A/N: For ibuberu!
Fandom: Professor Layton
Characters/pairing: Clive/Flora
Genre: General/romance
Summary: Flora knows she shouldn't thank a kidnapper, but she feels like she needs to. — CliveFlora
Rating: K
When it's over and the policemen have him in cuffs, Flora, despite Luke's attempts to convince her not to do it, wants to say goodbye to him. If the Professor can, why can't she? And whether Luke likes it or not, Clive was still there during their whole journey, and he was a companion for the most part of it.
Well—
A "companion" isn't entirely applicable when it comes to Clive: she can't really define him. He's having fun tiptoeing in the balance between nemesis and hero. Before his big reveal, she definitely thought of him as a hero; handsome, mature.
If she could go back, tell her past self not to think he's worth it, she … well, she guesses she would do that. But she's had enough of time machines for the time being (no pun intended), and warning her past self isn't even a viable option, so why bother fantasizing, right…?
So they stand face-to-face.
Clive's gaze is glassy. He doesn't even try to be aloof. He doesn't need to try. After all, she's just the girl who inevitably gets kidnapped. She is only bait. Frankly, she's a little tired of that; she still doesn't know why she went with him so effortlessly. His grip on her wrist wasn't hard enough to bruise, although it could have been. Honestly, she's kind of thankful for that, even though she knows she shouldn't be thankful to someone who's kidnapped her for ransom.
Even so, she unfolds completely.
"Thank you," she tries, meekly. The Professor and Luke watch from a little ways back. Clive stares at her, unresponsive, and then looks away, steps towards the police car. Flora frowns, tries again: "You might be evil, but—I'll thank you very much! For not hurting me!"
"I heard you the first time," Clive says, and ducks inside the police van. He turns his face away.
"I told her he was a jerk," says Luke, who certainly has no right to be so mad.
The Professor shushes him, and explains the mechanics of a maiden's heart when he thinks Flora isn't listening.
