Hi! Sorry this one got really big... I couldn't help it. Please try hard to read through all the way to the end!
Thanks Ezekeel for your review and thank you everyone for the favs and follows. You guys are fabulous!
(Also apologies I haven't proofed it or anything... because I'm lazy and I never do... I think there's a mine field of mistakes and missing words below.)
The cold dawn sun cast long grey shadows across the grounds of the Manor. A dewy mist still hung in the air, proof that the season had begun to change. Lavi pulled the voluminous scarf tighter as she marched onwards in the hope of keeping the chill out, the bright orange of it forming a single beacon of colour on the monotone landscape.
Lavi took one last lungful of crisp morning air, anticipating the olfactory assault that would come when she pushed open the stable doors. Tentatively, Lavi creaked open one door and the warm almost spicy scent of the horses hit her first, quickly followed by the much less pleasant smell of large beasts left in an enclosed space overnight. At least it was warm inside.
The animals stirred at Lavi's arrival, but upon recognising her they quickly settled back down, only Joyd, the black stallion whinnied in greeting, trotting up and hanging his head over the stall door.
"Bet you're hungry." Lavi smirked. It appeared as if Allen and Skinn had still not arrived and Lavi set about putting out water and feed for the animals. She lit a single lantern to brighten the dark interior, only the one, you could never be too careful with fire in a building made of wood and full of straw.
"Miss me?" Lavi opened Joyd's stall and hand fed him an apple and stroked his forehead. "Have you been getting out much? Probably not, sorry I think I've been keeping your human busy." fought to hold back a fond smile as she thought back on the last few days. The roof garden was a hidden treasure and Lavi was beyond grateful that Tyki had shared it with her. Knowing that the garden was started by her own mother served as a connection to a past she had thought forgotten.
Lavi had met with Tyki again on the roof, it was not a spoken agreement but every day she would spend a few hours up there and every day Tyki would find her and keep her company. As far she knew Sheril knew about the meetings but so far he had done nothing to put a stop to it.
"Oh no! I won't be there today and I won't be in the room…" Joyd ignored the panic attack and proceeded to eat the second proffered piece of fruit. "What am I going to say?"
"Serves you right for thinking you can be two people at once." Allen appeared behind in the door way of the stall wearing the ugliest scowl Lavi had ever seen. "And double serves you for leaving me here by myself for nearly a month."
Lavi tried and failed to feel bad for Allen, all she could think of was how to make a good cover story. She flopped down onto the floor with her hands in her head. "I didn't think this through Allen. He's going to work out who I am if I'm not up there in a dress but just happen to return as the stable on the same day. This is bad, really bad."
Allen tilted his head pondering the girl's situation. "Who are we talking about?"
"Tyki!" Lavi exclaimed. "I've been meeting him on the roof and he's bound to notice something when Lovely goes missing and Lavi reappears. If Tyki finds out I'm a Bookman, Sheril will be furious."
"You're overthinking it, there's nothing to worry about." Allen struggled to grasp the crux of Lavi's dilemma. "You've hardly gone missing; just say you were in the library or somewhere if he asks, which I doubt he will. I know Tyki he won't let a woman know he was looking for her. And what are the chances you will even see him today?"
Lavi nodded along with Allen, his reasoning seemed plausible.
"Now how about you make for all the work you've missed?"
Lavi managed a small laugh and followed Allen out of the stall, shutting the door with a dull thud. Allen brought out a large pile of bridle belts and parts. The buckles needed mending and they had to sort the irreparably damaged from the passable.
Mid-afternoon found the two were still sifting through the broken bridle parts. The day had warmed up and they had propped the doors open to entice a breeze. It was tedious work but the company more than made up for it.
The wide eyed surprise turned horror was the only warning Lavi received before she was dragged to her feet by the back of her shirt. Muddy yellow eyes overflowing with loathing bore into hers. Skinn dropped her into a crumpled heap at his feet. Lavi quickly scrambled up and away from the kick Skinn had poorly aimed at her.
"Five lashes." Skinn advanced on her, "Do you have any idea what five lashes feels like?"
