Disclaimer: I don't own LXG.
The thief closed his eye, didn't really affect his sight, he saw straight through his eye lids. Not wanting to sleep he got up, grabbed his trench coat, swung it on and left the room.
Skinner headed towards the dinning hall, there might be some company there, quite or noisy, he didn't mind.
He wasn't disappointed, Allen Quatermain was doing a puzzle on his newspaper, obviously he didn't noticed the thief coming in the hall. Skinner sat down on the chair in front of him, Allen barely noticed that, he just scribbled on his newspaper with his pen.
Skinner watched him; they buried Allen 1 month after his death, it took them a while to heal, to get to Germany to realise the scientists and their families. Then they had to journey to Africa. When they did bury him, as soon they were back on the ship, he was running up to yelling 'wait for me!' if one of the captain's men didn't see him they would left him behind. Everyone could barely believe their eyes when they let him back on the ship. Poor Tom almost fainted, he saw him die. It was a shocking reunion. When Mina asked why he was alive all Allen said was 'Africa brought me back.'
Allen looked up from his newspaper and jumped in surprise.
"Bloody Skinner, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Allen growled more to himself then to the floating coat in the chair, he put his pen down. The thief stopped himself from saying a bad joke. "What do you want?" He asked rather rudely.
"Well, hello to you too." Skinner greeted the hunter rather taken back by the rudeness "Is it a crime now, to sit down and enjoy some quite company?"
"No. You just startled me." That was close to an apology Skinner would get.
"So I saw."
Allen raised an eyebrow to where he thinks Skinner's head was.
"Hmm. Someone's grumpy." Allen stated "wouldn't you be better off going to bed?"
"I can't be bothered to wait to fall asleep." Skinner replied half true.
"It's not hard to fall asleep Skinner, all you have to do is turn off you light, lie down on your bed and wait." Allen told him, giving a look that made the thief feel like he was a child again.
"I do that every night Allen, but closing my eyes doesn't do much. But that's not what's keeping me up" Skinner responded in a matter-fact kind of tone. Allen just stared at where thinks Skinner's head was. Then he picked up his pen again
"Oh, then what is?" Allen asked, Skinner just shrugged his shoulders.
"I just don't want to." He said shortly.
"What does this mean? 'Tall when I'm young, small when I'm old, food gives me life, when breath kills me. What am I?'" Allen asked, changing the topic, the look on his face told Skinner that he didn't expect an answer. Skinner hardly needed to think.
"Well, that's obvious; it's a – you really don't know?" Skinner asked, he was grinning which was unnoticed. Allen sniffed.
"I'm not very good with riddles." Allen confessed, Skinner could not help but chuckle. "I would be happy to know the answer so I could sleep."
"Hmm. Should I let Allen go to bed, or keep him up all night." Skinner said pretending to talk to himself.
"If you going to keep me up, I'll make sure you stay up too, until you give me the answer." The old hunter threatened.
"Ah, but Allen, can you stand me? I can easily annoy you, you know?" Skinner said standing up, Allen pulled a face. Skinner chuckled
"So if you don't give me an answer, we will be tormenting each other. If you do give me the answer, you'll have no company and I'll be in bed." Allen said. He too stood up.
Skinner strides to the door, Allen was excepting him to run away and was about to speak but Skinner cut in.
"The answer is a candle." Skinner told him and he left the room. He thought he heard Allen grumbled 'bloody riddles' as he return to his cabin, where he finally manages to drop off peacefully.