"That was a wild ride, wasn't it Prof!" An exuberant voice pipes up, breaking the silence apart from the occasional flipping of a page.
"Mm, quite." Is the dull response, and it's quite clear that the purple-haired man is concentrating on the mass of paperwork spread across his desk.
It was surprising how just hours earlier things had been so frantic and had since come to such a lull in activity. Alfendi and Lucy had found themselves working on a particularly daunting case that, of course, was accompanied by some even more daunting suspects. But, as always, they had been able to pick out the perpetrator in the end, and it lead to some heated arguments in the mystery room as well as some threats—albeit, they were bluffs but scary nonetheless! Potty Prof may not have been bothered by a known pyromaniac but it was enough to set Lucy on edge! In the end they had received their confession, and the criminal was put behind bars where he belonged.
Now the pair was left with nothing left but a pile of paperwork.
Alfendi was pulled out of his mental daze when a cup had been placed down beside his work. Honey colored irises found themselves raising to meet with the ever chipper assistant of his. He can't help but note the warm smile that adorns her features, and he soon finds it's terribly contagious as a grin passed his own pale features.
"I thought you could use a cuppa, Prof. You looked tired, especially after all the excitement today!"
"It was a good observation. Thank you, Lucy."
Alfendi found slender fingers wrapping around the cup after that, and it was in that moment he could truly take in the rest of the office. It was cleaner than before; it clued him in on the fact that Lucy had been productively procrastinating, but more importantly he noticed the ebbing light outside the window. It was what prompted him to take a glance at the clock and to realize just how long he'd been at it.
It was a surprise to him that Lucy was still around at this point, he would have thought she would have gone home by now. It wasn't uncommon for Alfendi to stay past hours, nor was it uncommon for him to show up earlier than needed. Lucy, on the other hand, was usually rather skilled at keeping track of the time. The only times he had caught her after hours were typically during a case where both found themselves struggling. He admired that side of her; her stubbornness and tenacity were what made her so talented.
But they had wrapped up their case, and it was obvious she had no intention on finishing her paperwork. It is why he finds himself lowering the cup, and slowly swiveling away from his desk to properly face his assistant.
"I'm surprised you're still here, Lucy. You usually leave on time."
It's obvious she is taken off guard by his remark, she hadn't intended on him commenting on her actions. But Lucy is hardly ever knocked out for long. Her smile hardly wavers, and instead a very slight shrug takes hold of her shoulders.
"I figured you wouldn't be too much longer. After such an exciting day I didn't want t'leave you here all on your own."
"I think I'm going to be longer than you're willing to wait. I would go home; but thank you for thinking of me."
Lucy's face momentarily twists into a look he's unfamiliar with. He wanted to say she's displeased, but he's quite sure that isn't what she's feeling now. While he was thankful Lucy wore her heart on her sleeve, and often was brash, Alfendi still found himself struggling to make out something so simple.
After a few beats, however, he watches her simply wipe it off once more. Her arms fold over her chest, and her expression shifts.
He knows what that face meant.
"You've been workin' nonstop lately. It's just a little paperwork; it's nowt to kill yourself over, Prof! One of these days I'm afraid I'll come in and find you keeled over; death by paperwork, an' I don't think any of us wants t'see that! Besides, you can't go by paperwork or Florence an' I lose a bet."
Lucy flashes a wry smile after making that remark, she knows that the Prof had always been one to enjoy her teasing and to even play along. It is why it's so tragic to watch as he turned to face his desk, hands fiddling with the paperwork splayed out in front of him.
He is smiling, however. She does find some solace in that.
"Well, I'm glad you and Florence are concerned so I'll give you my word that I will at least try to take it easy. But I would really advice you to head home, Lucy. I can only imagine how late you'd be tomorrow to make up for tonight." And now it's his turn to flash a clever grin.
The Detective Constable finally had to throw up her hands after that. Lucy understood she could often sway the Prof into doing things but when he decided to be stubborn, as he was now, she knew there would be no budging. Instead she heaves a sigh, and moves to collect her coat hanging by the door.
"I know when I'm bested," she remarks, sliding the brown pea-coat over her shoulders, "and this is one of those times I suppose. Take care, Prof, I'll see you in t'mornin'."
"Goodnight, Lucy. I'll see you then."
There was one more hesitant look given to the Inspector sitting at his desk before she finally retreated, closing the door to the Mystery Room behind her.
Alfendi isn't entirely sure what it was about, but it wasn't uncommon for Lucy to act out of sorts. The most likely case was that she had been planning something and it fell through with his adamancy on staying put. The Prof simply shrugs it off, and sips the steaming cup of coffee at his side.
There's a hard thrum that resonates within the Detective Constable's chest; one that causes her breath to heighten, and her pace to gradually pick up. The chill of mid-autumn was certainly taking hold of the London streets, and Lucy found herself pulling her jacket closer to herself to try and keep some warmth in. Those crimson hues of hers shifted periodically, watching carefully for anything suspicious.