Skinn stooped down and picked up one of the leather belts, a long brown one with a rusty buckle hanging off the end. He snapped it twice threateningly, the terrible sound rooting Lavi to the spot. From the corner of her eye she could that Allen was also frozen in position, blue eyes wide, horrified.
Lavi's frantic heart stopped beating when her back connected with the wall. There was no more space to back away into as the hulking figure of Skinn Bolic stepped forward. The time it took him to reach seemed to drag on, and still Lavi could not think of an escape route. This was not like the last time when she had simply acted in defence of Allen.
"Skinn put that belt down." A bored voice cut through the tension as easily as butter.
Still frozen, Lavi blinked two, three times in quick succession, but the scene before her did not change. Where Skinn had stood alone menacingly, there was a curly haired figure smiling benignly with a hand on the larger man's shoulder. To the side for some reason, Road was wrapped around an annoyed yet relieved looking Allen.
"You'd think a whipping would be a good enough reminder to not assault your subordinates. Honestly Skinn if you weren't family I'd have to question why we even keep you on." Tyki winked at Lavi.
Skinn, who was far less amused, threw the hand off his shoulder with a grunt. "It's not you who keeps me here Tyki. Don't think I don't know it was you who went and complained to Sheril."
The height difference between the two men was made even starker by the Skinn's sheer size as he stood over Tyki in an attempt to intimidate the slimmer man. Tyki stood unfazed, still smiling even as Skinn pushed forward almost touching foreheads.
"Guilty." Tyki shrugged good-naturedly. "The kid's face was quite something to look at. Don't do it again and we'll get along just fine."
Skinn's eyebrow shot up. As dense as he was Skinn had not missed that Tyki was not in the loop about Lavi's identity. "So you want me to leave the kid alone? That it?"
For the second time that day Lavi was lifted to her feet by her shirt. She kicked out at Skinn though he did not feel it; the man was built like a log.
"You going soft on this one Tyki?" Even though his expression did not change annoyance flashed like a shadow across Tyki's face. "Why don't we see what's under this patch that's got you so smitten eh?"
Lavi began to struggle harder as the panic set in; Skinn was reaching towards her face. He was going to do it. Skinn was seconds away from pulling the eye-patch from her face. The long scarf wound tighter around her neck as she fought against Skinn, making it harder to breathe. The blood rushed thunderously through her ears, drowning out the sounds of the stable.
Suddenly Lavi was on the floor again, her hands automatically checking that the patch had remained in place. Above her Tyki had Skinn's wrist locked in a one handed grip, the shadow of annoyance she glimpsed earlier had darkened into something. Lavi swallowed hard, she did not imagine that the relaxed Tyki Mikk could ever make such a face.
"I warned you, don't touch the kid." Tyki squeezed the wrist in this hand, and Skinn grunted in pain. "Touch a Bookman ever again and it will be a lot more than a couple of lashes you get."
Skinn clutched his wrist to his chest and left the room, muttering dark threats under his breath. Tyki watched him leave and took a few deep steadying breaths before turning on the spot to help Lavi up.
"So, guess that means you are soft on me." Lavi joked with a foolish grin and laughed at the light red haze that lightened the other's usual tan complexion.
"What?" Tyki blanched. "No! I'm just getting bored of solving your problems Eye-patch. Stop being so troublesome would you?" Abruptly Tyki left Lavi on the ground and turned to Allen instead, leaving Lavi feeling a bit dejected. She mentally slapped herself to shake the feeling.
"No one asked you to step in." She retorted childishly.
"Do you see this?" Tyki said exasperated to Allen, "Two seconds away from being whipped and not even a thank you." Lavi made a 'couldn't careless' type of noise, rolled her eye and went back to work on the belt straps on the floor.
Allen meanwhile peeled Road off his waist and looked up at Tyki gratefully. "Thanks Tyki, but I think you over did it a bit. Skinn will probably come back even angrier."
"I wouldn't worry about him boy. That one over there on the other hand…" Tyki cocked his head backwards at Lavi, who was still sitting on the floor examining the ripped seam at her shoulder.
"I'll be fine. I got you to protect me now."
"First day back and you've already ticked someone off. Must be a record Eye-patch." Tyki eyed the exposed shoulder, in particular the red patches at the junction where neck met shoulder. He raised an eye brow. "Someone been keeping you too busy to come to work?"
