Chapter 7

Dust and rugs

Evey was bored, very bored. There were plenty things to do but she felt lonely and V had been out for a whole night and its following day already. She guessed he wouldn't leave whatever temporary shelter he'd found until well after curfew –if- he did not intend to spend even more time outside. Midnight had already come and with no certainty of when he'd be back. Evey pondered going to bed thinking that sleep would make time pass faster. She dimmed the lights and after a quick bath put on a soft t-shirt big enough to cover her small frame almost down to her knees.

She was already on her way to her room when the familiar clicking of locks opening and closing and electronic devices securing once more the premises resounded like thunder in the underground chambers. Without a second thought she ran to the entrance to greet the man some called demon but she called simply V.

"Aha!" Said the mask at once. "Still up this late, mademoiselle? Up and waiting for me perhaps?" He added quite pleased with himself and removed his hat to bow with deadly grace.

"Good evening, monsieur" Evey curtsied, dressed in her shirt and not even bothering in denying she'd very much hoped to see him. And what a sight it was; V covered in fine dust and cobwebs from hat to boots and obviously very tired.

"Busy day at the office?" She asked with a grin, breaking her own rule of not asking for details. V tended to be quite modest and reserved about a good deal of things but not exactly about murders and theft. He could be scary when he was playing with a sword and although she'd already caught a glimpse of what he was capable of on the night they'd met, she suspected it wasn't even close to what he could accomplish when he was after real prey.

"Yes, indeed! I have found a tight yet manageable new passage into that big deposit I showed you the other night, just across the river. It's not through the sewers this time, though! They use the upper levels to store fancy foods for those party toads but the lower ones; the ones they've already forgotten about are full of pretty things. I have planted a few bugs all around and next time it will be much easier to get in and out." He declared proudly while removing the cloak.

At that point it still wasn't common for him to be in such talkative mood or mention technical details, including the use of electronic devices to spy and disrupt surveillance or security equipment used by the government and if Evey had been paying more attention to the subtext, she might have connected dots to conclude that if V used bugs outside, there was no reason for him –not- to use them inside, more specifically in her room.

An allied professional on equal footing would absolutely expect V to have and use such equipment but would consider his casual remark on bugs a very polite reminder to exercise caution around him and counter-measures would be quietly taken with no detriment for either. It would be simply a matter of basic courtesy among "colleagues".

None of this crossed Evey's mind, not politeness expected in professionals, not the possibility of being watched and heard perhaps even closer than before –even if by a more benign body- which was far closer to her own reality. All she knew was that V was home at last and his whole demeanor told her he was in a calm and suspiciously well-disposed mood.

Then she spotted the green plastic box V had brought home with him, it was very similar in size to a shoe box, with simple metal locks on the sides to secure the lid, the sort of box that could be found in any home, storing anything from crackers to threads, measuring tapes and scissors. Although this was no ordinary home and the carrier of the box wasn't an average individual either. That counted for many, many things about him that simply couldn't be categorized as "average".

"I found a few other little things as well…" He confided in her ear, as if someone else could hear, knowing what her reaction would be. Of course she would want to see inside the box; of course she'd suspect he'd picked something especially for her, something he could tease her with. Of course she'd want it right away since his behavior clearly announced that she could get away with it.

Yes, V knew what to expect from her and by the time she tried to snatch the box from his hands, he had it already out of her reach, at the end of his stretched long arms and well above her head where she could see it but not reach it unless she used him as a ladder.

"No, no, no! Mademoiselle will have to wait for the box to be open in timely fashion. Tomorrow. Maybe." He grinned behind the mask. Evey whined frustrated and he could no longer refuse, not if she pouted like that. He pondered his own discomfort and decided that his bath could wait a little longer. He'd also have to practice how to fight that pouting. But later, some chances should not be missed and this one seemed perfect. He chose to focus instead on what he'd recently been taught by an imaginary toy.

"Very well, then. To the television room, child" Evey squealed and took his hand to drag him and make sure he didn't stray. V thought it was very funny but still considered it a good idea to give Evey less sugar. Yes, less sugar starting tomorrow, she was dangerous enough without it as it was.

The television room came to life again as soon as they both entered and Evey lit the nearest lamp, not bothering with general lights. They settled on the rug by the television, Evey sat down on her heels and V crossed his long legs, making a big show out of placing the green box before him. He looked up to make sure he had her undivided attention and slowly, very slowly slid one gloved hand under the lid.