The fact of the matter was that she was certainly on edge.
Lucy Baker was many things; she was blunt, stubborn, incredibly optimistic and sweet but above all she was perceptive. Despite what anyone thought or said she had an eye for the smaller things and sure it may not have been as keen as Alfendi Layton but she had it. It's no surprise, then, that she picked up on the shady looking fellow who had been following her the past few nights. At first, she had thought nothing of it; actually, at first she hadn't really paid him any attention. After the second day, however, she had begun to get an unwelcomed feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her something was wrong. With this all happening under the veil of night, Lucy found she was truly dreading walking home each evening.
Lucy had always had a fear of the dark; it was something that stemmed all the way back to her childhood. She supposed these days, however, she was more afraid of what lurked in the dark rather than the darkness itself.
There was always that gnawing thought in the back of her mind though; what if she was overexaggerating? She could never be entirely certain and she didn't want to seem like some silly little broad. Lucy could handle herself! And some pepper spray stashed on her person certainly helped.
When she catches sight of the mystery man her blood runs cold.
She makes no physical signs of her discomfort however. Instead, she simply continues her walk, keeps her gaze forward and her hand lingering by the pocket of her coat.
Steady on, Lucy. Everything's alright.
Oh, how she wished she could force that to be true.
Underestimating someone was a tragic fault; and it isn't long before Lucy finds her small form easily swept up in the blackness of an alleyway. She doesn't go down without a fight; no, not Lucy Baker. When her hand is snatched away from her defense she claws and bites and kicks. She does catch the can, brings it up but is soon disarmed. But she still fought. She fought until that glittering blade danced around her neck.
"Oi, feisty little thing, aren't ya? I like that."
"Sod off! I don't have anythin' for you."
"There's somethin' I can think of."
Lucy jerks, and she can feel the pressure on her neck, can feel the single bead of liquid drip down her neck. She can hear her heart pounding in her ears but she doesn't show it, not even for a moment. Instead she finds a knee raising and connecting with the man. The entire situation is a whirlwind; the man shrieked letting go of the smaller girl allowing her to attempt to run. She soon finds herself hitting the ground—hard, but isn't given much time to linger on it. She feels a hand running through her hair yanking it and soon she's on her back, hands grasping at the wrist suspending her head, nails digging into his skin.
"You little bitch."
She writhes under his grasp, under the blade pressing into the open wound, winces but never stops fighting—and then suddenly the weight is gone. She's left staring at the dark sky for a few moments, before it occurs to her that something was happening. A dash of crimson catches her eye and it doesn't take long for the rest to follow.
The look Lucy gave him, the way she had been acting, all of it weighed heavily on Alfendi's mind. He supposed the paperwork could wait because his concern for her was much stronger and certainly much more important. When he'd caught sight of the girl pinned to the ground, it had been enough for him to snap.
He had wasted no time in grabbing the man, slamming him as hard as he could against the wall, and soon the tables were turned. As he pressed that shimmering blade into this monster's throat he wanted nothing more than to slit it right there, end everything for him for even thinking he could look at Lucy the way he had—that was a sin punishable by death.
"My, my, I see how this could be so very enticing to you." Never has he ever wanted to harm anyone as much as this man and it shows; it shows in every muscle of his body, in the crazy look flashing through amber eyes.
"You are filth, you're unworthy to even exist in this world. I should just go ahead and castrate you right now where you stand you vulgar bastard—"
"Prof!"
And he hesitates.
He forgot Lucy was there—Lucy who had just endured so much, his dear assistant. He doesn't have time for this; he has his face, he could easily find him. But he continues to press the blade, his eyes ablaze, filled with bloodlust.
"If I even hear a single word of you I will make sure to follow up on my threats, do you understand me?"
Silence. He's once again slammed against the wall, knocking any sort of air from his lungs.
"I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"
"Y-Yes! Yes, I won't—I won't again, I swear it!"
The moment he's released the scumbag ran for it, ran as fast as his legs would carry him. And it's then Alfendi finally turns to take in Lucy.
She's roughed up, but it seems she didn't undergo any seriously damage. Her stockings are a mess; ripped, covered in a mix of dirt and blood from her skid knees. Her hands are no different from what he can see, scraped and bleeding from her fall. Her neck, still slightly dripping from the initial threat is what makes him want to scream; it makes him want to hunt the animal down and castrate him right there in the middle of the street with any bystander who wanted to watch.
Instead he walks over, grabs her by her arms, demands eye contact.
"Why didn't you ask me to walk you home? Why didn't you just ask!?" He's angry, but certainly not at her. He's so angry for not seeing the signs. Some genius he was.
Any anger he had, however, is momentarily subsided when he sees the tears brimming in her eyes. His crimson locks are still wild, he's still there but at least somewhat pacified for the time being. He released her, and instead finds his coat wrapping around her shoulders.
"Come on, then."
And they walk in silence.