Lavi quickly covered the skin with her scarf. "How do you know it's my first day back?" Lavi countered.
At this Allen burst out laughing, "I forgot to tell you, Tyki's been coming in everyday to check on your 'recovery'."
Lavi felt a rush of feeling towards Tyki. "That's actually kind of nice. Thank you."
"Anyway," Tyki said, quickly changing the subject. "I'm looking for Lovely, did she leave the manor today?"
Lavi swiftly busied herself with something in the far corner of the stable.
"You should stop playing with her Uncle, I don't like her! She's in my room and makes Daddy play with her." Road demanded as she stomped behind a wind-up soldier, following it into the stall of a pale grey mare. "I don't want you to play with her too!"
"Ever tried actually talking to the girl?" Lavi shot at Road. Road turned her nose up at the stable boy on the floor and stomped passed ignoring Lavi entirely.
"Road you weren't even using the room. And if you want to go the Glass Market, than you have to get along with Lovely." Tyki ignored the spoilt girl's prattling. "Oh and by the way Allen, we're going to the Glass Market this weekend. You're Road's chaperone."
"Road put that thing away, you're going to spook the horses. Wait – What? Fine whatever." Allen called after Road. Surreptitiously he caught Lavi's eye and then shook his head apologetically at Tyki. "I haven't seen her here today. Sorry Tyki. Maybe with Sheril?"
"No he's busy writing letters today. Watch Road for me would you; I'm bored now, think I'll just head into town today." Without waiting for a response Tyki walked off. "Come down later for a drink and bring Eye-Patch along too."
"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this!" Lavi grumbled as she and Allen walked into the infirmary later that day. She fiddled anxiously with the strands of red falling over her eye-patch, twisting the short hair and nervously patting the back of her head to periodically check that all was in place.
Allen ignored the ticks of the fretting girl and flopped into one of the empty beds, an easy grin on his lips. He knew he had already won the battle and despite her complaints Lavi was looking forward to their trip. As soon as Lavi had told Allen about the wig Jonny had made for her, Allen decided for the both of them that they would take Tyki up on is offer of a drink. Allen had all but dragged Lavi to Jonny's room, who then retrieved the wig from its discarded position behind the bookshelf and pinned it firmly and securely into Lavi's hair.
"What if we get caught? Or the wig falls off or something?" Lavi spoke openly as the infirmary was void of any other inhabitants at the moment. Worst case scenarios flitted through her mind; a strong wind blowing the red cap away or what if Lavi reached up to scratch her head and her hair came away with her hand… Automatically Lavi's hand shot up to her hair again to check that the cap was secure.
"Stop fussing with it or it really will come loose." Allen said lazily. "And we won't get caught. Sheril's holed himself up in his room all day and well who else is going to catch us? Skinn doesn't even look at us now that Tyki and Road are always hanging about. We're free for one day. Enjoy it."
Skinn would not be an issue today and of late Sheril had taken to spending long hours in his study sending and receiving letters, the contents of which he did not share with Lavi. She could only assume it was somehow related to the Japanese visitors Tyki had mentioned.
And the soon to be Lady Mikk. Lavi's chest tightened at the thought.
"I'll show you around it will be fun. And then we'll go for that drink." Allen paused, "Tyki likes you, he doesn't usually just invite random people to drink."
A heat wave rose quick and fast under Lavi's skin, colouring her a shade of scarlet similar to her hair. "I –I guess we could. If you want to that is, I'd like to –I mean I don't mind. Meeting him –Tyki…"
The white haired stable boy raised a confused eyebrow at the very obviously flustered girl in front of him a moment later his face cracked in amusement. Lavi returned to furiously fuss with the wig on her head to avoid eye contact with the boy. Embarrassment at her own fumbled response burned a whole into the bottom of her stomach, draining away its contents along with her dignity.
"I only meant he seemed to get along with you. You; 'Lavi the stable boy' you. But- " Allen clarified. "With all these clandestine meetings on the roof garden, I'd say he likes you in a dress more than when you're mucking out stalls."
"W-What? Don't say things like that" The enflamed red head spluttered. "Tyki just likes women full stop."
