I do nay own Knight and Rogue. Wish i did but alas.
Michael walked down the aisle looking for the book he needed. He'd been looking for about twenty minutes to no avail. Obviously if he needed to search so hard it couldn't be that popular so why did his teacher want him to read it? He didn't even like books very much. He much preferred being outside.
After five more minutes, he found what he was looking for. The Princess Bride. 'All that searching for one book. I can only hope its exceptionally good.'
"Mary-ann, i can't find my book! Do you know if its been bought?"
"One sec... Nah, the computer says its still in the system. Caster organized last night, so it's probably on the wrong shelf. Considering him, try history. And hurry up, break is only fifteen minutes."
Michael himself was in the history section so he wasn't surprise when someone turned down the aisle. It was a young man, maybe a year or two younger than Michael himself. He had short brown hair and matching guarded eyes. He wore an untucked green shirt and faded jeans. Pulling up by Michael, he offered a nod in greeting and started scanning the P's. His expression slowly changed from interested to disappointed and he shook out his head, letting out a sigh. He longingly stuck his finger where his book must have been supposed to be. Michael's heart clenched a bit. It was exactly where he'd just pulled his from.
"So it seems its gone anyways." Even knowing that the brunet wasn't talking to him, Michael couldn't ignore the sorrow apparent in his voice.
"Excuse me, but are you by chance looking for The Princess Bride? For i seem to have picked up the last copy, but you are welcome to it." He gave a smile, holding out the book.
Expecting a gracious acceptance, he was surprised when the boy vehemently shook his head. "Oh no, i couldn't do that. I'm sure you want that book. I mean come on," he grinned lightly, "you found it in the history. I can't believe you'd look that hard. Keep it."
Michael could see his determination and decided to respect it. "If you're really sure..."
"Yup, i'm sure. And enjoy it. Its really a good book." The boy turned and Michael noticed his shirt said, "If you don't like reading, you're doing it wrong" with the bookstore's logo underneath.
'So he works here.'
Taking his book to the front, he saw the teen from the history section walking behind the counter with a different book than he'd searched for and sat against the wall, cracking open the tome. Michael watched as his eyes moved back and forth, obviously already engrossed in his chosen pastime.
"-Cuse me? Excuse me sir, but are you planning on purchasing that?"
Michael pulled his eyes away to look at the woman at the register. She had long blonde hair plaited down her back with large green eyes set in a tan face. Where the boys look had been unkempt, she was well put together and much more professional in comparison. Her name tag said Mary-ann. 'Oh. I wish i'd read his tag.'
"Sir, if you are not going to purchase the book i will have to ask you to leave the counter open."
Michael shook himself , again refocusing on the girl, but his mind kept going back to the brunet. 'Why didn't he take the book? He obviously wanted to read it.' With the thought he didn't particularly wanna read the book anyhow, Michael set the book on the counter. "Yes i am, but just one moment. Ill be right back."
Running back to the fantasy section, his original point of search, he pulled out a random book. 'Howl's Moving Castle. Sounds like a good enough book to do a report on. Ill just make up an excuse for why its not the assigned book'
Coming back to the front, Michael put his new book down as well. "I would like this one as well. How much do these total to?"
Ringing up the books Mary-ann said, "Your total is 28.43."(As you can tell by the price, its not a used bookstore, as Michael feels he soul at least support the authors. Though i always do used, unless they just came out ;P) After having put the money in the register and a wish of good night, she turned back to the computer she been working at.
Michael left the building and walked a couple blocks away, entering a small stationary shop. 'I didn't even know they had shops like these,' he thought pleasantly. Soon he was back out the door and retracing his steps, pen, paper and decorative wrap.
Again in the bookstore, he sat in a chair in the back and started writing a note. Looking across the room, it was plain to see the boy was off break and now working the register. It was very quiet in the store and he contemplated the wisdom in using wrapping paper inside. 'Maybe i should have done it outside. Too late.' Looking at the finished product, he gave it an inspection. As all seemed to be in order, he stuck on the note and stood up to leave. While walking past, Michael dropped the book and note on the counter, not evening making eye contact, and went towards the exit.
"Excuse me sir! Dude you dropped this!" Looking back, he saw the young man waving the package at him. Pleased with his actions, Michael tossed the other a grin and left the building.
Fisk pulled the hobbit off the shelf. 'I can't believe the guy offered me the book. I obviously can't take a book from a customer. Especially as i have no intention of buying it.' Making his away back t the register he sighed again. 'And i was just getting to the good part. They just got to the fire swamp.' Walking behind the counter, he slumped down on the floor to set into reading his book. He would read in a chair but his break was almost over. 'I should be able to get in about ten pages first though.' Eager to get the most out of his time, Fisk blocked out all other things and read like the wind. He was so engrossed he didn't notice the three customers who came or when they left.
Nor did he notice Mary-ann telling him break was over. At least, not until the book was ripped from his hands."Nonopherian! I said, its time to get back to work."
Fisk stood slowly, brushing off any dust he'd collected form the floor. "I asked you not to call me that," he grumble. He didn't like his first name and understandably went by his last name.
"Yeah well i am your senpai so i can call you what ever i want." She tapped her foot as she watched the youngest employee fiddle with his name tag instead of putting it on.
"Mary-ann, you read way to much manga. And you've only worked here two weeks longer than me, that hardly makes you my senior."
