Deja Brew (Perry)

[ZANDER “ZEUS” DEVEREUX]

Zander Devereux knew he was a morning person. Who wouldn’t be? It was the best time of the day to be awake and embracing life. Everything was fresh and new. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, Robin was working...Alright, so it was possible he cared more about when his favorite barista was working, but it just added to the magic of that time of day. She was simply beautiful, but she wouldn’t go out with him, even though he’d brought her roses and offered to take her on a whirlwind trip around the world. Women...some of them just refused to be drawn in by his charm. Not that it held him back. Every morning was another opportunity, after all, and a Devereux never disappointed. So he walked into the coffee shop with his usual confidence, leaning on the counter and lowering his sunglasses to eye the beauty who was in charge of his morning dose of happiness.

“Good morning, Robin. Have you ever seen the wonders of France?” he asked before she could speak.

“I keep telling you, Mr. Devereux, I have a boyfriend.”

That was the other hindrance...

“Boyfriends come and go. Paris with a Devereux is forever.”

“Can I get you your usual, sir?”

Zander sighed. She was blushing, but she wasn’t giving in. It was a shame – she would never forget a night with him.

“It’s not Paris, but I suppose it will do, Robin.”

Robin smiled, turned, and started getting his usually sugary, chocolatey, diabetic delight put together. Oh, even with her refusal it was going to be a wonderful day. Zander turned, leaning back against the counter as he waited, soaking in the warm smells of the shop. Who knew, maybe Robin had a twin sister and she’d be coming through the doors any moment now.

[PERRY "POSEIDON" GOETZKE]

Perry had a routine. He liked to be up at five in the morning and get out to the beach. At the beach he'd do his warming up stretches and exercises before heading out for a jog. Now, Perry wasn't a good runner. At all. He used to be, but after his accident where the building fell on his back and he had to get surgery, not so much. Routine was routine, though. After fourteen years in the military, you didn't just stop doing your morning PT.

Something in his routine that seemed to always change, though, was where he had coffee. He always ended up somewhere different when he jogged. This time, it was a small little coffee shop, adequately busy, but it was nice. He hoped for a moment that he wouldn't be kicked out for his lack of shirt. He'd never been kicked out for a lack of a shirt before, but this was a new place. Anything could happen.

He breezed in, sweaty, probably tracking some sand from where he dropped down and did twenty crunches, and shirtless. No one called him out on it, so he continued up to the counter where a tall man with blond hair was waiting for his order.

"Medium coffee," he said to the barista, wiping his forehead on the back of his hand. "Black."

As he dug out his wallet, Perry glanced around. Then he took a better look at the blond. He looked oddly familiar. Perry rarely forgot a face, but he was pretty sure he had never met this guy before. Wait. Hector gave him a picture of him with the file about his brother. This guy was his twin brother.

Weird to meet him in a coffee shop.

But he was interested, so he kept looking at him. He might have been staring. Okay, he was staring.

[ZANDER “ZEUS” DEVEREUX]

Zander barely paid attention to the man who wandered in because he was a man. He wasn’t here to pick up men because he never slept with men (and no, that crackpot Inspector could keep his ideas to himself) so he didn’t find himself paying them much mind. Still, he was shirtless, sandy, and smelled like sweat when he walked up to the counter next to him. He ordered a black coffee and Zander watched as one of the other lovely ladies started pouring the simple drink. Honestly, Robin was part way through creating his because it was complex and yummy. Regular coffee was so bitter.

Still, to each their own, and Zander wasn’t about to comment on it. But when the man took to staring at him, he had to wonder what the other man was looking at. He knew he was devastatingly handsome, but normally, he didn’t get those looks from men. Or if he did, it was from smaller men...The staring was making him uncomfortable.

“It’s Armani,” Zander stated, figuring the only reason he could be staring would be because of his suit. “You’d have to enquire about having it tailored professionally. Our size is rather hard to find off the rack.”

It was the truth. He rarely found he could find anything he liked in his size without having it fitted for his frame. The average man was apparently smaller than he was. And with how tall this other man was, he should take the advice to heart. He was Zander’s height, maybe taller...He would have to straighten up to find out, and he was comfortable where he was, watching Robin. She sent him a blush over her shoulder and Zander grinned up at his companion.

“But it’s worth it.”

[PERRY "POSEIDON" GOETZKE]

"It's Armani."

The guy, Zander, thought that Perry was staring because of his suit? Yeah, not really. He kept talking, though, about how he would have to get it custom due to their size. Perry really didn't care. He rolled his eyes and leaned his hip on the counter as one of the women brought him his coffee. He handed her a five and told her to keep the rest, dragging his coffee over closer to him.