"Good." Allen steadily held Lavi's gaze. "I was worried you were getting too attached to Tyki. Just because he's amused by you now, doesn't mean it will stay that way. When we go to the town, be prepared because he won't be the way he is now."
Lavi lowered her gaze, she had been preparing herself for the moment she was no longer interesting to Tyki anymore. A small part of her though had entertained the fleeting thought that perhaps this would not be the case. Lavi had not shared the reason why Tyki was looking out for the stable boy with Allen. She had yet to come to terms with being the child of his dead teacher. Perhaps this was the real reason Sheril did not want Tyki to find out she was Bookman; would that change the way Tyki saw her?
She smiled weakly at the boy.
"I'll wait for you outside. Promise you won't go running back to your room." Allen said sternly.
"Yeah yeah, I promise. I won't be long." Lavi left Allen and walked into the side room where her grandfather lay, hopefully recovering.
The old man was sleeping, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He was not wheezing today and his forehead was cool to the touch. Lavi changed the water by his bedside and pulled the sheets over him more tightly. Lavi did not have the heart to wake Jiji now that he was resting so peacefully.
"I'm leaving the Manor for a while Jiji. I'll be back soon." She whispered and gently closed the door behind her.
The sky had dimmed to a dark blue hue when the two found themselves at the foot of the large fountain marking the centre of the town. The markets stalls had cleared, leaving a vast promenade that was swiftly being filled with the beat of the night life. Well-dressed ladies and gentlemen climbed out of horse drawn carriages into restaurants and tea houses. The odd brougham automobiles trundled along on the roads adding to the street sounds.
The town was a whole of three parts, radiating out from the centre was the well to do, upright section of town, and then there were the homes of the less well-off and the labour workers. The third part of town including the docks and ports which were kept busy by the trade ships landing on return from distant voyages.
Sitting at the fountain, Lavi was in the heart of the thriving entertainment centre of the town. The businesses here, upmarket offices and store by day and fine dining restaurants by night, and people were of the respectable sort even sitting at the fountain in slightly more dignified men's clothing borrowed from the seamstress' stock, Lavi felt at odds and uncomfortable. The red wig she sported gave her a roguish appearance, the too long yet short red strands falling into her eyes and the eye patch coupled to add a sense of mystery to her otherwise slim and unassuming figure. She watched the people milling about, getting on with their business; everyone was either in a rush or had some purpose of place to be.
To loiter here felt a crime.
However, Lavi had no choice but to linger at the fountain and wait for Allen to return. He had disappeared inside the offices of Dark Order Shipping Co to pass on a message to his guardian, Cross Marian. There was another office in the second part of town, down by the docks closer to where the ships would land and depart, although Cross never showed his face much at that office, too far from the lady folk was his excuse, according to Allen.
The boy had asked Lavi to come inside, Lavi however wanted as less to do with Cross Marian as she could. It still bothered her that the man had seen through her disguise, and seemed to know more about her than she did. Since that first chance meeting Lavi had been lucky enough to avoid seeing him again, and she certainly would not walk into his den of her own accord if she could help it.
The Lamplighters had finished lighting all the lanterns on this stretch of street and one of them passed closely by Lavi, the smell of his oil soaked gloves and overcoat near suffocating her. Lavi scoffed at the row of street lights and scoffed. Light up one spot only to throw darker shadows elsewhere. Leaning her head all the way back until she was almost dizzy Lavi stared into the now purple expanse. No stars yet.
There must be a theatre nearby, Lavi deduced from a too loud conversation about a performance that could not be missed. A pampered socialite and her dandy of an escort traced the path of the lamplighter before them. This time Lavi was washed in a heavy wave of sweet fragrance.
"The Empire can wait a little longer there's no rush." Said the dandy in a drawling tone.
"The doors have been open for half an hour, we need to hurry. They're very exclusive." The girl was complaining and not so discretely rolling her eyes at Lavi.
Lavi sighed, pulling her jacket closer and moved away, being out in the town was not as exciting as she had expected it to be. Maybe I should've just stayed put at the Manor, Lavi thought to herself as she wondered aimlessly along the street, looking for something interesting in the windows.
"Lavi! Don't go down there! Hey Lavi!"
