Payday
A Bungou Stray Dogs oneshot
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Bungou Stray Dogs characters belong to Asagiri Kafuka-sensei, not to me. The next thing I know, I'm writing Steincraft. :3 Read, review, and enjoy!
- ^-^3
Fitzgerald nodded at the end of his subordinate's report. "Good. You two did well. Melville's getting the specifics from our captive, but I'd be willing to bet Japan's going to come up again." He leaned back in his chair, his eyes and mind wandering as he added, "But that's to be expected…"
John did his best to resist temptation and not fidget on his feet. But he gave in and cleared his throat a bit, his hat twisting in his hands.
That did the trick. His boss's eyes snapped back to the present and flitted over to him, and Fitzgerald gave him a quick, tight smile. "Thank you, Mr. Steinbeck. That's all for now."
John nodded, but he still waited a second longer.
And Fitzgerald took the hint. "No worries. The deposit's been made to your account. Please check in with Miss Alcott if you need to review the amount or to get paper copies of anything."
The young man's eyes widened, and he shook his head hastily. "No! No, no, I'm sure everything's in order," he rushed.
"Nevertheless, it's always a good idea to see the numbers for yourself." Fitzgerald smiled more genuinely this time, but he nodded to the door. "Make sure to tell Mr. Lovecraft that I expect both of you for your next status report." He raised his eyebrows knowingly.
"Of course," John replied, and he backed out of Fitzgerald's office without another word. He put his hat back on now that the audience was over.
On the way to Alcott, John briefly went over in his head his exchange with Fitzgerald. The word "captive" didn't sit well with him, and he scrunched his nose up at it…but then he thought about what else the older man had said. With a job well done, he and Lovecraft had been paid. And money was money. John knew it made the world go 'round, no matter what anyone said. He was pretty certain Fitzgerald agreed with that sentiment, too.
Following that line of thought, the young man withdrew from his overalls' right pocket a list and scanned his sister, Rosasharn's, neat handwriting. He knew he'd be able to get everything on the list and then some—good idea, too, since Ruthie and Winfield had scrawled at the bottom their own requests, mostly candy. That made him chuckle.
"You're done," someone from behind him pointed out.
John slowed his pace, though he still got the shivers hearing the oddly wispy voice. He looked over his shoulder as his partner caught up with him. "I am. And he noted your absence. You have to be there next time, Lovecraft."
Lovecraft pouted—or did what John thought Lovecraft passed for pouting—and tucked his chin as he looked down at the shorter male. "But…in the kitchen… There were fresh chocolate cupcakes…"
The blond bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. They'd been partners at the Guild for a few months now, and, though H. P. Lovecraft still had a tendency to spook John or even creep him out, John knew he was growing fond of him, especially when Lovecraft showed this childish side of himself. John liked to think it was his fraternal instincts, since he was the oldest of four…but it was hard to feel like the "older" one when Lovecraft stood a head taller than him and his eyes looked far older than Lovecraft claimed to be. Actually, there was something else about his eyes, too, that liked to suck John in and make him get a little lost at times, and that effect on John was getting stronger the more used to Lovecraft he got. In fact, John had to snap out of his daze even now.
Like usual, Lovecraft gave no indication he'd noticed, though John was fine with that outcome. Instead, the dark-haired fellow leaned over John's shoulder more, invading the younger man's personal space to skim the list. "Grocery list?" he asked.
"Oh. Yes," John replied, folding it and tucking it back in his pocket. They rounded the corner of the hallway and headed downstairs to Alcott's alcove. "Just some things for my family."
"You have a large family, yes?"
"Yup." The question brought a smile to John's face. At first, he hadn't liked talking about his personal life at work, but he liked Lovecraft's childlike curiosity about him and his family, and John loved boasting about his siblings in particular. He'd thought about asking after Lovecraft's family, but something always kept him from doing so, as if the subject were taboo. So, John's family it was. And John was glad to share. "Just the usual items. Plus I'm expected to satisfy the sweet teeth of the two youngest." When the door to Alcott's study came into view, John nodded towards it. "That's why I'm taking Fitzgerald's advice and going over my numbers. You should, too. We both got paid."
Lovecraft's lips pressed together in a straight line—a frown, John had discerned after their first two weeks together. "I won't bother. It's not important to me."
Okay. That got John to stop halfway to his destination. Lovecraft bumped into him since he'd been following so closely, and John righted him as the blond turned around to face him. "Not important? Money's not important to you?"
