Chapter 2: The Clock In The Hallway Chimed Eleven
Thomas walked up the stairs into his room when he saw Sebastian dash for the library with a stack of papers. Thomas opened his mouth to call for him, so that they may discuss the councilman's plans, but he changed his mind. He would talk about it with Cecile.
In his room, he took off his blue sweater and tossed it on his bed. Thomas smiled as he put his hand over his bottom where Cecile had slapped it. If he was younger, he might have blushed terribly, but the years of work and responsibility had at least given him the dignity of acting under pressure. Not that he was always serious; but in fact, his sense of humor also became more pronounced and he laughed more often. He gave people bigger and more genuine smiles, and he had laughed outright when Cecile made dangerously witty comments about their coworkers.
Thomas looked at himself in the mirror. He touched his naked chest where, once when he was small, a Grasslander slashed him and left him to die. Although it wasn't deep, it went uncared for, which is what scared him. He was lucky then that it didn't fester, otherwise, without the money for medicine or a doctor, he surely would have died.
How strange it is. He often thought to himself. I came from such a place that those who are from there are considered wild, savage, or strange. I never thought I would be, or could be, seen that way.
He flexed his arms a couple of times. He was proud of how strong he had become, fighting alongside Chris and Hugo. The motherly women of Budehuc all made it a point to tell him how thin he was and that he should eat more. He thanked them for their kind words but silently protested. He'd look awful if he was doomed to eat more than his fair share. Honestly, he kind of missed the food of the Outlands; the hard vegetables and leathery meat. They also made it a point to tell him to cut his hair. He had no real reason to be indignant about not cutting his hair, other than the indignity in and of itself.
He was caught in his thoughts when someone lightly knocked on the door of his office. He grabbed a short under-shirt and threw it on himself as he called "Come in!"
Cecile slowly opened the door. She had been standing outside for a few moments, thinking about what to say; or not to say. She watched as Thomas walked into the office, looking at her.
"Please come in!" He said. "Come over here and look at these papers. I'd like your advice on them." He sat down at his desk and stole a pen from a drawer. He looked up at her. "Come over here and read over this with me, won't you?"
She moved toward his warm smile like a magnet. She noticed his off-white undershirt, and how nice his arms were. His shoulder length brown hair fell over his face when he glanced at the papers, whence he untangled his hair with his long fingers.
Cecile envied his handsomeness. Perhaps it was his blood. He had a grey hint to his skin that would have done well in a tan, and he was tall (but not too tall), like the other Outlanders that she had met. She was Zexen through and through. Short, thick boned, small, and straight. Outlanders, she thought, were a ratio mix of 2/3 Zexen and 1/3 Grasslanders. Free to do as they pleased, go where they wanted, and had a sense of duty to their origins, which made them loyal to, and love their allies, and fight lustrously with their enemies. Such as Hallec, who was loud and an outstanding warrior, and Mau of the free knights of Kamaro, who was queer, and witty.
"Sit here with me." He said. She did, as he obliged, sitting on the same bench together. "There was that man you saw today, he came to tell me that my father died…"
"Oh!" Cecile wakened herself from her thoughts as she suddenly understood the meaning of that mans' presence. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master Thomas." She said, thinking that in reality, he didn't really care that much. She suddenly remembered that his father was a Zexen, and he merely grew up in the Outlands. Or did he? She suddenly wanted to only ask him about himself, instead of giving advice on stuffy old business.
"It's alright. You know I wasn't close to him. Anyway, this is the deal he wants to make with me. The Councilman said that he could work it out with the council that I get a fair some of his fortunes, and here in this document he wants me to sign is that I also get his house. He wants to be paid for his work, and he wants to be paid a lot, of course. I don't mind that though. The problem is that I'm not sure if it's legal to suddenly tell the council that one of their members had a disowned bastard son and wants all the money now that he's dead… and wasn't in his will."
As Thomas started to blab on about the meeting, Cecile was invited to lean over and look at the document that the councilman had left for him to sign. Instead, she smelled his hair; musky and sweet. She forgot about listening to his words, and fell into a dream world.
Thomas lifted his head, smacking Cecile's nose. "Oh I'm sorry! Are you alright?"
Cecile rubbed her nose with her fingers. "Yes, sir." She said coolly. She preferred her dream world to a smushed nose.
