On a particular hazy morning Castor Feist and Labrador Porfe found themselves seated apart in front of the brightly lit room of Frau Zehel's [a.k.a. the Perv of the office] mahogany desk trying to snap sense into his thick head. It may not work but they should at least try since they never know what runs inside the blonde's somewhat too unpredictable mind.
"C'mon Frau, the kid needs someone to take care of him. Don't deny it. And besides, looking at him I know he's bored of you." Castor said smiling at the brown haired, emerald eyed boy and then to his irked friend.
"And you won't always be around to." Labrador added hearing Teito yawn.
"Michael is out of the question." the red head agreed. The kid shuddered suddenly at Michael's mere mention.
"Or Fea."
"Or your ex." Castor said with a smile. Teito looked at his father with contempt.
"Or Lance."
"Or us." Castor and Labrador said in unison.
The blond executive drummed his fingers on the table in irritation. His closest friends are here in front of him making excuses to persuade him into going out and finding someone to cater to his sons every whim in which he sometimes don't understand. Dirty magazines and booze is all he needed and that's that. Oh, and Teito. He was fairly sure his kid would be the same someday too, like a hot blooded man should-
"Or does reading porn…" Castor said sneaking a snigger. Or not.
"Shut up!" Frau yelled louder than he intended to.
"Ah, Frau, watch your blood pressure. Besides isn't Mikage reliable, that boy of yours, to amuse Teito?" Labrador tried to ease him. No one had realized Teito who was bored out of his wits went out of the door.
"I can't just leave Mikage in charge of Teito! I mean he's got a life-"
"Well, we all got a life here Frau." Castor said pushing his glasses with one finger.
"Let me finish Castor! Dammit! Mikage is great and all but he stepping out now. He got a girl named Rosalie and I perceive a bright future for him than mine ever was."
"Then find someone too, idiot." Labrador said softly.
"I already told you I can handle it on my own!"
"Yeah, then where is he?" Castor eyed him menacingly.
Frau made a quick scan of the whole room to find Castor was indeed right. The red head hit him upside the head.
"Idiot!"
The flaxen glared at him, rubbing the spot where Castor hit him. He stood and went out the hall calling out Teito's name several times but not a sign of the brown haired boy turned up. Labrador was even alarmed at the boy's absence and had to call on Frau's secretary to announce Teito's name in the intercom.
"Oh god, it's 'Hide and Seek' again…" Frau sighed, face-palming.
"Why? What's wrong with that? It's not like he would just disappear." Lance Rilect who had been dragged into the search party said.
"No, I'm afraid not. Not for that kid. Every game with him is like a hunt." Labrador said grimly.
"The last time we had to search for him it took eighteen hours. We finally thought the surveillance would have caught him on footage. Lo and behold! We find him moving here and there. He was hiding inside a utility closet we passed by twenty times already."
"Do you mean he does this often?"
"Of course not! But today Mikage is not here to amuse him!"
"Never trust Frau with children. I suggest you don't in the near future Lab."
"I have none Castor, remember?" the white haired man said.
"Oh, right…" he deadpanned.
"We don't have time for this!" Frau yelled, trying hard and failing not to panic.
"Well, if you were a smart and quiet boy where would you hide?" Lance said aloud for them.
They stood without a word staring at each other dumbfounded for a minute.
"The Waiting Area?" Lance suggested.
Frau waved his hand dismissively. "Nah. He'll never enter that place for babies like that Shuuri kid as a playmate again. No, he won't ever go there especially after the kids started punching each other."
"The Rooftop?" Labrador said actually thinking more about the garden in there than the boy.
"Could be." Lance said shrugging.
"He might fall over, then again, what would he be doing there?" the red head said.
"Ugh! You're making me nervous! The rooftop isn't open anyway. Lab has the key."
"We could split up. To cover more ground." Castor said pushing his glasses with a finger. "I'll go to the surveillance room and see if he comes up."
"We won't be able to cover the whole place." Labrador said with a sigh.
"It's worth a try. Just pick a place where you think he might go."
With that said they head out on four directions.
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Titannia had her eyes on the off-limit construction site. She held about four black clip boards full of permit and an issue of Archikonst magazine. It was lunch break and she was enjoying taking occasional sips of her strong black coffee while observing the outline of a building only she could see. She had a yellow hard helmet on her head, humming to herself, as she arranged stray paperwork and blueprints in order.
Her eyes then caught something that was not supposed to be there. A lithe creature sprinted across the perimeter like a cat. Titannia quickly stood almost knocking her favourite mug. Her steely eyes followed the child. She barely registered the sound of the clip board fall off the table as she shot out of her seat. The young woman descended the rickety steel steps swiftly and without sound. It seemed her afternoon break is up early.
