Well, I've been busy lately, and haven't been able to update as much as I want to. However, give me just a little bit more time, and I'll get you guys what you want.
Anywho, here's something new. It's been stuck in my head lately. Enjoy!
Summary: After losing every single bit of hope, nothing else remained. However, everything changes, when new opportunities arise, and, in an instant, her life as a poor waitress turns around. He gave her everything. Can she really take more than what's already being given?
A Master and His Servant
Chapter 1: Everything Starts With a Cup of Coffee
Staring blankly at the pouring rain through the thin glass window, a pink haired girl let a sigh escape her lips. The sound of a creaky door opening caught her attention, focusing her eyes on the woman, not much younger than herself, come through.
"It's so boring out there. Guess the rain keeps 'em from coming, huh?" the girl announced. Her companion merely let out a small smile, not showing any interest about work, or anything, for that matter. It's not that she doesn't care; it's just not where she imagined she would be.
Finally, the girl stood up, straightening her hair and the all too familiar outfit she was wearing. Waving to her friend, she walked out of the door, closing it behind her.
As she closed the door, in the blink of an eye, her boss, the store manager, appeared before her, holding a small list of orders. He wasn't a strict man. In fact, he often had a smile on his face, much to the young girl's delight. "Get to work as soon as possible, so we can close up early today." The girl nodded, snatching the list away from her manager's hands and getting to work immediately.
She prepared the medium-sized ceramic cups, pouring the right coffee blends, according to the list, on each one. With a yawn, she carried the tray on one hand. Isn't it ironic, considering she's around caffeine all day long?
The girl rushed to the semi-crowded dining area, hoping to satisfy the customers during their stay, and not have them walk away due to "poor service" or cold coffee being served. She sighed and yawned once more. 'Another sleepless night,' she thought silently to herself.
As her mind drifted off, unbeknownst to her, someone blocked her path. Continuing on, distracted by her thoughts, she hit the man, causing her to lose her balance and fall down. The tray and the cups created a loud noise as it hit the ground, catching the crowd's attention. The man's reaction came not too much later.
"Ow, hot!" he expressed as four cups' worth of steaming coffee was splashed on his white shirt. "I-I'm sorry!" The girl hastily snatched the clean rag from the side of her dress and started wiping the wet portions of the man's clothes. To her surprise, he kneeled down and grasped her wrist.
"Please, stop. I wasn't looking where I was going," he told her, having the girl look up at him in surprise and confusion. He had a smile on his face as their eyes met. Though his messy brown hair was partially covering them, she could see sincerity and honesty deep in his piercing amethyst eyes.
He stretched out a hand, as to help her up. Gently, she placed a hand on his, taking his offer. As she got up, she mumbled a soft "Thank you" and proceeded to straighten up her clothes and her long pink hair.
Slowly, a hand tapped the girl's shoulder. "Lacus, meet me at the back in a bit. Clean up this mess first," her manager commanded. She nodded rapidly, rushing to the storage room to grab a mop. The man knelt down and flipped the upside-down tray over, placing the shards of the broken cups on it.
Lacus came back with a slightly damp mop. She wiped it across the floor, over the spilled coffee. Rushing back, she took the tray from the man as well, placing it by the sink, the contents to be thrown out later. Fearing to enter the back room, she let out a deep sigh, and pushed against the door, entering the dreaded room.
She confronted her manager, face to face. "Lacus," he began. "That's the third time this week that you've let me down." Tears rolled down on her cheeks, fearing the next words to be spoken. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go." That was it. She burst into tears, despising what just happened. "You can keep the uniform. Though, you're going to have to pay for the broken cups, as well as the spilled coffee." Lacus nodded slightly, as she began to work her way out of the store.
Standing in the rain by the entrance of her previous workplace, Lacus stared blankly on the cemented sidewalk, lost deep in her own thoughts. 'How can I pay rent now? I'm already pushing my luck with the landlord, and I won't be able to get a new job in a few days. Ugh, I don't think there's any food left either.'
Her thoughts were interrupted due to the sudden halt of raindrops falling against her shivering frame. She turned, seeing the same man she ran into earlier with a small umbrella fit for only one to use. Yet again, their eyes met, but in an instant, she pulled away. She didn't blame him for what happened, but still, she couldn't help thinking that without him, she'd still have her job.
