This Is Not The Confrontation You Were Looking For

At this rate, Yong Soo was going to be late. Which did not bother him too much, people who were late always got to make a big entrance. He liked big entrances.

He waited for Elizaveta to show up so he could request that bottle he had asked her to hold on to. Maddox secretly liked certain brands of alcohol (why it was secret, Yong Soo had no idea) and Yong Soo did not want his brother to break in and drink it before he could give it to Maddox. (It definitely was not because Yong Soo was tempted to drink it. Of course not.) Though it would be rather ironic if Elizaveta never showed up. Or if someone else drank it.

Actually, that would be a bit disappointing. It had taken Yong Soo a while to figure out what to get Maddox for his birthday. One entire day! He had finally asked Heidi, who had mentioned the general idea.

If anyone asked though, it was all him.

The door opened and Yong Soo stopped poking at Erin to turn around in his stool. The person who came in was not Elizaveta. Nor was it anyone from Hearth.

"Long?"

She paused in mid stride, staring at him with confusion at first before recognition dawned on her. "You... you are..."

"Im Yong Soo, at your service," he smoothly rose to his feet, ready to try and sweep her off of hers when more people entered the inn. A woman he had never seen before rushed in, looking every which way with a semblance of disgust in her eyes. Then came Marcus and Elizaveta.

Cramping his style.

"Where he? Roddy? Roddy!" the other called. Yong Soo had no idea who 'Roddy' was, but slid beside Long in a moment.

"What brings you to Hearth?" he asked her. She looked at him just as he remembered she used to, with narrowed eyes.

"I am busy. Have you seen this man?"

Yong Soo gleefully took the picture to see who she was looking for. Another case! Oh, he could help just as much on this one! Maybe this time they could spend a little more time together and she could stay in Hearth for a bit, he was certain he had room at his place... "Hey, this is–"

He found a hand over his mouth. He protested for a moment before Elizaveta pinched his upper lip between her fingers. "Hn nnh fmm!" he complained. Elizaveta did not react to that other than to look at Long.

"He's here, but you cannot let her find him. He does not want to see her. Please."

"And here I thought I had familial issues," Marcus whistled. Yong Soo wanted to ask about that, but Elizaveta was still muffling him.

"How do I know you are not party in a kidnapping?" Long asked. Elizaveta's hold slackened on him. "How do I know this entire town has not conspired for whatever reason to do this!"

"Kidnap Roderich?" Yong Soo found himself asking, small laugh escaping him. Long looked back at him. "That doesn't sound like fun, he's really boring. No offense to your tastes, Elizaveta," he assured her. Elizaveta glared at him.

"Roderich!" the woman called from upstairs.

"No one kidnapped him," Elizaveta stressed to Long. "He accidentally got off on this stop at the station and... he just never left."

"Without contacting anyone to explain he was all right?" Long asked suspiciously.

"If he didn't want to see her... it would explain why he ran out about a half an hour ago," Yong Soo mused.

"What?" Elizaveta squeaked.

"That would explain it only if he knew she was here," Long corrected him. Yong Soo smiled at her charmingly and she quickly looked away.

"Roderich!"

"Someone should tell her Roderich's skipped building," Marcus shrugged, glancing toward the stairs and heading up the stairs.

"He'll probably have gotten lost somewhere," Yong Soo assured her. Elizaveta made another strange noise and left the inn. "Wait! Hey! My bottle! Elizaveta!" Long muttered something under her breath, staring out after Elizaveta then looking back toward the stairs. Yong Soo's eyes followed where hers trailed.

Then he smiled at her. Again.

"Do you want me to follow her?"

"There is something... seriously wrong with you."

"Please, call me Yong Soo."

"No."

She was obviously going to, or else she might have punched him in the face. Yong Soo was thrilled she remembered him so fondly.

Notes:

Yeah, last thing Long needs. The guy who so easily solved her last big job is now here for something else. It is his lack of methods that confuse and worry her. Long likes to know where she stands on things.

Now, I do dislike people who beg for reviews (I used to be one of those people), but even more do I dislike those who say they have to have a certain amount of reviews to put up the next chapter. With this in mind, I also know that inspiration does come easier sometimes with feedback, so I can understand their point of view. Anyway, my point is this. Updates will continue as they have been, but if I get ten for one chapter one day I will make certain I get a new chapter up the very next day instead of waiting for the day after. This is really my way of occasionally getting daily updates interspersed withing my usual every other day updates. I put this here just so people do not miss the extra updates.