When all else fails, steal from Professor Xavier. Besides: if the professor hadn’t given him another chance, he too might’ve been dead by the end of it.

Stephen is polite enough to keep his own gaze flitting away, to not look directly at Benedict as he ducks his head. It’s unseemly, being forced to be Perceived when you’re going through it. He understands. So instead: he takes another sip of his wine, sweet on his tongue.

“You want a drink?” he asks after a while. Offering a deflection, a safe out. “You should probably get to enjoy some of the party you’ve put together.”