Verdict of Secrets.

Ⅰ; madman

chapter one; madman.

"So, you're saying you want me to do research?" Jordan asked and put her book to the side for a moment. 

 Luka, who had lost a game of rock-paper-scissors, sat in front of her, trying to use his charm to seem at least the slightest bit convincing. Though, that charm got replaced with a pleading insecurity when he took the seat.

 "Yes?" 

 "And may I ask why?" she wondered with a careful eye and raised an eyebrow. She was sarcastically interested at this point, challenging him to answer. "Are you not capable of using Google?" 

 "I'm shit at it actually, but no," he said and brought a bit of laughter to the situation; something she didn't share. "You seem to know a bit about the place." 

 "I know enough to tell you that going there is a bad idea," she told him and was about to go back to her book when he spoke.

 "It's going viral," Luka began and looked at his hands for a split second before meeting her eyes. "Peter's recording it, he's convinced that it'll put him on the map at the New York film festival next year, get him to the next level or whatever bullshit he gave us."

 "Luka-"

 "We're helping him, alright? It's insane, but he would fuck up for us, you know?" he continued, without letting her finish, while he was still staring right at her. "I'll probably die a bit in there, but who cares, right?"

 Silence passed by for a while, her thoughts running wild and his patience coming to its end. It wasn't a question of whether or not they would make it without any sort of information, but Luka would like to at least know what he should be expecting.

 "I'll see what I can do, I'm not promising anything, but I'll look into it," she finally settled with and the gratitude in his features was clear. 

 "Thank you." He stood up after offering her a smile and was about to leave when he turned to her again. "Take your time." 

 "I will." 

 "So, she'd consider it?" Molly asked her brother and plopped down next to him on the sofa. She handed him the cold can and popped open her own before slinging her hand against the remote. 

 "No, she'd see what she could do. My charm doesn't work all the time, you know?" he pointed out and they all laughed. Peter was the one who found it unsurprisingly amusing, since it wasn't the first time, and it deserved a smart remark. 

 "Try never," he commented and got himself a burn from Meredith. 

 "Hey, I'm charming, but she's scary!" Luka defended himself and that only earned him more giggles and smiles. 

 "Oh, sweetie, keep telling yourself that," Meredith said to him and gave him a pat on the head. 

 "Bitch." 

 "Don't call my girlfriend a bitch," Peter snapped jokingly with a wink directed to Meredith. 

 "You wish." Meredith rolled her eyes at the ridiculous label and Molly threw her head back laughing. They were all a bit on the tipsy side, drowning their ideas in beer and lousy movies.

 The Welsh resident was empty apart from them, the parents away for business as usual and the twins taking advantage of it. Meredith and Peter were used to the invite and didn't even need to hear more than that Bill and Dalia were in Connecticut.