Finny's Confusion, Part 4
And I clung harder to those bars and pulled myself higher and higher, further away from the murky darkness below. I was frantic! My palms blistered and smoldered with each grip as I dragged myself upward away from what lay in the murky darkness.
I wanted out of this cage, though, and that was an escape! But, I always wanted to... I always wanted to fly!
Finny startled awake and realized Snake was carrying him up the marble staircase of the Phantomhive manor house. "What's going on? Mister Snake?!" he gasped, wrapping his arms tightly around Snake's neck. It amused Snake how formal Finny could be sometimes.
"We're home, safe, says Emily," Snake said, relishing the arms around his neck, but the grip was a little on the firm side, almost choking.
"But what happened? There were some men with guns pointed at you! I remember that much. What happened? Why are we here?"
Snake gave Finny a narrow-eyed, baffled expression as they entered Phantomhive Estate and walked up the staircase towards the servants' quarters on the top floor. Finny didn't remember much of anything. Snake was glad for that, but he was curious to know why. He didn't want to see Finny startled if he suddenly did remember. He would rather Finny didn't remember, in the long term. Snake kept his silence all the way to the servants' hallway.
He had every intention of taking Finny back to his shared room with Bardroy, but the chef would be too busy at the six o'clock hour to tend to the young gardener. Bard and Snake's relationship was still pretty tense and hostile, anyway. He'd rather avoid the chef because, no doubt, the American would blame Snake for any injuries or trauma to Finny. Snake knew his next decision could get him an ear-full from the American chef, but he couldn't care less.
Instead of the servants' quarters, he took Finny to the private footman's room just off to the side of Master's Ciel's bedroom. Finny didn't protest or question, which Snake took as a good sign. He laid Finny on his bed, took off the gardener's boots, and covered him with a blanket. He stroked Finny's soft hair until he was drowsing. He then went to go report to the young master after mentally asking Goethe to look after Finny.
Instead of the young master, Sebastian greeted Snake in the library. Snake relayed the reply sent from Lord Randal in response to Master Ciel's question. Sebastian nodded and asked for a few details. Once Snake's job was complete, Sebastian started a conversation that caused a cold dread in the pit of Snake's stomach.
"I'm aware that Finnian actually left the estate and there was something that occurred. No denials, I watched you bring him home."
Snake's face flushed and he nodded, never one to be talkative in the first place. The dark butler smiled in response. Snake had learned to not always trust those smiles from Black... no, Sebastian.
Then Sebastian poured tea, gave the cup to Snake, and said, "I've haven't said this implicitly, but I'm sure you're aware that Finnian is not allowed to leave the estate without the young master's permission or mine.
"He is a very naive child with no judgment. His tender heart can lead him into making foolish decisions. That, and he is employed for a specific purpose, as were Bardroy and Mey-rin. As were you. I have a feeling you're understanding that now."
"Yes, sir, says Keats," Snake said barley above a whisper. Snake was grateful for Master Ciel's acceptance and defense. He was also grateful to have a place after the Noah's Arc Circus was destroyed. He preferred being a footman over being a circus attraction, but he didn't delude himself. He was here because of his reptile friends and his abnormal ability to communicate with them.
After this afternoon, it dawned on Snake there really was more to Finny than met the eye. Finny was strong and quick. He could fight, but his face and stature were so misleading to what dwelt underneath. It prompted Snake to ask softly, "He's something different, like me, ask Wordsworth?"
Sebastian answered simply, "Yes, he is different."
Snake wasn't dense; he knew what was going to be requested next. He asked, "You want me to reject his friendship, don't you? Wilde says, you want me to make sure he is to never follow me off the estate like he did today."
"Essentially, yes. He is not to follow you again. I'd rather you make the request so he takes it seriously. If it gets worse, I'll have a conversation with him. I've always wanted all Phantomhive servants to work like a well oiled machine, but if one of those machines decides he has free will, he'll lose his value to the young master. Friendship is useful because it makes for a tight-knit group that can serve the young master. The young master approves of you growing roots at Phantomhive, except when disobedience springs from it. Do you understand?"
Snake nodded glumly, knowing what that implied. If Finny did this again, there would be dire consequences. He had to get some distance between himself and the gardener. Maybe he had let the friendship grow too deep. But, it just seemed things happened so quickly. Also, the Springtime urges to be with Finny, in a carnal way, were still in overdrive.
"I'll talk to him about not following me any more, says Wilde," Snake offered, starting feel nervous and embarrassed. He should have been more responsible for Finny, but how was he to know the boy would follow him into a dangerous situation?
Sebastian nodded and asked Snake, "Where did the situation occur? It needs to be cleaned up before it can be linked back to Phantomhive servants. I shall tend to that duty. It's too late to send you out on another errand because of this fiasco, but tomorrow morning, be prepared to travel to Madam Red's home."
After he acknowledge the trip to the doctor's home he was to make in the morning, Snake told the dark butler where the fight had occurred, but not what Finny had done. Sebastian didn't ask. He only dismissed Snake.
Snake had a feeling Sebastian knew what he'd find on the wood-lined road, anyway: four, dead highwaymen.
When he came back to the footman's room, Finny was in a very deep sleep, still covered in gore. Snake didn't mind a mess he could clean later, in spite of his friends not liking the odor coming off of Finny.
He was about to get to his work of cleaning his, hopefully, future mate and change his clothes. He was at the start of that process when Finny came to and shoved Snake aside, hard, spilling over the water pitcher and basin on the floor. Snake was winded and his vision was blurry after slamming into the wall.
"Fass mich nicht an!" Finny shouted and clutched a blanket around his shoulders. Snake rose on shaky feet and fought to catch his breath. Snake was disturbed when his reptile friends slithered to his feet and faced off against Finny. They were not going to allow Snake to get hit again, and Snake's head was too dizzy to ask them to stand down.
Snake nodded slightly getting the hint Finny didn't want him around. He said, "Please, Finny, back off. I can't talk with my friends right now. They may hurt you!"
Finny stood in place by the side of Snake's bed and the expression in his eyes grew from that single-minded coldness into a soft, sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Snake! I never wanted to hurt you! I was just scared and didn't know it was you."
"Just relax," Snake firmly ordered in a gentle tone.
Finny nodded as Snake's friends eased off some. They backed off just a little, but Snake was still uncertain what to do about them. His head was still in a whirl, and he knew they were just responding with animal instincts.
He hoisted Finny into his arms again, this time to keep him away from his venomous friends. He darted out of his room, staggered, and pressed on to the servants' water closet. He was happy he kept a hold of Finny the whole way to the water closet.
By the time they got there, Finny was fast asleep again. A part of Snake was flattered Finny trusted him this much. His plan was to get Finny cleaned up, get him dinner, and then talk with him about not following him on errands.
And then it happened! There was a grip around my left ankle. I was being dragged downwards. I clung to the brass bars and endured the pain on my palms. I wouldn't be dragged into the murky darkness without a fight!
Snake ran warm water in the tub and got everything ready, including fluffy towels and bath salts. He started to gingerly remove Finny's clothes as he lay on the tiled floor, not wishing to wake him. The shirt was not a problem, but he was surprised by two extreme, thick scars on the bottom side of his pectoral muscles. There were other scars, but these two stood out the most.
Something told Snake to wake Finny and go no further, but he felt like Psyche with Cupid in that old Greek myth. His desire to find out more about Finny got the better of him. Moments later, he wished he had resisted the temptation.
To be continued.
A/N: Fass mich nicht an = Don't touch me