Lavi was just about to turn into another street when she heard a high voice calling her name. She turned to see Allen running to catch up, she raised a hand in greeting that quickly dropped back down when she saw the serving girl, Melia and Cross following behind; That wide-brimmed hat and scarlet hair were unmistakeable.
Lavi gave the new pair a quick nod in greeting, Cross ignored her and Melia returned the nod with an uncertain smile. The maid whispered something to Cross causing the man to smirk enigmatically.
"That road wouldn't be a wise choice. Ever." Allen said seriously taking charge of the group and gestured a different route to take.
"Fell Street." Lavi read the heavily modified sign; it had originally read Bell Street. "Not the brainiest of criminals down here then?"
"Nah, not really but you got to give them credit for trying." Allen grinned. "Sorry for making you wait, but that slimy geezer won't pay up for his last bill. Had the nerve to ask me for more money to buy two tickets to the theatre." He threw a dark look over his shoulder to which Cross was blissfully oblivious, leaning heavily over Melia's shoulder.
"Is he going to follow us until you pay up?" Lavi said also glancing back just in time to catch Melia's eyes. Clearly they had been staring at the back of Lavi's head a moment ago. Lavi shifted uncomfortably.
Allen gave a resigned sigh, "Yeap."
"Chin up," Lavi clapped Allen about the shoulders jovially, "Cross can just drink the bar and you can give me proof of your mad skills and pay for it all."
A plan forming in his mind, Allen smiled enigmatically and stirred the group into the work man's district. Rows of taverns, smoking rooms lined the streets here and around the odd corners lurked the maison derriere's catering to the freshly returned from sea.
The group entered a brightly lit and noisy tavern cheerily named the 'Drowned Innocence'. Loud music played courtesy of the live band of instrumentalists tucked into a corner of the room. It was a comfortable room, tables were thrown in haphazardly giving the large room a homely feel and everyone in the room seemed to know each other, many of the patrons greeted Allen and Cross with shout outs, raised glasses and the more discrete with nods.
There was a particularly loud gang at the bar; a scruffy looking man had a small masked boy of about seven sitting around his shoulders as he jostled him, earning squeals of delight from the boy.
Allen led the group to a table in the farthest corner from the bar, it was quieter here and sitting here the group had a good view of the rest of the tavern. Despite the crowded room this table was empty. Allen and co must be regulars here and this table reserved, Lavi deduced. An over friendly barmaid walked over to take their orders and she left with three orders of the usual's and one more and a murderous glare from Melia.
"Right Allen," Business-like, Cross slammed a hand down on the wooden table. "Hand over some cash and after this drink we'll be out of here and you can get back to your little date with your girlfriend here."
"Eh?" Allen turned a deep shade of red.
"Watch your mouth!" Lavi hissed.
Meanwhile Melia threw a hand up to cover her mouth and stifle her fit of giggles.
"Well?" Cross outstretched his palm from around Melia's shoulders. "I'll have to keep drinking if I stay here, and if I'm drinking I take no responsibility for what I may say or do."
"Allen just pay him so he'll go away." Lavi crossed her arms consciously over her chest and focussed on the group at the bar instead. She was anxious to get rid of him before he dropped any more hints about her gender.
"No." Lavi stared mouth open at Allen, but Allen firmly shook his head, a deck of cards in his hand. "If he wants my money so bad, he can win it from me fair and square. What's your problem with Cross anyway?" He added in an undertone.
Lavi ignored the question; the crowd had dispersed leaving only the scruffy man, the boy and two other men at the bar. She watched the scruffy man firmly pat the masked boy on the back, no longer laughing the boy was coughing quite violently. The man himself was oni wearing a thin sweater that clung to the contours of his shoulders. From the look of the over large jacket the boy was wearing Lavi assumed that the man, possibly the boy's father, had already given away his outer garment.
It was Melia who answered the question for her. "Don't worry Lovely, I've seen Cross drink whole crowds under the table." The quick-minded maid winked at Lavi. "I won't let him get the words out."
"I'm counting on it." Cross kissed Melia's hand.
"If everyone knows why am I even bothering with this stupid outfit?" Lavi buried her head in her hands.
Allen patted Lavi on the back in commiseration, which did little to help her feel any better.