"Sure, whatever you say. I don't care," Perry said, taking a sip of his coffee and letting it sit for a moment before swallowing. "You're Zander."

Speaking of which, what kind of name was Zander? There were other Z names if the person who adopted him was so intent on that. Zack, Zachary. But Zander. Hopefully it was some sort of family name and not just what sounded good. Percival was bad enough, but Zander?

Perry took another sip of his coffee and kept looking at him. How were they twins? They looked so different. Zander was blond and blue-eyed, Perry was a brunette with brown eyes. Sure, they were almost the same height, similar build, but that could happen with anyone.

Well, Hector gave him the paperwork that proved it. No use trying to see around it.

Perry stuck out his hand. "Percival Goetzke."

[ZANDER “ZEUS” DEVEREUX]

"Sure, whatever you say. I don't care."

Zander Blinked, thinking that was rather rude. He hadn’t been staring at the other man’s clothing, after all. He watched as he sipped his plain coffee, trying to think up something to reply with. But he was rendered speechless with the next comment.

"You're Zander."

Well...now that wasn’t too out of the ordinary. Lots of people knew his name. He was a fairly well known public figure as head of Devereux Industries, after all. Then there were his own public moments. Still, people rarely pointed things like that out when they didn’t know him or weren’t there to meet him.

Wait. Was he there for a meeting...No. No, he was positive. Jeffry would have called more than two times to remind him by now.

"Percival Goetzke." The man stuck out his hand in greeting and Zander only paused a moment before shaking it.

Percival. What an awful name. It was one he would have remembered from his appointment book, he was sure.

“Hello, Percival,” he replied, gripping the hand for a moment before letting it go. “Zander Devereux, but you seem to know that.”

“Here you are, Mr. Devereux!” Robin chirped brightly, setting his drink on the counter.

“Thank you, Cherie!” he smiled brightly at her and took a sip from his own drink, almost groaning at the flavor. But seeing as how there was a half-naked man in front of him, that wasn’t the best option.

“So, Percival. Is there anything I can do for you?”

It was always polite to ask, after all. His mamma didn’t raise a rude son.

[PERRY "POSEIDON" GOETZKE]

The man greeted him and that was about it. Hector had said he went to Zander first about this whole 'brother' thing. Either he forgot, or he was just stupid.

The barista gave Zander his drink, who looked a little too happy when he drank it. It looked like he hadn't even had something like that before, the way he just kind of melted a little bit right there. Perry rose a brow at him, then hummed and took another drink of his coffee.

"So, Percival. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Yeah, he was stupid.

And that coming from Perry was saying something.

"You forget a lot of things, don't you?" Perry asked, looking a little put off. "Hector told you about your twin, right?" He tried to smile and gave a little wave. "Hi."

[ZANDER “ZEUS” DEVEREUX]

"You forget a lot of things, don't you?"

Zander felt like nodding. He did. Anyone who had ever met him knew that. So Percy was someone he’d forgotten. That was why he was trying this phone thing. If he had pictures, he had names, and vice versa. Unfortunately, people who met him before the phone were out of luck. He’d just have to take his picture later.

"Hector told you about your twin, right?”

Zander frowned. Hector...Oh, right – his brother, Mayor of the city, Not-Ricky. Scary. Gotcha. And he hadn’t told him about his twin. He’d just...told him his name. Now, what was it? It was something awfully stiff...

“Hi.” Percival smiled a little, waving.

Like Percival.

Zander blinked, looking over this man...his twin. Percival...who he looked nothing like.

“I’m sorry. I have no memory for names,” he replied, straightening up and still studying Percy – his taller twin brother. “Are you sure we’re twins?”

Well, that was rude. Where were his manners? His mother would be highly unimpressed with his pleasantries.

“My apologies. It’s just...I’ve met Hector and now you, and I’m starting to wonder if I wasn’t adopted into my first family as well.”

It was a fair observation. He was blonde, blue eyed, and slightly sun kissed. Percival was dark haired, really tanned, and dark eyed. However, he could see a resemblance to Hector in his features. They were both dark Italians. He...looked Scandinavian. Like a throwback to the Viking days. He stood out wherever he went, much as he imagined Percy and Hector must. Well, maybe they had that in common...

“It’s uh...it’s nice to meet you, Percival.” He offered the other man his most winning smile, hoping he hadn’t made a complete toad of himself. “I had a whole speech prepared for when I actually met you and I can’t remember a word of it.”

Maybe Jean was right and he needed to start taking Ginseng for his memory...That reminded him – he was going to have to add ginger for the stir fry on Friday to his grocery list.

“Do you want to sit and have coffee?”

Maybe talk and give him a chance to pry his foot out of his mouth...