"No," Lovecraft said simply.
John raised one eyebrow at him. Sure, Lovecraft was definitely strange, but this was the first time he'd said something John didn't understand. How could money not be important? It was hard to tell if the tall, gaunt man was well-off since he always seemed to wear the same suit and tie, so that could explain things. Still, John couldn't fight the involuntary face he made at hearing such a ludicrous statement.
Lovecraft cocked his head to one side, trying to read John's expression. "Is it important to you?"
"Of course!"
"Because of your large family?"
John frowned. His disliked poverty and disliked discussing it in regards to his family even more, but he understood Lovecraft wasn't belittling him. "Of course," he answered at last. "I support them. It's not my favorite thing to do, working here…" He knew the things he'd done with his ability; it was why he made sure to attend church regularly. "But if it will put food on the table and clothes on their backs, then so be it."
Lovecraft cocked his head to the other side. He was quiet for a beat, and then he leaned down, peering more intently and closely at John's face. His eyes started pulling John in again, but John came to his senses when the older man spoke. "Then, if it will help, you can have my payment."
"Huh?"
"You can have my share."
John narrowed his eyes at him. "This isn't some handout, is it?"
"No."
"Because I live paycheck to paycheck?"
Lovecraft shook his head, and some of the inky locks of hair fell on John's crossed arms as the blond grew defensive. "You misunderstand. I mean it's for you."
John's cheeks flushed, and a tingle skittered up his arms at what Lovecraft said, though it felt different from when Lovecraft surprised him. "You…aren't trying to buy me, are you?"
Frankly, the confused look on the dark-haired man's pale face said it all. That made it all the more frustrating.
"You aren't trying to buy my love, are you?" the blond elaborated, and he dropped his eyes to the knot of Lovecraft's tie. It was hard to ask that while looking at him. Not to mention there was more than one context John meant, and, while he had no clue if Lovecraft meant such things, John had had the random daydream that kind of explained to him why the other man's eyes had such power over him. Contrasting the impression Lovecraft gave off, John wasn't well-read. But he wasn't stupid, either.
"I wouldn't do that to you, Steinbeck."
The sincerity of his words brought John's gaze back to his face. There was a sad, little, downward curve to the right corner of Lovecraft's mouth, so John trusted him. "All right. I believe you. But I don't want your money."
Lovecraft sighed, and John caught the whiff of chocolate on his breath. "But I want you to have it."
"Lovecraft, I appreciate the friendly thought," John commented, turning back to head to Alcott, "but it's too much."
Much to John's surprise, Lovecraft didn't follow him but picked up his pace until the point where he was standing in front of John, so the blond had to come to a halt once more. "I'm not allowed to do anything for you?"
"Let me lay down some rules I probably should've when we first started working together: I don't like to be pitied, so don't—"
"It's not pity. John," he added after an awkward second, but John was too stunned by Lovecraft's abruptness to comment about the familiarity. "I…like your stories about your family. I like your family. I like you."
He said it with the same honesty one might expect of him when declaring he thought something amused him. Regardless, a part of John couldn't deny feeling flattered by Lovecraft's claim.
"So am I not allowed to care for you?"
John opened his mouth to retort, but something like a choked squeak emerged from him when Lovecraft pouted again. "…no, you can do what you want."
Lovecraft perked up at that. There was even some color to his alabaster face.
"Except 'share' your paycheck." John gave him a stern look, but he figured he must've looked a sight and that it was useless, for the corners of Lovecraft's mouth ticked upward with a stifled laugh. So John turned on his heel and marched to Alcott's door, his partner at his heels once more.
"Understood," the taller man acknowledged.
John nodded, glad they'd reached this understanding. He even appreciated Lovecraft opening the door for him—until his heartbeat sped up when he sensed the hand at the small of his back, gently ushering him inside.
Hell's bells. Just what kind of understanding had they reached?
- ^-^3
Ahhh… I love them. Individually, as partners, and as an OTP. -w- *swoons* And who the hell knows if Alcott has any hand in managing the finances, so let's just assume she kind of does as strategist and record-keeper for the Guild. *shrugs* Lovecraft really is just a giant child… (Also, save me. I keep typing "Lovercraft" and I just…yeah.)
Thanks for reading, and please review, especially if you enjoyed this! More BSD fics are on the way, despite me only being up to ch34 of the manga~
-mew-tsubaki :]