Note: This story is not written by me! It was a very intriguing fanfic I found on Live Journal so I wanted to share it with everyone.
Reviews and criticism are appreciated.
It was one of those days when the rain was pouring in London, all the ground left uncobbled churned into a giant mess of mud and filth. The children were the only ones who didn't seem to mind the downpour, running around the patch of earth outside their school with delight in their expressions. Circling, skipping, pushing and shoving as they played, but they were hunting for pain. A pack of wolves devouring misery and differences, to sustain their lively joy through the injuries they caused.
She stood in their midst, hands straight down to her sides, eyes to the ground as the rain drenched her clothing and hair straight to the bone. Her bag was held tightly, white-knuckled hand clenching the leather handle and eyes locked on the ground before her feet. The girls were kicking up mud as they ran, splashing the muck on her shiny black shoes and pure white stockings. Eventually they would cover her with mud completely, all the little splashes staining her clothing and skin until she turned to stone right in the midst of the schoolyard.
They were getting frustrated at her indifference. Getting closer, sneering and chanting as they went.
Yesterday it had been her accent, the way she spoke.
Today it was her hair.
Tomorrow it would be something else.
She didn't cry when they pushed her to the ground, simply closing her eyes to keep the dirt out. They kicked the mud at her with vicious cries of joy, leaning in to try and drag her schoolbag away, try to scatter the papers and destroy her things. They tried, but she didn't let go.
A teacher rang a bell from the haven of the doorway, shouting for the girls to leave off. Reluctant noises, shouts as a few ran away, and Rhode opened her eyes as she heard them disappear.
A wash of mud and dirt splashed into her eyes and mouth, covering her face with the sting of pebbles and the stench of animal filth. Then they really were gone, and she was alone.
She waited for the rain to fall hard enough to hurt on her skin, pushing herself up when it started to sting.
Walking home took a good two hours more than a normal day. She wandered the streets of London until she reached the edge of the river, staring at the water with burning eyes for a long while before disappearing into the grey air.
A man standing nearby noticed the girl who was there and then not with vague interest, looking down to the water curiously for any sign of the one who must have jumped into the dark water. When minutes passed and nothing came to the surface, he shrugged his jacket up with resignation in his motions.
It wasn't the first person he'd seen disappear in this city. It was far too dark for anyone to last long.
Rhode was certain the house would be empty when she came home. The Earl was out on business. Lulubelle was gone, the twins out wandering some country of their own choosing. Skin was in Louisiana, on the other side of the sea.
Tiki was never home unless he had to be.
One of the maids came for her coat, saying nothing about the mud all over the girl and the rug she was standing on. This silence was the most calming thing she could have right now, this time to think. But that's not how things work, when a person needs to be alone.
He came from the kitchen with a smile, though it faded the instant he saw her condition. Setting his coffee cup down on a small table in the hall, he carefully knelt before her, pulling the tiny shoes from her feet and rolling the dirty stockings away to be left on the entry rug. Pulling her close, he rose to his feet, carrying her up the stairs with the dirt and cold soaking through his own clothes with every step.
Tiki helped her undress in silence, setting the filthy clothes in a pile beside the sink as he drew the bathwater. Hot enough to burn but not too hot, comfortable for the chilled. Rhode sat beside on the small chair with a blanket wrapped about her shoulders, knees pulled to her chest as he got some water to clean out her eyes.
The dirt came out along with a few tears, but Tiki didn't say a word about it. He just picked her up and set her in the tub, setting about cleaning her up as she sat back and closed her eyes. Clean skin, clean hair, clean feet, even beneath her tiny fingernails, and then he washed her face, too.
Rhode sighed aloud as he drew her out of the tub, wrapping a warm, fluffy towel around her shoulders and drying her off with gentle haste.
"Too cold to sit around in the water." Tiki spoke softly, briskly drying off her hair and picking her up once again. The maids had brought her warmest pajamas, leaving them on the bed and stoking the fire to a hearty blaze.
He helped her dress, wrapped her in the warmest fur blanket he had in his armoire, and set her on the bed before he went to change his own clothes. Setting up his phonograph took only a few moments, setting a record that Rhode liked to hear before he moved to her side once more.
He'd meant to leave before morning, but Tiki knew when he was needed most. He settled into the chair before the fire with her resting in his lap, damp head pressed against his chest like a miserable puppy. The Noah stroked her hair softly, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as the girl slowly relaxed in his arms. The record crackled into silence when she finally spoke, voice soft and cracking slightly as she tried to speak past the harsh lump in her throat.
"My hair's too short."
Tiki sighed, grip tightening around her tiny frame in a sympathetic hug.
"You're perfect just the way you are."
Rhode hiccupped quietly, almost a response in the silence that fell between them. The fire crackled hotly, a log hissing as it fell victim to the jaws of the flames. The phonograph crackled impatiently, waiting to play again, but receiving no attention from the room's inhabitants.
"What's the matter with me, Tiki?" Her voice was barely audible, a breath of a question in the warm air. "Why don't I have any friends?"
He paused for only a moment at her inquiries, bowing his head to press a soft kiss into her black hair. Tiki spoke just as quietly, eyes closed as he breathed his reply.
"You're meant for better things, Rhode. Much better things."
She sniffled, squeaking softly as his embrace tightened to the point of discomfort, but a slight smile came to her face as he spoke once more.
"They're all jealous you've got the best brother of the whole lot, I'd bet. Just tell the little monsters who'll come to take care of them next time they pick on you."
Rhode giggled softly, snuggling her face against Tiki's chest with the best hug she could manage from where she was situated. "You're so silly, Tiki. You know the Earl's going to be mad if you do anything like that."
He ruffled her hair playfully, smile almost dark as his gaze was drawn to the hearth. The conflagration reflected something indescribable beyond the rich, golden tones, and then Tiki looked at the girl once more.
"He'll never be angry at me for protecting you."