing west. "Who did you have to murder for this view?"

Eval smiled at that - which the other man couldn't see, of course. He took off his coat and flung it carelessly over the back of the couch and walked over to stand behind Elan. The view was breathtaking; Paraan Disen was a sea of colourful lights spreading out far below them. This high up the sounds of traffic couldn't be heard, making the scene all the more surreal with its silently moving vehicles. Eval channelled a delicate weave of Air and Spirit to activate the music box on the shelf on the other side of the room…

"Really, Eval?" Elan asked wryly. "Music? Do you take me for one of your… What do you call them? Conquests?"

Acquaintances. "Absolutely not," Eval replied smoothly.

"Turn it off." Elan's voice, flat and uncompromising, held no trace of amusement now. It was not a suggestion, and Eval complied without a protest. Only after the fact did he stop to think about what he had just done - taking an order from someone else, in his own home, no less. The realisation made him wonder; he had assumed that he was the one in charge, but perhaps it was time to reassess the situation… After the silence fell again, Elan sighed softly. "That's better."

Then he turned to face Eval, with a hint of a smile on his lips. "I think you made me an offer," he said, sounding for all the world as if he was talking about academic research. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt you usually let your… companions… make the first move."

Eval shrugged, affecting nonchalance. "I thought you didn't want to be treated like one of my acquaintances," he replied. Elan merely arched an eyebrow, and that broke the awkward spell, returning Eval's confidence along with his temper.

He grasped Elan by the shoulders and threw him against the glass wall - it was quite safe, the glass was strong enough that no mere human strength could break it, but Elan's breath caught anyway as he glanced back over his shoulder and panic flashed in the midnight eyes. That was the first unguarded reaction Eval had ever seen from the other man, and it was strangely exciting. Gently but firmly, he placed his left hand on the side of Elan's face, turning his head and effectively blocking his view of the fall behind him. And kissed him on the lips. Hard.

A strangled gasp escaped the other man's throat as Eval thrust his hips forward, pinning him firmly against the wall. With his right hand he unbuttoned Elan's coat - he was quite adept at doing such things with one hand - but getting the tight-fitting thing off was a more difficult task. "Some help here, perhaps?" he murmured into Elan's ear even as he moved his hand down to unbuckle Elan's belt.

With an exasperated sound, Elan rid himself of the garment and let it fall to the floor at their feet. With profoundly uncharacteristic hesitation he then placed his hand on Eval's chest, and for a fleeting moment Eval was acutely aware of his own heartbeat against the other man's palm. Then Elan's mouth was on his again, demanding his attention. He gave it wholeheartedly.

Afterwards he couldn't be quite sure how they had ever made it to the bedroom. This in itself was remarkable, because Eval never lost himself in passion to such an extent as that. He suspected he'd still be finding miscellaneous, hurriedly shed items of clothing in unlikely places days from now. The thought made him snort softly in amusement, which caught the attention of the man lying next to him.

"Do tell me what amuses you so," Elan said. His voice fell somewhat short of its usual coolly detached quality.

"Oh, nothing," Eval replied. "Not you at least," he added quickly. "Trust me." He glanced at his companion, who wasn't looking back at him but staring up at the ceiling. In the dim light - provided only by the lights of the city and the not quite full moon out in the sky, filtered through the blinds - Elan's pale skin seemed to glow in contrast with the dark sheets. He had a perfect profile, Eval noted idly. And very nearly perfect composure; Eval had never met anyone who could be so detached and dignified and… so in control even in the throes of pleasure. He considered it something of a victory that he had, in the end, made Elan cry out.

"You've never been with a man before, have you?" Eval noted after another while of silence. It was not really a question; he just knew.

"You obviously have," Elan replied without answering the non-question and by doing so confirming Eval's suspicion.

"Obviously."

Eval was just trying to figure out a way to ask - without sounding overly attached - whether the other man might be interested in repeating the evening some time, when Elan got up and began to gather his clothes from the floor. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" Eval asked, pushing himself up into half-sitting position.

"Leaving," Elan replied as he pulled his trousers on and proceeded to look for something else.

Eval thought he saw an item of clothing that he couldn't identify as his own at the foot of the bed, but instead of pointing it out to Elan, he got out of bed as well and shrugged into a dressing robe. "Don't be an idiot, Tedronai," he began, then shook his head in exasperation when the other man didn't as much as look his way. "…And going where? Home? So you can sit in your office for the rest of the night, thinking about tomorrow, and then fall over from exhaustion in the middle of the Hall of Servants? That'll be sure to impress Lews."

Elan froze midway of pulling on his shirt. "And you would suggest I do what, instead?"

That was easy to answer. "Get your ass back to bed. Sleep." He knew he was acting in a way that someone might interpret as 'caring' - but if there was someone he could trust to not make that mistake, it was Elan Morin Tedronai. He laid a hand on Elan's arm - in the darkness his copper-tinted skin looked almost black against Elan's ivory complexion. "Look, I'll sleep on the couch. You can even put up any wards you like."

A faint smile twitched the corners of the other man's mouth. "That's rather excessive, isn't it?" he said wryly, not really a question. Then he spread his hands in a gesture of indifference. "Oh, whatever." He let the shirt fall back to the floor and turned and all but fell back to bed. With a distractingly smooth motion he pulled the sheet up to cover himself and turned his back to Eval, who was left staring in wry amusement as the other man took over his bed, just like that. He was fairly certain Elan was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

He wandered to the livingroom and poured himself a glass of brandy and gazed out through the glass wall. Tomorrow - or it probably was 'tomorrow' already… In the morning, no matter what Elan said about the unchanging nature of the world, the world would change. The world was what people made of it; any rhetoric trying to explain that the world and the people living in it were entirely separate things was just so much philosophical drivel. With that thought, he set the empty glass aside and stretched out on the couch, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep, too.

When he woke up in the early hours of morning, Elan was gone.