"Sorry, I overheard your conversation earlier." She looked straight in his eyes as he looked out in the distance. "It's my fault, isn't it? Well, I'm sorry. I know, you can't trust me, but still, I have to make it up to you," he said silently.
As she gazed deep into his eyes, and, again, she felt gentle concern. 'What do I have to lose?' she asked herself. The same exact thought ran through her head, taking her time to decide, having lost track of anything and everything around her.
The sound of rolling thunder brought her back to reality. She saw the man, still holding the umbrella above her shivering frame. He was gazing out in the distance, with a calm, serene look on his face. The pouring rain kept his already messy hair covering his eyes.
Gently, she tugged on his soaked shirt, catching his attention. "I'm fine with that," she mumbled, still confused about her decision. The brunette smiled at the woman, after hearing a much awaited reply. Handing her the umbrella, he ran. "I'm getting the car. Stay here for a second," he caught up, right before he disappeared out of Lacus' sight.
There she stood, alone in the pouring rain. 'Just like always,' she thought. The expression on her face was blank, as her memories passed by. Not much later, a thin jacket was draped over her shoulder, signaling that he was back. She flashed a weak smile at him, and proceeded inside, sitting comfortably on the passenger's seat, handing over the umbrella as she entered.
The trip remained silent, with only the windshield wipers and the engine making any audible sound. Again, the girl stared out the window, watching every single drop of rain hit the surface. She rested her head on her arm, her heavy eyelids closing down, sentencing her to a deep slumber.
The driving brunette took a glance at her and smiled, after seeing that calm expression on her face.
A little girl ran all over the beach, with the sand tickling her delicate little toes. She was more energetic than a kid with sugar rush, that's for sure. Her parents walked hand-in-hand after their lovely child, exchanging glanced and smiles as the waves came ashore.
"Mommy, daddy, why do you look at each other that way?" the curious little child proceeded to ask. Both parents smiled, finding it difficult to explain the concept of 'love' in terms that their little five-year old can understand. "Go ahead Siegel, tell her!" the blonde's wife commanded as she playfully pushed him to their daughter.
The young man knelt down to her level, nervous after seeing that curious look on her face. She was ready to listen to anything and everything he was about to say. The blonde looked back and forth, to his wife and to his daughter, giving up on task before him.
Soon, he heard a "Well daddy?," and a "Well honey?" said in unison. He took a deep breath and smiled. There was no escaping the mess he was in, but that wasn't too much of a bad thing. He sat down on the sand and lifted his daughter. She sat on his lap, looking intently at his face for the answer she's been waiting for.
"You see, Lacus, when you find someone you really like, you'd want to be around him all the time, right?" The little five-year old nodded, wishing to hear more. "Well, what we were doing was just to show each other that we want to be together all the time," he concluded with a smile, and, as a result the little Lacus placed a hand on her chin, as if pretending to think deeply. The mother just giggled, thinking of how adorable her family is.
Her beautiful sapphire eyes opened to his gaze. "Good morning," he whispered, barely enough for her to hear. Her lips curved to a small smile, and whispered the same in reply. Her delicate fingers gently rubbed her eyes, forcing her to wake. She was still in the car, to her surprise. 'Short nap, I suppose.'
"We're here," the brunette announced almost instantly, breaking her train of thought. 'W-what?' She swore she saw this place once on TV, but couldn't exactly remember why, or rather, whose. Back and forth went her eyes, from the man to the massive mansion before her. Her body was frozen in shock, and, much to her dismay, she remembered the small "incident" earlier.
His smile disappeared at the sight of her reaction. Confused as she was, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing," he mumbled as the car proceeded through the large iron gates. There was something in his tone that confused her. Either way, she shrugged the thoughts away, placing her trust and her hopes in him, though seeming uncomfortable at the moment.
The car followed up the small, curved road leading to the entrance. She tensed as every second passed, his calm expression not reassuring her one bit. His vehicle halted by two large wooden doors, with a small square-shaped structure, supported by several pillars, sheltered them from the pouring rain. His smile once again returned. "Come on." As a gentleman, he opened his car door, walking over to her side, as to open hers.
"Welcome home," greeted a young blonde, not much younger than Lacus herself, with a bow. He smiled gratefully, appreciating his "housemate's" gesture. Lacus did the same, slightly waving her hand, with a somewhat apologetic manner, due to her unexpected arrival.