Why was there a kid in a dangerous site? Why hasn't anyone, except her, notice the kid? Morons! She wasn't the only one with the bird's eye view of the construction site. She was getting irked by the minute. Oh god the paperwork, she thought incredulously.
"Kid! Hey," she called out, "You're not allowed in here. Hey!"
Several of the construction workers stopped abruptly as their bossed trudged on the gravelly path.
"What's wrong boss?" one called out from the excavator.
Titannia half turned her attention to him eyes trying to lock on the speck of brown. "There's a kid in here! Yours?" she said sternly.
"Nope, I'm single. Are you sure boss? I haven't seen one." the man replied.
She nodded without actually caring. Titannia finally caught a glimpse of the aforementioned figure.
"There!" she shouted. "Hey! You! Wait!"
She ran after him. Good thing she was wearing her rubber soles. The child stopped below the massive girders. He turned to Titannia who was shouting profanities, unaware of the danger he was in. Her eyes saw the slightest of malfunction. The winch holding the materials together were giving out.
"Fuck-!" Titannia gasped and yelled, "Kuroyuri, lower the fucking load!" However the person was too far to hear her.
In an instant the winch gave way sending the multiple objects crashing down. The entire construction site was dead silent save for the humdrum of steam and engine and the clang of iron support tumbling and concrete being crushed. Kuroyuri slid down the rails calling out to his boss. He coughed and tried to see through the smoke.
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"What the hell?!" Lance jumped. Beside him was Labrador had a bad feeling.
"What's that noise outside?"
"Teito?" Frau wondered out loud. Seriously, the kid could find trouble like a mouse to a mousetrap. All right, bad simile.
Castor had accompanied him to the main lobby inquiring about the boy. Earlier, the receptionist had mentioned seeing Teito going out of the building.
"Unlikely, let's get back to Teito." the red head following his friend's line of thought.
The news spread out fast. The construction site just a few blocks away had an accident. Lance and Labrador had quit their attempts and were heading down. Frau wanted to go see if Teito was nearby the site. That kid had caused him a lot of trouble, a magnet of trouble. And there was a chance this could be one of those.
A few wondering gossipmongers were idling by the hall, ears like sonar and death to Frau. He ignored the shapely rears and mile long legs this time.
"What's with the commotion Athena? What happened? I was in the break room when I heard the crash."
"I just got here too. A lot of people were at Raggs Street nearly got killed."
"What? No way! What could've caused it?"
"I dunno, probably one of the workers I guess."
"Wow, I hope everyone's fine."
"Wanna check it out Libelle?"
"Oh, I can't!"
Frau felt a pang of dread. What if Teito was there? What if he got injured? What would he do? He had to check ASAP. Castor had watched him closely but before he could say anything to calm the blond down Frau's impulsiveness beat him to it. Without another word he raced outside the revolving doors. He nearly got hit by a cab but he barely heard the driver's cussing and ran as fast as his feet could take him to the area. He made his way through hearing an ambulance in the distance and busybodies scuffing about asking questions and/or cursing. Frau rounded a corner and crashed into a bicyclist. He shoved the man off of him. Breathless and sweaty buckets, he got there just in time before a lot of people gathered around the blue and yellow tapes that were put up.
The blond executive saw the little boy seated beside a medic looking ready to cry at any moment. He pushed passed the crowd and hurried towards Teito. The child, big emerald green eyes, stood and ran to him. Frau felt relieved and overall thankful. He knelt down and embraced him tightly, tears staining his clear-cut face.
"Oh God. Thank God you're safe!" he cried running his hands through his son's hair.
Frau knew Teito was unhurt and that he was sorry for leaving him without permission. The child cried in his shoulders continuously.
"I know, I know." he said soothingly, rubbing the kid's back in a relaxing circular motion he always do when Teito is scared, "You scared the shit out of me."
"Excuse me, may I speak to him?" someone said behind them.
Frau stood and turned to see who it was and found heaven. She was a young woman no older than him, wearing a sling on her right arm. The realization dawned on him.
"I'm sorry, but-" he was cut off by Teito walking towards her and hugged her thighs.
She held no outward expression most women would have when a child embraces them. Instead, she removed Teito's arms and knelt down to the boy's height. Using her right hand she pointed at her chest then crossed it over her left arm before pointing it back at Teito. It was a bit rough with the sling but it got the message across –she asked him if he was okay. Teito assured her using one hand saying he was fine what about her? Titannia shook her head and asked who the man was. Green eyes regarded Frau critically before making a single tap of his thumb to his forehead. The blond was stunned. He tried to ignore the prickly in his eyes. He waited so long.
