More Than Bargained For
AN/
Okay, I have one thing to say before I start the story: I know the OC is way younger than Tyki, so it may be weird, but c'mon – Tyki does NOT look twenty-seven! And I just can't write about an OC over twenty years old, so… Deal.
:P Enjoy!
Chapter One –
Nineteen year old Carmen Jones sighed to herself, her exhale creating a small puff of visible air due to the cold late November air. She lay on a park bench, straight dark brown hair sprawled out around her, alone. It was around eleven o'clock at night, but she had nothing better to do than go to the park. She lived alone, as her mother had died in child birth and her father had died three years ago.
The caramel-skinned teenager took a dark red apple out of her pocket, and tossed it in the air before catching it. She repeated the action multiple times, hazel eyes that held golden flecks following the fruit each time.
A rustling sound nearby made Carmen stiffen, but she immediately relaxed again, accusing the falling leaves of making the sound. She tossed the apple in the air again, but just barely managed to catch it as something blocked out the moonlight, covering her in darkness.
Clutching the apple to her chest, she tilted her head backwards, and took in the figure that was standing there.
It was a young man, no older than thirty, with lightly tanned skin. He was dressed in formal black dressed pants, a suit coat left undone, a white button-up dress shirt, and black boots. His unruly dark brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and his dark brown eyes stared down at her.
The silence stretched on for a moment, before the man finally spoke.
"What's a young girl like yourself doing out at alone at this hour?"
"Why should I tell you?" Carmen retorted, raising an eyebrow. "We're strangers."
The man smirked slightly. "Ah, so very true. Very well, I am Tyki Mikk. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
The nineteen year old hesitated, but decided that no harm would come from simply stating her name. She had no family he could hurt – if he turned out to be dangerous – and a name wasn't much information.
"…Carmen. Carmen Jones."
The man – Tyki Mikk – took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag from it, before replying. "Carmen… Such a beautiful name – Spanish for song, yes?"
Carmen nodded slowly, brows furrowed in confusion. Why did the origin and meaning of her name matter? She sat up, so she could look at him better.
"Excuse me, Mikk, but why are you here? Judging by your clothes, you are rich – my village is very poor, so I don't see any reason for you to be here."
"Why do you call me by my last name, Carmen? I've given you my first name, after all." Tyki questioned, then took another drag from his cigarette. "And, truth be told, I'm looking for something."
"And what might that be?"
"…Are you smart, Carmen?"
Carmen blinked. Where the hell did that come from? Regardless, she hesitantly nodded. "I would consider myself smart… Why do you ask?"
Once again, Tyki ignored her question.
He drew a book from his jacket, and held it out to the nineteen year old. She placed her apple next to her on the bench, and cautiously took the object, looking it over.
"A book?"
"Yes, are you able to answer the questions inside?" Tyki asked, around the cigarette in his mouth.
Carmen opened the book to a random page, and saw that the book was full of numbers – it was a math book. She briefly scanned the pages, before closing the book again.
"Yeah, this math is relatively simple. Now can you answer my question? What are you looking for?"
"A tutor for my niece. She often turns to me for help with her homework, but I have no education and don't know the answers." Tyki explained.
"So… You got fed up with your niece pestering you for help and decided to look for someone else to help her?" Carmen recapped.
"Precisely."
"…Alright then. I guess that does answer my question." She handed Tyki back the book, and he tucked it into his jacket once more.
"So, Carmen, would you be willing to help my niece?"
"Me? I don't know if I'd be a good tutor… And besides, I bet your home is very far from here – how would I get home?" The teen questioned.
"You can live at our estate if you wish," Tyki offered. "There's plenty of unused space there. I'm sure the Earl won't mind at all if you stay."
Carmen briefly wondered exactly who 'the Earl' was, but brushed it off. It was none of her business, and he was probably a family member of Tyki's. "I…I guess that'd be alright…"
Tyki smirked faintly. "Very good. We can leave now if you wish."
"Now? It's almost midnight!" She exclaimed.
"Ah, are you tired, Carmen?" Tyki asked in an almost teasing tone.
"I'm fine. I was just surprised that you were willing to leave at such a late hour." Carmen huffed in protested while Tyki chuckled.
"I see. Well then, shall we get going?" The older of the two held out his hand to the younger, who hesitantly allowed him to pull her from the bench and to her feet.
As she stood, Carmen's apple fell from the bench and rolled onto the ground, bumping into her ankle. The dark-haired female looked down at the apple, releasing that she could no longer savour the fruit. She sighed and kicked the red food under the bench, before following Tyki out of the park.
AN/
I know… It's short… Sorry! But I hoped you enjoyed it none the less.
And remember, please review! :D