Disclaimer: Though I would give my spleen to own V, sadly, I don't. Please don't tattle on me to the court.
Bit of a warning: naughtiness
"How big is it?" Evey asked wide-eyed as she tottered behind V like a clingy, bothersome child.
"No." He absently wandered into the cinema room, desperately looking for something to distract him from Evey's adamant and somewhat limitless questions.
Movie! Maybe something new will stop this incessant curiosity of hers. He thought as he stopped in front of the large DVD rack with Evey hot on his heels.
"Aw, c'mon, V. It's just a question."
She was standing so close behind him he could almost feel the heat from her body. He quickly trailed his fingers over the flimsy plastic casings, racking his brain to remember which movies she had seen.
"Something new…something new," he muttered to himself.
"You said it was enhanced, right? So it must be bigger than most, right? So? How big is it?" She asked again.
His fingers stopped their trailing. He leaned his head against the shelf, as if he needed it for support, and he sighed in exasperation. Maybe if he answered the question, she would stop pestering him. Then again, it just might encourage her to ask more…. Well, it was a gamble. But if there was a chance to stop this third degree, he would take it.
"Big," he said cryptically, closing his eyes behind the mask.
"Aha! I knew it!" she crowed in triumph.
There was a moment of silence. Maybe he had won? Maybe this had put an end to all of Evey's persistence? Maybe he could go about the rest of the day has he had planned? Maybe….
"Can I see it?"
V's head snapped up, and he immediately resumed in searching for a movie.
"No!"
Something new! Something new! Something to distract her! Something to take her mind off of all these questions…ah, here was a good brain teaser.
"Why?" Evey asked, perplexed.
V turned to face her with the movie in hand, taking note of her completely innocent and confused expression.
Ha! You don't fool me for one minute, you sly vixen. Trying to pull innocence on me, eh? Well, it won't work.
"Because it is my most prized possession. And anyway, I would be much obliged for you to watch a film with me. Have you ever seen The Good Shepard, my dear?"
Evey's brow furrowed slightly at the case he held in his hand. "No."
"Excellent." He popped the disk into the player and settled on the couch with Evey at his side, certain that he had won.
vVv
V and Evey sat staring at the credits slowly rolling on the black screen. Evey had reverted to a whole new array of questions as the movie played concerning the plot.
But none of the topic beforehand, V thought happily. The last of the credits rolled across the screen , and the two sat in silence.
After a few minutes, V watched as Evey stood up and stretched and then smiled. Then suddenly that question burst from her lips like a popped balloon.
"Can I see it? Please?"
V inwardly groaned. He hadn't succeeded in distracting Evey.
"If I let you see it, will you stop this infernal questioning?" V asked wearily.
"Of course," Evey said, nodding her head vigorously for emphasis.
"Very well, but the lighting must be dim." V stood up and walked to the makeup room in silence, the only noise the loud echo of boots on the stone floor followed by a softer patter of bare feet.
Well, I guess I should be expecting this since I was the one who told her. She is a might curious little thing. He thought to himself, secretly chuckling at the last thought.
"If you would please wait here while I ready, my dear," V said as they entered the makeup room.
Evey waited patiently while V disappeared behind a large black screen. There was some shuffling and rustling followed by a zipping sound, and then silence.
"V?"
V emerged from behind the screen. Evey's eyes bugged out until V thought that they would pop from her head.
"Wow," she breathed, her eyes fixated as she moved in front of him until he could only see the top of her head and bent down to examine it closely, much to V's discomfort.
"There, now you've seen it." He stepped back and was about to turn and put it away when Evey stopped him.
"I want to touch it," she whispered, reaching her hand out. V jumped back as if he'd been burned, putting a protective hand over Evey's objet du desire.
"No!"
A pained expression crossed her face, and he realized that he had inadvertently hurt her feelings.
He hesitated, but reluctantly removed his hand and stepped up again to her. Evey's eyes widened again as she looked down and once again reached out a slender hand.
V was as stiff as a board as she caressed the smooth texture as if it was the finest silk. But then she looked up and smiled into the obsidian eyes of the mask, and he felt himself relax a little.
"Thank you, V," she said shyly as a faint pink spread across her cheeks. "I know you're reluctant to share some of your more…ah… personal treasures with me, but I really appreciate it. I really was just curious about this, and besides it really is a thing of beauty."
A secret smile tugged at the corners of his mouth behind the mask, but he merely tipped his head in acknowledgement.
Looking back down at the lavish, gold object in his hand with pride, V began his history lesson.
"This, Evey, is the Topkapi Dagger or the Emerald Dagger, dating from the mid-eighteenth century in Istanbul…."
La fin of Curiosity.