This was the first time Teito called him that. And to someone no less. Frau felt a hint of pride.
Teito looked down with a frown before making an "A" in his right hand then rotate it clockwise in front of his chest. He looked at the woman then at his father as he did so.
SORRY. SORRY. SORRY.
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Teito looked at her with big grateful eyes. He smiled before using both his hands, dominant fingers on his lips then lowering it in her direction.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Titannia sighed. She used the "F" handshape with both her hands and move them sideways (to the outside) and back (to the inside) a couple of times. It was a bit awkward with her sling but Teito understood.
NOTHING TO IT.
"I am aware he is mute," she said casually, dusting up the dirt off her jeans.
"I…" was the only thing Frau could say.
"And being a single parent, this can be quite a handful ne?" Titannia said.
"Wait, how'd you-?"
"I know so, considering your child just waltzed into a dangerous site. A mother is usually the one who takes care of the child. And since you came alone, male and all, I assumed you are single. It doesn't seem to be working well is it? Please don't take it the wrong way."
Frau got mad almost instantly. He pulled Teito by the shoulder who whimpered at his father's strength.
"Don't go judging people Miss. I'm grateful you saved my son but you have no right to-"
"Maybe I don't. But you did ask. My name is Titannia Randkalt." she turned to Teito and spelled her name.
Teito began moving his fingers into distinct letters. Frau just watched in amazement.
"Tei-to… Klein? Cute." she translated this as well.
Teito turned a bright red and hid behind his father's legs. She sighed and looked straight into Frau's eyes.
"The damage costs of the materials are non-refundable to the company where we purchased them…" Titannia then smiled wryly, "It should be none of your concern since our equipment is faulty. I should be the one apologising."
Frau was speechless. Surely he was talking to another person. Or hearing things. Or it's just Castor playing tricks on him.
"What?"
"It means you two are free to go." she said and went away without a single glance.
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Labrador looked at his red headed companion. An hour passed since they last peered inside the seemingly quiet room. The spectacle in front of them wasn't a big surprise although the person behind it was. The two men found Teito playing a console in a leash that was tied to the desk. Frau was staring at the large window to his left with a dazed look in his eyes. Castor nudged him. The white haired young man hesitantly knocked at the door frame bringing Frau back to reality.
"I got to see her again!" he suddenly exclaimed knocking the binders down the carpet floor.
Labrador and Castor were taken aback at his outburst. Teito ignored him not even lifting his head to see what his father was on about.
"Frau, what are you talking about?" Labrador said.
Frau stared at him as if he was stupid. Ironic, but yes.
Teito glared at his father. He whacked his forehead with the "palm side" of a handshape that is a cross between an "A" hand and an "S" hand followed by a single tapping motion of his thumb to his forehead.
DUMB DAD.
Castor laughed while Labrador raised an eyebrow. What happened?
"Her! The angel..." He sighed, a smile spread across his face. "Get inside both of you!"
Ah, typical Frau, both men thought.
"Who?" the white haired man asked.
"Miss Titannia Randkalt! That's who!"
"The architect from the slums?" Castor glanced at the boy.
"You know my son hadn't been this eager to 'talk' to me before! He can't get enough about her. I can't. Oh, the heavens sent her…"
Castor stared at him, a little freaked out. "OK…"
"More like to your son, you perv."
"I have to see her again! I hadn't felt this sure in years! I know she's the one! The one!" he threw his arms up.
"That's what you said before and ended up-"
"This one's different Lab. I swear."
"But-"
"And Teito's gonna help me!" he turned to Teito with an air of authority, "Teito!"
The small brunette boy gave him an annoyed look and made a quick concise sign. He gently slapped his hand on his chest once, twice. He repeated this thrice with a look of possession, scaring his father.
GO AWAY. MINE. MINE.
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Like father like son
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A/N: I used the American Sign Language and I am a hundred percent sure I'm wrong. So forgive me. This is a really, really old fic I made years ago. Titannia Randkalt is supposed to represent one of the 7 Ghost, Randkalt. I dunno, I just thought that Randkalt hasn't made an appearance in the anime (yet). If Randkalt did appear in the manga, then I am completely unaware. Oh darn. But for all we know he's a woman (not Frau) this time. *cheers to the tomato parade* Romano: Buono tomato bastardo! me: haha, it rhymes.
-midnightgamin