"How did you even get Sheril's pet out of the Manor, Allen?" Cross asked winding up Lavi further.
"I'm not his pet!" Lavi retorted in an angry muffle. She did not lift her head so she didn't see the disgusted frown Allen shot at Cross, nor did Lavi see the newcomer to the table.
"Man troubles?" A silky voice said too close to Lavi's ear. Her head shot and found herself with staring into a face-full of Tyki Mikk. "Need me to save you again?"
Lavi recovered quickly enough from the shock to summon a sarcastic response, "Oh yes please, save me from this redheaded pervert! My hero." Lavi rolled her eye and earned a flick on the head from Tyki before he sat himself down at the table.
"Because I'm so nice I'll give you some advice: With Cross, your best bet is to just ignore him. He'll go for you if you get wound up easy, but ignore it and he's too lazy to bother keep it up. Full of hot air and an endless supply of women who let him gas on for some reason." He tipped his head to Melia with a cheeky grin. "No offence Mel."
"None taken." She said pleasantly.
Tyki leaned over Cross, elbowing the red headed man out of the way to make room. "But you know I have been telling you to cut this guy loose. You're wasted on him, still waiting for my turn –What was that for?"
Tyki half yelped at Lavi, who had just smacked the lothario over the head.
"Don't just sit there chatting up another man's woman." Tyki stared at the stable boy. "Even if it is a dog like him." She finished with a venomous glare aimed at Cross.
"Sorry…. I think." Tyki said uncertainly rubbing his head. He looked to Allen for some clarification but the boy merely shrugged and started dealing out the cards. "What did I miss?" He mouthed. Allen smiled genially and moved the scene forward as best he could.
"You want in Ez?" He kindly asked the small boy standing close behind Tyki. The boy stared daggers at Lavi over his mask; up close he looked to be quite sickly and dark shadows hung under his eyes. The coughing fit and the mask suddenly made sense to Lavi.
Ez shook his head, sandy hair flying furiously. Tyki placed a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "You're dad's calling you Ez. I'll come back to you in a bit." He said gently. Ez plunged his hands into his pockets and walked back to the bar.
"He's still staring…" Lavi shifted uncomfortably under the intense stare the little boy called Ez was still giving her from the bar. "He doesn't like newcomers?"
"Nah," Tyki said easily, not looking up from analysing the hand Allen had dealt. "Ez is protective of his Uncle Tyki, so no more knocks over the head if you don't want to be drinking mystery juice. Allen this is a fair hand right?" The white haired boy rolled his eyes and did not deign the offensive question a response.
Lavi looked dubiously at her mug, unsure if she wanted another sip mystery juice or not.
"Relax, I'm joking. Ez is a good kid. He probably thinks you look funny or something." Lavi scowled at the scruffy nobleman.
"He does look funny don't you think Mikk?" Cross chimed in, wilfully ignoring the rules of the game and holding his cards loosely for all to see. "Our young Bookman looks a bit on the dandy side, delicate."
Tyki's eyes flicked up and then back down again. "Takes after his mother." He said simply. "She weren't so red though."
Red faced Lavi furiously focused on her cards, no runs, no matching suits of any value. Oh well, she wasn't here to win. She pointedly avoided looking at Allen.
An evil curve appeared on Cross' face, and he looked calculatingly between the Tyki and Lavi. The red head shuddered to think what ideas were forming in the dark clouds behind his eyes.
"Ah yes I definitely see it now, would've seen it sooner if it weren't for the eye patch. What happened to the eye?"
As if it could feel the pressure of the scrutiny the skin under the eye patch began to itch and Lavi had to resist the urge to rub at it. "I don't remember." She said to her pitiful hand of cards.
"Why don't you take it off and show us?" Cross goaded.
"Cross, drop it will you?" Tyki interjected. His tone carried a nonchalant, yet final air. "You're creeping the crap out of the kid. I win."
Tyki threw his cards down with a flourish and collected his winnings. Allen's hand twitched involuntarily. But Tyki only grinned as he counted out the horde. "Don't cheat with a cheater."
"You got lucky Mikk, rematch!" Allen furiously reshuffled the deck.
"Maybe later my boy, but I have an appointment with Dina." Tyki announced proudly.