The walk was quiet, it was agonizing. Leaving Potty Prof to his thoughts after something such as that was dangerous; he was still fuming, still outraged he had even allowed for something such as that to happen. At some point Alfendi had found an arm slinking around the smaller woman, pulling her close as they walked side by side to her flat. When they arrived the silence only held, and before they could part another thought came to the inspector's mind.
Lucy was completely alone.
She had no immediate family here in London, no one close enough to confide in. The last thing he wanted was to leave her here when she was in such a state—no. No, he personally did not want to leave her side. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to comfort her and tell her it was okay and be close because he loved—God dammit why wasn't she saying anything? He turned to face her and quickly regretted it. That was a face he would never be able to forget.
It was so—cold. So devoid of emotion it pained him.
"I can stay around if you want. If not, I understand."
She's surprised to find she's still talking to him, Potty Prof. It only showed her how upset he was over the situation as well. She never thought she'd see the day when Potty Prof would provide such a warm embrace.
"I appreciate it—yea, please I'd—like that."
And so, they both found themselves entering her flat.
Once inside Alfendi was left to simmer down while Lucy tidied up. When she reemerged, she found Placid in his place, and was at least somewhat satisfied to find he had been able to calm himself. And then it was the Prof's turn to surprise her. He lunged, grabbed her, pulled her in and held her tightly, held her as though she would disappear if he dared let go. Alfendi finally allowed himself to feel that fear, to feel the completely terror he had felt when seeing her in that situation. He couldn't think of losing her—he had been so close and he understands this. It unnerves him entirely. It isn't long before he finds two smaller hands digging into the fabric of his coat.
"I'm so sorry Lucy—I was so scared when I—I should have just walked you home. I should have realized—"
"It's not your fault. I didn't think he'd try anythin' but—'S not like you could've known." Her voice is quiet, and she feels so very small in that moment. Being so close to him is an odd occurrence, but she never wants the feeling to end.
"Thank you, Prof you—you saved my life back there."
"I couldn't even imagine—" But he stops after that, and simply allows them to embrace, and enjoy the silence, to enjoy the warmth and closeness of it all.
Lucy is the one who ends up pulling away first, and instead leads him over to the couch. She fiddles with the remote before eventually settling on 'some late-night romance series that she really didn't care all that much about' before disappearing again. When she returns it's with a blanket she drapes over the two of them after she takes her place next to the Prof.
Neither of them speaks for some time, but neither of them felt the need to. Around the second episode, however, when Laura finally finds out that Brad had been faking his coma, Lucy had found herself nestling her head into Alfendi's shoulder while intimately explaining the plot of the show, and eventually, she trailed off into silence once more.
Alfendi found his heart beating hard against his chest as he watched the sleeping Lucy resting against his own self. Slowly he found an arm wrapping around her small being, holding her close to his body as he had earlier. A free hand brushed the ginger locks from her fair face, admired the softness of her hair, admired her beauty as she slept, and peacefully at that. His grip grows ever so slightly tighter as his anger and fear burn once more. The thought of losing her terrified him. He would be sure nothing like that ever happened again.
And next time, he certainly wouldn't be so casual with the perpetrator.
But now—now he could enjoy having her here, having her so close. It was something he felt he could certainly get used to.
"Ah, it's that time already? I can't believe it; feels like I just walked in here!"
"Perhaps it was because you were late. Again."
Lucy seemed rather indignant to that remark, with fists shoving themselves onto her hips and ginger brows pulling themselves together.
"I brought tea, didn't I? The line was ridiculous! Maybe I should just stop tryin' t'do kind deeds." They both shared a grin with that one. "This case is really somethin'."
"Mm, you're definitely right there. But, like you said, we don't want to kill ourselves over it. We've already been here an hour later than usual. Besides, if you die working too hard over a case I lose a bet with Dustin."
Lucy laughs at his remark, and it causes Alfendi's heart to flutter. He smiles, genuinely, and watches as the female slips on her winter attire.
"Alright, alright, I wouldn't want that t'happen. I guess it's quittin' time, then. We can look at it with a set of fresh eyes in the mornin'!"
Alfendi follows Lucy in suit, and is soon slipping his own jacket on.
"Tomorrow will be the day we solve it. I'm 98.7% certain it was the victim's sister. There's only a few minor details I'd like to follow up on. But, for now, let's head home, shall we?"
Lucy smiled; a warm, pure smile that caused Alfendi to momentarily flush. He soon felt a gloved hand intertwining his fingers in her own and his heart was ready to leap out of his chest.
"Aye, and maybe I can make you a hot cuppa before you head out again? It's a harsh winter this year! And you never did see what happened with Laura and Brad."
Alfendi chuckles as Lucy tugs him along and out into the frigid winter air.
"No, I guess you're right. I suppose I'll just have to stick around and find out, won't I?"
Another night away from home, another night out of his comfort zone, sleeping on a couch and screwing up his neck and back for the next few days to follow.
And he would relish every second of it.