Smiling, the brunette introduced the mysterious young blonde. "Her name's Stellar – looks to me that you both have a case of the 'shies,'" he chuckled. Both looked toward the carpeted floor in slight embarrassment, confirming his speculations, having him chuckle even more. Within a few seconds, he regained his composure, whispering words against the blonde's ear.
Stellar's face immediately lightened up as the brunette pulled away. Her magenta eyes sparkled, like that of a glittering star. She nodded like crazy, and her wide smile grew wider.
"Follow me," she ordered the guest as she escalated the stairs. With a nod from the brunette, she did as she was told, following the childish blonde, wondering wherever she could be taken. Almost sprinting, the two women dashed through the second-floor hallways, Stellar's hyperactivity being all to blame. Door after door, room after room, they passed as the trek through the long, winding hallways continued.
'Could he be…? No, that's impossible. He's not...is he?' Lacus' ever thoughtful mind endlessly asked her, only to be broken off by the announcement of a certain companion. "We're here!" The fancy wooden door opened, revealing a neatly-arranged room. The walls were painted yellow, with a stylish design, all from the owner's preference. A bed fit for just about two, lay in the middle, with a sliding wooden door, presumably a closet, right beside. Lacus gasped - It was simple. It was elegant. It was absolutely breathtaking.
The brunette sighed heavily, extremely frustrated at what the screen before him displayed. Having forty unread messages, all from one person "Forty-one," he mumbled irritably. Really, he couldn't understand how she kept contact with him – nothing he tried worked. Switching emails? He suspected an "inside-man" informing her of whatever he changed to. Block lists? She always managed to get through. Heck, even every single one of his current, and previous, phone numbers she has a hold of. Not even an IP block worked.
The screen displayed, once again, changed. "…Forty-two." Pissed, the mouse cursor hovered over the "Select all unread" button. *click*
Rolling his eyes, the tiny clippings of the messages caught his attention. Full of "I'm sorry," and "It'll never happen again!" The delete button seemed quite inappropriate for what he felt, but it'll have to make do at the moment. *click*
He took a sip from the steaming cup beside the laptop, wanting to clear his thoughts, and relieve himself of stress, even for just a single moment. Again, he glanced at the screen, desiring to go on a rampage because of what he saw. "Five unread messages" Taking a closer look, however, one came from a different sender. In an instant, his previous anger disappeared, and a smile was brought to his face.
"Hey, how are you? I'm comfortable here, but it's getting lonely without anyone interesting around. It's not that I don't get along well with anybody; it's just that I don't with most. Anyway, I have a break coming up soon for winter. I'll drop by and say hello. Possibly grab some of your "World famous" omelets. Food here's terrible.
"Anyway, I'm hoping to see you soon. You've gotten plenty of rest between my punches. Hey, you deserve 'em! I'll be there in a week or so, 'til vacation's over in a month."
The brunette chuckled, almost forgetting the sender due to the light, friendly tone in the message. That was definitely what he needed – his smile returned, his expression remained calm, despite those annoying messages. After all, she was one of the people he valued most.
He redirected once again, to his inbox. "Fifteen Unread Messages" His smile disappeared. Frustrated, he slammed the lid carelessly, without giving the consequences much though. He was mad. Usually a rare occasion, but now more often than ever.
A gentle knock on the wooden doors of his study interrupted his mini-rampage against his poor laptop. "Come in," he yelled out, letting his head cool before they could actually see him. In came the same pink-haired girl earlier, now dried up and in fresh, dry clothes.
His jaw nearly dropped as his eyes focused their attention on her. The bright yellow, sleeveless shirt, with a smiley face in the center, in conjunction with the bluish-tint on her jeans, made her simple attire elegant. He's always had a liking of the sort: Simple Elegance
"Please, allow Stellar to lead you to the dining room. I'll be with you momentarily." Remembering the long dash through the halls with the mentioned girl, her mind argued whether she wanted to object, or remain quiet. Moments later, she ended up choosing the latter; nodding and walking over to the blonde standing by the wooden doors. First impressions are once-in-a-lifetime things. Luckily for her, Lacus liked Stellar's somewhat childish attitude.