"Who?" Lavi and Allen asked in unison.
"The new barmaid," Tyki said and his brow creased. "I promise she doesn't already have a man. I take it I have your permission?"
Lavi scowled at the man and his sarcasm. "Go knock yourself out."
Tyki chuckled and patted Lavi on the shoulder. "Try to be in a better mood when I get back."
He walked off to the bar, where a buxom ginger barmaid waited for him. The scene was in full view of Lavi; she couldn't help but watch it pan out. First she smiled at Tyki, then Tyki leaned far over the bar. Suddenly the powdered and painted woman had her hands on his arms, touching him, leading Tyki behind the bar in the rooms beyond. Dina looked up once and for a fraction of a moment her eyes locked with Lavi, the barmaid flashed her a brilliant red smile and turned away.
Something bubbled and gurgled inside Lavi, making her feel dizzy, sick and angry all at once. She was all too happy to take out that feeling of turmoil on Cross and his blatant measures to put her on the spot this evening. Lavi had a retort ready in her mouth, however she was cut off by the red haired demon.
"I'll make a deal with you." Melia had gone to talk to a friend she had recognised in the bar so Cross was free to lean across the table in order to get close to Lavi and talk to her directly. He spoke in a low deep tone. One he probably imagined to be quite irresistible. Lavi could almost see him now using that tone to catch more poor women into his net. "Me and you: two out of three. Allen shuffles so you'll know it'll be fair or that he'll give you a good hand at least. If you win I'll tell you why Sheril tried so hard to bring you back to the Manor and I'll even throw in the reason he needs Old Bookman to recover. Sweet deal no?"
Lavi wanted to say yes straightaway. Answers. Answers from a completely useless excuse of a man but answers nonetheless. "And if I lose?"
Cross yawned widely, "Nothing much, just-take-off-your-patch-and-a-demo-of-where-you'r e-hiding-your-figure." He said in one long breath.
A nerve twitched in Lavi temple, this man was infuriating; she was tempted to smack him over the head with her mug but was beaten to it by Allen.
"What kind of perverted deal is that! The hell if you think I'm going to shuffle that game!"
"It was just a suggestion, thought I'd throw it out there." Cross pushed the boy back into his set. "I'll settle for just removing the eye-patch."
"Fine." Lavi squared her shoulders, and blushed when she caught Allen's incredulous open mouthed stare. "Not the shirt though, just the eye patch." She added quickly.
Gingerly Allen shuffled and dealt the cards between the two redheads, one trying hard to catch the other within his hunters trap. A split deck and a sleight of hand later, Allen presented his guardian with a decent hand but otherwise useless to the full house he had dealt Lavi. Watching Lavi now perusing her hand, Allen was taken aback by the strength of her poker face. Not a single tell or slightest change in expression, not even at Allen for his obvious cheating license gave away the gems she held in her hand.
Cross on the other hand was grinning like the cat who got the canary.
Allen held his breath as Lavi discarded one card and swapped it out. If she was as clever as she seemed than it would have been the seven of hearts she swapped, statistically a seven is the most likely card to pick up, and the card that Allen had set up for her just in case.
Full house to flush; Lavi won the first round.
Second round: straight to three of a kind; Lavi's win again.
"Melia sweetheart, we need a ladies touch here." Cross called to maid. She broke off her conversation and joined the trio at the table. "We need a new shuffler, Allen here has tricky fingers."
Melia laughed a laugh like a bell ringing, "You should know better than to let him shuffle. The boy can't hold a deck of cards without a hundred routes to win." She took the cards from Allen and shuffled the cards expertly. Allen smiled appreciatively at the woman's deft skill while Lavi stared wide eyed at the talent; Cross just grinned certain of his victory.
The next round belonged to Cross and so did the next. Neck and neck, the final game was to be the decider.
Lavi's face grew warmer and warmer under the eye patch. It was as if the patch couldn't wait to be removed, to reveal what lay beneath.
"Why so serious?" Melia cut through the tension, "What are they playing for?" she asked Allen.
"Questions and answers." He replied cryptically. Melia dealt the cards satisfied with that for an answer. Allen, himself was on the edge of the seat, while he did not want his friend to lose, Allen could not deny he was even slightly interested in the reason Lavi held onto the eye patch.