"First of all..." He paused dramatically just to see Evey's impatient expression "First of all, a small treat for mademoiselle" And produced a delicate red and white lollipop, wrapped in cellophane, which he gently offered as if it were a flower. Evey immediately accepted it and literally two seconds later the lollipop was unwrapped and in her mouth.

There, he'd just succeeded in placating the beast with an appropriate sacrifice so the rest should go smoothly if his nerves remained under control. Perhaps giving her sugar when the time was right wasn't such a bad idea after all...

The girl grinned and it was obvious that the inside of her mouth was already turning red with the candy. No wonder she reminded V of vampires, although the ones he could think of didn't sleep in oversized neon green t-shirts.

"What else did you bring?" She asked breaking his concentration.

"Something for me, something for you, and something for both of us" Two small bars of quaint neutral soap appeared when he opened his fist. She'd kept using the pretty soaps only as decoration on her designated area in the bathroom despite his assurances that he could easily get more.

No, she liked –his- soap only. She preferred above all the one kind of soap his skin tolerated, common neutral soap. He'd asked her if that was the kind of soap she purchased before arriving at his home but he'd only gotten a no for an answer and a mysterious smile. There was more to that soap than he could read but she didn't seem willing to reveal her secret yet.

The girl seemed very pleased with small talk that didn't involve politics or chemistry so that's just what she was given. "Oh, I found several new films! They are all in the index, which is always promising. Comedy this time; Marx brothers, the Three Stooges, Bugs Bunny cartoons..."

Box after box came out of the green container, names and titles Evey had never heard of. Even V seemed to recall only references to some of them in old magazines or classic movies guides. And these definitely seemed like classics since although they had been produced in the first half of the 20th century they'd made it to DVD format, which proved they were still in the market during the turn of the millennium, before so much of human history was forever lost.

V tried to keep a casual attitude, handing her one movie at a time so she could look at the photographs on the covers and read the short reviews printed on the back. He was a practical man and used the time to take the temperature to the situation and remind himself that there was no better time than the present and that a good lie always starts with the truth. If he'd have to be uncomfortable for a while longer the least he could do was profit from it.

Evey was very focused looking at all those little treasures and it took her a short while to realize that V was squirming, and sighing frustrated. Apparently something was making him uncomfortable.

"V, is there something wrong with your back?" She asked half curious, half amused. Her little mouth was red with candy colorant and he wondered what it would taste like exactly.

"Umm… just an itch. All that dust probably" He admitted sincerely with what sounded like embarrassment.

"Is it bad?" She had the nerve to ask just to hear him admit to being uncomfortable.

V fell completely into character and shook his head with frustration "Actually it's enough to drive a man mad!"

"I've heard scratching helps, V". She could almost swear the mask now turned fully to face her threatened to swallow her whole. They stood frozen like that for several seconds and then V looked away very much annoyed at the itch and at Evey as well, but trying very hard to keep his frustration in check.

"I cannot reach it," He admitted.

Evey laughed and laughed, letting cascade over the fine rug the handful of films she'd been holding. V was gracious enough to wait until she'd stopped laughing, all the time attentive to her reactions, and in return she took pity on him.

"I'll take care of it." she declared with a smile and patted the spot on the rug right in front of her, "Come here" she added when he hesitated, apparently considering something of great importance. Finally V surrendered and settled on the rug offering his back. Evey reached out with her right hand and tentatively scratched right in the middle of V's strong back, which startled him even when he was expecting it.

"Here?" She asked solicitous.

"I…a little to the right". Said the still insecure voice behind the mask. Evey moved her hand to the right in search for the troublesome area. "Here?"

V seemed to need a moment to know for sure and then requested she scratched half an inch up, and then one inch to the left, then a bit lower, and at the end he wasn't really sure anymore but he was certain he still itched. Evey thought it was hilarious and rolled up her sleeves to really get to work.

"Very well, Mr. I-don't-know-where-I-itch, please lie down on your belly so we can do this properly". All of a sudden she feared he'd simply refuse but to her surprise he complied, probably just willing to do something to make the damned itching go away. Evey grinned and cracked her knuckles dramatically before reaching down to scratch gently at first, not wanting to hurt already abused skin.

V's reaction to those ten little yet sharp nails running over his skin all at the same time was delivered mostly in the form of hissing and when Evey asked if she was scratching to his liking he barely managed to whisper "Harder" or "Faster", which Evey easily granted. It wasn't long before she stopped needing directions since V decided to move and meet her nails, rather than expect her to discover exactly where he itched, something he claimed not being quite sure about in the first place.