Once again, they dashed through the halls, down the winding staircase, to finally reach the dining area. The main highlight, as well as the first thing she noticed, was the painting hanging behind the mahogany table.
A gleaming sunset over a white-sand beach, with two sets of footprints, with the owners nowhere to be found. One led to the other in a straight line, with the words, "Let us dine together, that we may be with each other, a little while longer," inscribed below the prints. It was then, that she noticed three faint figures on the rocky shores on the edge. Two were human, and the, a clothed table. Below, what seemed to be initials were scribbled with grayish oil paint against black shadows. "KY," she mumbled.
Yawning, she pulled out one seat out of the eight available by the table. All were made with the same material, the table, the chairs, the cupboards and such, similar in design, varnish coating and the like. She rested her arm on the sheet of glass atop the table, with her cheek on her open palm, observing the furnishings around her.
'Must be the 'private' dining room,' she mused. Such a mansion would usually be home to fancy parties, either from work or friends. Plus, such a huge mansion should require a much bigger area for dining.
The childish blonde sat across from her, staring, wondering, until she finally caught the pink-haired woman's attention. "What's up?" she questioned.
The blonde merely shook her head, continuing to admire the stationary figure, thinking, admiring. "You're really pretty," she blurted, voicing out her opinion.
"Th-thank you" Lacus lowered her head, staring at the sheet of clear glass on the table, avoiding eye-contact with her companion, to hide the small blush. It's been quite a long while since anyone called her that. "You are too."
This put a huge smile on her face. Stellar then stood from her seat, moving to sit beside Lacus, observing her further. "Aren't you a waitress in the coffee shop he always goes to?" Quite in a shock, Lacus nodded, though wondering how she knew. She's never Stellar before in her life.
"Well, I was," she added in haste, causing the blonde's smile to disappear. Seems as if she completely understood what it meant. "He's helping me look for a new job."
Her face, once again, lit up. "Well, you could work with us here! We're maids, more like servants, but he's really, really nice, and he overpays us, but he doesn't actually ask for much, but we do everything he wants with our best, and it's not like we're maids at all, since he treats us as friends because we actually are, but we don't have homes, so he lets us stay here, but if you have a home, he does let you go back!" Stellar offered, taking a deep breath, right after probably the longest run-on sentence in human history.
Lacus had trouble digesting everything the blonde said, with that huge run-on sentence. 'So that's what she is. Either way, I have practically no education anyway, not like I have a better choice…' she thought, coming up to a conclusion fairly early, before the actual offer came. Nodding at the blonde, she smiled. "I'll try it out." He did seem nice.
As if on cue, the same brunette entered the room, taking a seat across from the two. "Would you like some tea or coffee?" Lacus nodded, agreeing to take up the offer. "Tea, please"
Smiling, he gestured at Stellar, who immediately disappeared from sight, leaving the two silent in the room. As his lips parted, she spoke, beating him to the first line. "I've decided."
Quite confused, he raised an eyebrow, questioning her statement.
"Stellar offered me something – a job here."
"Oh. What might that be?"
"A maid, just like she is. If there's an opening, then I'd love to-"
He cut her off with a light chuckle. "You're accepted." He had quite the confidence in his tone. Being an excellent judge of character, his trust grew rapidly.
She nodded with a smile, thanking him for the decision. Though, she wasn't quite sure how this would all turn out, there was one thing that was stuck in her head: Everything would finally be put into place.
Just as the conversation ended, Stellar returned, placing the two tea cups on the table, along with two containers: one for sugar, and the other, honey, and held the tray against her chest, waiting for the next request. Mixing honey with the tea, the brunette took a sip of the steaming liquid.
"Would you please show Lacus around? She gladly took up your offer," he requested, smiling.
Her eyes widened, her smile grew, and she nodded intently. "Right away Kira!"
Lacus, on the other hand, couldn't take her eyes off him.
Well, that is all for this chapter. Don't worry, I'm just introducing everyone, there will be more in the next chapter. If there's a hole in here somewhere, please, point it out. I'm getting slower and slower these days.
Plus, it's (finally) my birthday this coming Friday! Woohoo! It's almost Kira/Cags' as well. I might make a birthday fic, but only if I have the time.
Anyway, story-wise, what could Lacus be thinking? How come she reacted so suddenly at the mention of Kira's name? What was that thing she couldn't remember? All to come, in the next chapter!