Thomas put his hands around her face. She was surprised, but let it happen. He kissed her nose. She bobbed down and kissed his mouth. In response, she got more kisses! Thomas gingerly wrapped his hands around her neck, his right hand moving down and up her back. Cecile reached up to his shoulders. She could taste him; she opened her mouth and licked his lips.
Surprised, he sat up, smiling. He giggled embarrassedly as he started to let go of her. She smiled, her heart pounding. Thomas's eyes were slowly closing as he watched her mouth and came back for more kisses. Cecile leaned in her forehead and stopped Thomas from coming closer.
"I'm sorry." He said, letting go and backing off.
"No wait." Cecile pleaded. She grabbed him and hugged him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Come back…" she said quietly.
Thomas slowly inhaled her. "hmmm…" He breathed. He held onto her even tighter. He didn't know what he was doing, but it felt so warm and wonderful. Over the past couple of years, despite how busy he was always kept, he always tried to make time for her. He preferred her company to anyone he had ever met. They had never really embraced each other. They had once held onto each other's sides as they looked out over the grasslands when Cecile was sad. And once when they were fixing the ship, them two and a few others were working when Cecile came over to investigate the goings on. She had stepped onto a creaky board and fell into the water. Without a word, or even taking off his jacket, Thomas dove in after her. He grabbed her and tore off her sinking armor and swam her back up. When they resurfaced, she coughed and sputtered and he asked if she was all right. She looked at him and then at the audience above and said "yeah." The crowd cheered, which made them both smile and laugh.
Thomas giggled at the memory.
"What?" she said.
"We looked like wet dogs." He said with a grin. He pulled back and looked at her. It dawned on her what he was thinking about and she blushed at her fall. He leaned in and kissed her a few more times.
The clock in the hallways chimed eleven. Cecile suddenly stood up, leaving Thomas grasping for her back. "I should go to bed, Thomas." She reluctantly pulled away from him.
He almost asked her to spend the night there, but he thought she would have been agape with wrong intentions. At some point in theirs, and everyone's life, comes a realization that there is such a thing as innocence, because there is an end to innocence. Sometimes, though, it is only the smart ones who realize that a person is never obligated to loose their innocence; and in fact, it is a choice, and that choice has consequences. Thomas wanted to ask her to stay with him that night under purely innocent conditions; but he knew that the consequences of anyone finding out would mean that others, particularly those who are close to them, would think ill of both of them, and Thomas didn't want Cecile to ever be attacked for unjust gossip.
He stood up. "Cecile, if you ever need me, I'll always be here for you."
Cecile turned the doorknob and looked back at him, wishing so badly that she didn't leave him at all, but knowing she must for the Master's good reputation. She looked back at him, tired and a little sad. "Thank you, Thomas. You're… really…" she glanced down at the ground, wanting to spurge all of her feelings out on him, but daring not to. She said quietly "You're really my only friend." She walked briskly out of the room, closing the door as quickly, and quietly as she could, and then rushed down the stairs.
Thomas stared at the door for a moment, not quite sure he wanted that. He walked out of the office and into his bedroom, where he plopped himself onto his bed. He smiled. His first kiss wasn't as romantic as in the books, but that didn't matter. They enjoyed themselves and briefly enjoyed each other. He rolled over and faced the wall, wishing she had not left. And, even though she could not hear him, he thought maybe she was thinking the same thing. "I love you too…" He whispered
-::-
Cecile headed for the Tavern, wanting something hot to swallow before going to sleep. She saw Juan sleeping, head down on the bar next to an empty mug. She saw the barrista look her up and down, then handed her a cola. She shrugged and drank it, then asked for some hot chamomile. The barrista rolled her eyes and gave Cecile an unenthusiastic glass of tomato juice. Cecile closed her eyes and slipped it slowly, wishing it tasked like Thomas. While Cecile was staring off into middle-distance, she didn't notice the man in the back, cough into the palm of his hands, then open the doorknob to leave.
Eventually, Cecile got up, and walked over to Juan. Even if she enjoyed the outcome of her actions, she still had a twinge of vengeance running through her for no particular reason. She stepped on his foot, which made him only groan in his sleep. She gave up, not truly wanting to hurt him. She put her hands around the same doorknob. She waved at the barrista as she left, knowing that her drinks would be put on a tab for Thomas to take out of her paycheck. Then she closed the door behind her, wanting to be up in Thomas's room.