"Whatever, i'm ten years older so you gotta listen anyways. And its impossible to read too much manga. Just hurry up and man the register already. I gotta take these new books to stock the shelves. Let me go to the bathroom quick, be right back"
Fisk scowled as his coworker slapped his name tag on for him before walking through the back door. Sighing as he saw the almost empty store, Fisk settles in for a long hour before close.
"Why don't you just buy that book?"
Fisk jumped a bit, unaware Mary-ann had come back. He turned to look at he."Excuse me?"
"The book that guy had. I saw it when i checked him out. It was The Princess Bride. You been reading that book during every break for the past month. Why don't you just buy it?"
Fisk shook his head. 'Cause don't have the money to pay for it so i've been reading it at work.' Course he didn't say that. "Ive been feeling it out to see if it was a good book. Its okay, not really worth buying and he found it fair and square. Besides he'd been looking for like half an hour and he finally found it. IN THE HISTORY"
Mary-ann gave him a bland look as she hefted a book to rest on her hip. "If you say so. just man the register while i stock." And with that she sauntered off to add the books she been cataloging into the system all day to the shelves. Fisk quickly became bored with his duty and opened his book behind the register so he could read standing up and no one could see. The door ringing caught his attention but it was just the blond guy from earlier.
Even though the teen beamed at him, he breezed into the back, lost among the towers of books. Returning the grin with arool of his eyes a second too late for the other to see, Fisk went back to his book.A few minutes later he was pulled out from the fictional land by a presence before him. Looking up, he saw the blond kid walk past towards the door, not making eye contact at all but dropping something on the counter. He didn't seem to notice, just kept going.
"Excuse me, sir! Dude, you dropped this." Fisk waved the book in the air trying to catch the others attention. And he did. But all he got was another grin as he walked out of the store.
Confused, Fisk turned over the something to see if the man might need it. It appeared to be a present of some kind, rectangle wrapped in shiny red paper with a note on it. It occurred to Fisk that the present dropping had seemed deliberate, 'Maybe its a present for Mary-ann.'
Opening the note to see whom it was addressed to he got a shock. "This is a gift to the worker with the snarky t-shirt. :)' Fisk visibly ringed. 'Oh ugh. That guy literally writes smiley faces. What a dork.' Then Fisk realize that Mary-ann was wearing a normal work shirt, unlike him who was wearing one of his special ones. One that, he had to admit, was kinda snarky. 'Don't tell me...' Fisk cautiously opened the package, keeping the note and trying not to rip the paper. Seeing inside he let out a gasp. It was The Princess Bride. The copy the blonde had just left with.'He gave it back.' Fisk quickly shook his head. 'No he didn't, he gave it to me not the store. but...why?'
Fisk turned to look out the window behind him, but he saw hide nor hair of the book-giver. Even through the suspicion, slow smile started to creep on his face. Not only did he get his book, he now owned it. Giving in to his glee, he cracked open the book to find another note scrawled on the inside cover. This one was a solitary word, 'Enjoy!' Unable to hold back, he flipped to his last memorized page and dove in. No more customers came in that night and time flew as he read his new book. Soon it was closing time and after cleaning up he walked out the to-be locked doors with his nose buried in his gift.
Michael watched through the window as the cashier opened his package. He smiled at the care taken in unwrapping the book. 'I wonder if he guess' it's for him?' It was easy to tell the moment he saw inside, as the boy's stance froze. This was quickly undone by an abrupt turning motion towards the window. Michael ducked, practically throwing himself to the ground. After a minute or so he inched back up, relieved to see a turned back again. He let out a breath. 'Whoo, that was close.' He paused in thought. 'Why did i just hide? It's not like im doing anything wrong.'(yeah Mike's forgetting he's being creepy and peering through windows. No matter.)
His thoughts were pulled away again as the book was opened and the boy began to read. 'Ill just stay a couple minutes and see if he likes it.' Unaware of the soft smile on his face that grew every time a page turned, he lost track of time. When he finally looked at his watch, he discovered he'd been outside for twenty minutes! Flushing for a reason he couldn't quite discern, he finally turned away from the window. Hurrying down the sidewalk, Michael told himself he had to get home and start reading the book he did buy instead of watching another read. 'Nothing will ever get done that way. Of course, i should probably come back soon and see if i can find another copy of that book, as it is the assigned reading. Maybe ill talk to that cashier too, just to get his thoughts on the book.' And somehow, Michael convinced himself to do both.
A/N: So this is the only Knight and Rogue fic i have ever done. At least to late, who knows future-wise. Anywhitzer, so what did you think? Im still questionable about it as in my head its actually part of a longer story that im plotting in my head, but i doubt will ever see the light of computer screen. I just put this part up because, well,i wanted Michael to give Fisk a book. Books are wonderful and... so are Fisk and Michael so why not? I also wanted to put this up because i had written it on my phone and decided there is much too little a fanbase for this series and maybe, just maybe, someone would read this and be glad i put it up. I have read every single K&R story on here and love them all! You guys seriously all rock!
Oh, and is anyone else jumping up and down in excitement for the new book? Like, YAAAAY! I found this series just last summer and i was afraid that Player's Ruse was the last. Boy am i glad i was wrong! Im also hoping the new book will ignite a spark in the K&R fanfic and art community. ;) Thanks for reading and make sure your everyday is an adventure! (Unless you consort with Fisk, then just please give the guy a day off. Cough*Mike*cough)