For bookwyrmling.
Base on the prompt 'Pillar Pair and Farenheit 451'... except I've never read Farenheit 451, so it's more based on Oscar's Orchestra OTL
The streets were slick with rain, great rivers running down the gutters and pooling at blocked drains. A figure darted from shadow to shadow, wanting to remain unseen despite the streets being deserted.
Eventually, he reached his destination, a unassuming door in a long row of terrace houses. He knocked once, looking around to make absolutely sure no one was following.
The door opened just enough for him to slip in and he vanished through it, pulling off his sodden cape and hanging it up on the clotheshorse where it dripped onto the beautifully tiled floor.
He turned to the man standing in the doorway, observing him calmly.
"They found my library, Tezuka," The man -Ryoma- said, "this was all I could save," he pulled a book out of his pocket, a small, tattered edition of Jane Austin's Persuasion.
Tezuka wrapped an arm around Ryoma and guided him to the kitchen where he made him a hot cup of tea.
"Did they see you?" He asked as Ryoma sipped on his tea.
Ryoma shook his head, "no, I was just coming back from buying Persuasion when I saw the fire…. There was nothing in the house tying it to me and I didn't want to go home."
"Stay here tonight," Tezuka insisted, squeezing Ryoma's shoulder, "we can read your new book together."