It was perhaps a bit silly to sit like that on the rug and spend so much time scratching his back but Evey was fascinated at her newest discovery, after all it wasn't a common thing for any girl to have an assassin of such talent and reserve, lying on a rug and behaving like that, for V seemed to be enjoying it far too much, purring and moving to guide her fine nails toward new areas that also needed attention, hissing behind the mask whenever a very sensitive spot was reached.

Evey was very amused but then it hit her that this was more than a simple act of solidarity, and she was actually being allowed to touch someone who even when refused to feel sorry for himself, seemed to be very little used to physical pleasure and far too familiar with pain. She made a conscious effort to follow his brave example and it was enough to seduce her into trying even harder to please him.

Evey was even reminded of happier childhood days when she could actually play with a real living cat and the main difference was that the one currently wriggling on the floor was a much larger beast, a black demon with silk and velvet fur that surprisingly rolled over, undone and silently asking for his belly to be scratched as well. All too good to be true.

Evey was becoming quite aware of his devious ways and suspected it was all a test but still was determined to continue, thinking he'd lose interest if she panicked and stopped. The girl decided that if she was being tested, she might as well return the favor, besides V was putting up such a show that she wished she had a camera at hand.

She kept scratching for a short while and with a mischievous smile her hands moved to tickle V's flanks. As she hoped, her black demon gasped and then indulged in one of his rare yet precious giggling episodes. Evey kept tickling until she thought he'd pass out and stopped for long enough to ask him if he was high on something again.

V stopped moving about, the wig still firmly secured but already in desperate need for a brush, and he had the nerve to consider the matter for a moment before shouting "No!" to start giggling again in an even higher pitch, trying to cover the mask's mouth with his gloved hands.

Evey let him have his way and tickled him for a bit longer, never forgetting her previous intent of conducting an experiment of her own now that she had V right there on the rug, complete and unexpectedly at her disposal.

Little by little the tickling grew more delicate until she was effectively stroking sides, belly, chest, shoulders. V noticed the change at once but if by then he still had any complaints or reservations, he refrained from saying anything, being so busy realizing how tense he'd previously been and how much he was enjoying the attention.

Those little hands weren't making any attempt to remove or even disturb any piece or garment and V felt so strangely comfortable that he let her keep on touching him. He couldn't remember being caressed ever before by someone else and it surprised him that the feeling of being touched was so different to what he was familiar with.

A voice inside his head kept saying "Don't stop, don't stop, Evey don't stop…" and he no longer cared that the voice sounded so much like his. Evey felt strong muscles releasing all remaining tension under her hands and the purring resumed but now on a much deeper key, giggling all but forgotten and replaced with soft panting, the once frantic moving around already turned into a languid and slow dance, limbs stretched out, back arching, even the frozen porcelain expression seeming different, shining warmly under the dimmed lights.

Evey almost expected to catch a glimpse of the mask closing its eyes in pleasure. The thought of letting her hands become bolder now that V was so obviously enraptured crossed Evey's mind and she couldn't stop wondering what would be like to get rid of those clothes and really touch him, or at least slip her hands under the garments to deliver gentle touches as far as she could reach but she feared betraying the trust he was giving her so unexpectedly and she didn't want to go any further without his clear consent either, test or no test.

She took a moment to contemplate her work with satisfaction but her mind was already set on putting an end to the session before a clumsy move ruined everything they'd both gained up to that point so with one last lingering stroke from hip to shoulder she moved up his body to whisper in his ear; "There's so much more for you. Let me know when you are ready for it."

She allowed herself to stress her point by means of a gentle bite delivered to a strong shoulder, which was rewarded with a shudder from the body lying beneath her. She stood up with a seductive smile in her lips, looking straight at the mask. V sighed and looked away, perhaps a little embarrassed, perhaps considering the offer, both most likely.

Evey wished him sweet dreams with her warmest voice, not wanting to make him feel rejected or even worse, forced. She turned around to find her room and her bed. Four, five steps on that direction and a shy voice stopped her;

"Evey?"

She stopped and slowly looked over her shoulder to find him in the same position, still not looking at her but obviously not offended in the least since the tip of his fingers moved slowly to retrace the designs she'd previously created over him.

"Yes, V?"

"Soon."