Disclaimer: Noblesse isn't mine.
Broken Glass (Part 25)
A slow drizzle dripped from the sky, locking them both behind the walls of this house, but at least it was a slight change from the storm that had been raging outside for the last several days. Even just this short amount of time seemed like confinement. The mansion surrounded him like a cage, and if he felt this way with the full expanse of the house available to him, how must the master feel with only this small room?
"The rain is finally letting up." Frankenstein pressed his hand against the glass and pushed the window open. The earthy scent of moist leaves and dirt immediately permeated the air, and he looked back over his shoulder at the master. "Once it stops, perhaps we could take a walk."
The man didn't acknowledge the words. He rarely did, but whether he spoke or not made little difference. Even his silence conveyed meaning.
"I thought we could take walks regularly." Frankenstein swept his palm across the windowsill, wiping the water away so that the master would have a dry surface should he choose to move to the window. "I would appreciate it if you joined me for this."
That earned a brief glance.
"Would you like that?" Frankenstein circled around the coffee table and settled into his usual seat.
The master sat perfectly poised in one of the overstuffed yellow chairs, and he somehow maintained an unimaginable grace even with the troubled expression on his face. His fingers floated in the air, hovering lightly over the tray on the coffee table, but at the last moment, he elegantly withdrew them empty-handed. Not a single pastry had been touched.
Frankenstein lifted his book from the table and opened it to hide the smile that threatened to overtake his lips. The master was so pensive. Even the slightest differences between identical items caused him difficultly. A variety of items only made the process much more strenuous. This would take awhile.
"If you wish, sample them all." Frankenstein flipped through the pages until he found the place where he had left off. "Or I can preserve the ones you do not try for later."
The master made no indication that he had even heard the words.
"Take your time to think about it." Frankenstein crossed his legs and laid the book on his knee.
The master's gaze drifted to the side, watching his servant read from the corner of his eye.
Frankenstein folded a bookmark between the pages and expectantly looked up at the man. "Is there something I can do for you?"
His eyes shot down to the tray as if he had been caught.
"Well, then." Frankenstein retrieved the bookmark from its place. "If you change your mind…"
A chapter passed in silence before the master looked up again. The movement was so hesitant, so well concealed, that it would have gone unnoticed in the presence of any other man. It should have gone unnoticed, something so small, but even the slightest breath from the master drew his attention.
Frankenstein held his place with his finger. "Yes, what is it?"
The master's gaze dropped to the tray once again.
Was the decision truly that difficult for him? Frankenstein moved one of the pastries from the tray to the master's plate. "Try the fruit filled one."
The master accepted it without a word.
"I believe you will find it satisfactory." Frankenstein slid his finger under the next page of his book, suspending the paper in midair as he continued to read.
The master's eyes glanced toward him again but fell before his servant had the chance to inquire about it. He stood, leaving his pastry behind, and walked over to the window.
Now it was his turn to steal a glance at the man. Frankenstein tilted his head downward so that his hair concealed his face and peeked up through the veil of golden strands. The master rested his hand on the windowsill and stared outside as the last traces of rain sank into the earth. Was he restless, then? "It's still a little wet, but we could take a walk now if you wish."
The master didn't move.
That wasn't it. Frankenstein instantly returned to his book, reading the words aloud in his mind in order to conceal his thoughts. There was something that the master wanted, something that he would not ask for, and that was something his servant was dying to know. The master rarely showed interest in anything. What could that man want?
All at once, the master began to move again, staring at him openly now.
Frankenstein read with greater emphasis, building the barrier between their minds while trying to tear it down at the same time. It wasn't the pastries. It wasn't restlessness. Could it be that he desired conversation? The master had looked at him during the silences as he read.
"Once the rain dries, it will be a lovely day." Snapping the book closed, Frankenstein rose from his chair and walked over to the window. "Is there anywhere you would like to go during our walk?"
The man glanced at him. No, at the book in his hand. Was that it? The master could hear him read and had become interested in the book. "We could also stay in if you would prefer. It would be pleasant to spend the evening reading."
The master didn't answer, but it was different this time. His sight was transfixed on something beyond the window.
"What do you see?" Frankenstein pulled the curtain farther aside, letting a soft of breeze into the room and with it a faint scent of smoke. "There's a fire?"
The master looked directly at him. "Frankenstein-"
"Please excuse me." Frankenstein crossed his hand over his chest in a quick bow. "I will return shortly."
A/N: And so we continue.
Act II starts where the previous one left off, give or take a few days. I, unfortunately, am still on a very tight schedule (it got worse, actually) so I can't promise to have a schedule for updates. I usually try for every other weekend. I'll try to keep it fairly well updated, but it might be a little iffy for a few months.
Enjoy! I'm glad it's back.