Cards dealt the reds checked their cards, both grinning widely. Cross swapped two cards, Lavi matched his move and swapped two of her own.
"Ready to show?" Cross said, the smallest of excited tremors in his voice.
"You first." Lavi challenged the man, a green fire blazing in her eye.
Cross lay out a royal straight flush with a flourish. He let out a low whistle and looked to Lavi who was still grinning. "Show me what you got."
"Looks like I came back in time for things to get interesting." Tyki slid into his previously vacated seat. "Who won?"
Lavi rolled her eye at Tyki and lay down her cards in a neat row; a complete set of random cards, not a pair or sequence among them.
"Poker is not my game." Lavi laughed easily, taking the loss on the chin.
"Good sport, just when I beginning to think you had a humour like of a smacked arse." Tyki clapped her on the back amiably and earned a dark faced scowl from Lavi. "So what's the damage?"
In answer Lavi raised her arm and slowly untied the string that held the patch in place. She took a deep breath and levelled eye contact with Cross. The man stared back coolly, chin resting on knitted fingers. The string came loose and the eye patch fell onto the table with a soft thump.
Lavi opened her right eye and looked out at the group using both emerald eyes for the first time. Melia gasped, Allen looked puzzled, Cross unamused and Tyki narrowed his eyes.
"Is that it?" Cross demanded, leaning forward, looking for signs of cheating and deception.
"I'm so glad! I though you would have an eye missing or something more gruesome." Melia said sounding both disappointed and relieved.
Thank goodness for Jonny and her forward thinking. Sitting here now Lavi was glad she had not put up a bigger fight in Jonny's room when she fastened the wig to her head. Ever the practical thinker, Jonny had applied a concoction of her own to Lavi's right eye, a silky layer of lotion that smooth and evened out the usually mottled and rough marking that circled her eye.
"Sorry to disappoint, but this is it." Lavi laughed sheepishly.
Allen brought his eyebrows in frustration and crossed his arms across his chest. "And you can see clearly from both eyes?" Lavi nodded. "So why the patch?"
Lavi rubbed the back of her neck, heat rose in her face feeling the pressure of the group's collective scrutiny. "Well I kind of need it and I don't need it. I can see well enough now, but if it's too bright my right eye is kind of useless. I need the patch and I guess I just got used to wearing it all the time. Adds to the mystery of me don't you think?"
Allen and Melia bought the story, which was in its own way true. Half-truths were the lies Lavi was best at telling. Cross was still distrustful.
"Why is the eye so rubbish? Born that way? Something happen?" Cross asked.
"Fire damage. Don't remember much."
"Tell us what you can?" Cross said probingly, pushing for more of a story.
"I'd rather not." Lavi said firmly. Cross tried to push her for more but the sound of wood scraping harshly against wood put a stop to the chatter around the table.
"It's really hot in here isn't it? I need some air." Tyki began to walk away, "You coming Lavi?"
Lavi wanted to refuse but a kick from Allen under the table got her to her feet quickly and she followed Tyki into an empty private room.
Tyki lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. "How'd you do it?"
"Do what?" Lavi was at a loss to what Tyki was expecting from her.
Tyki waved a hand around his face. "This? How did you hide it all?"
Squaring her shoulders stubbornly Lavi raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." Immediately hating the haughty tone that had entered her voice.
"Don't play dumb with me." Tyki sat down heavily into a softly cushioned chair. "The fire that damaged your eyesight… it damaged the skin around you're right eye. It's supposed to be scarred and that's why you wear the eye patch isn't it?"
The room shook with the pounding of her heart, the walls rocked and the floor unsteady beneath her feet. The lengths she had gone to conceal her identity were unravelling as if they were nothing. She spoke a stronger game than she felt.
"You said I looked like my mother. How do you know her?" Thankfully her voice was steady.
"You do look like her and you should be proud. She was a beautiful woman you're mother." He gave her a piercing once over that made her heart jump to her throat.
"I am a man you know." Lavi tried her best to sound indignant and very male.
"Men can be beautiful." Tyki shrugged at her, "but I digress. What's your secret? And why try so hard to hide it twice?"
"I said I don't know what you're talking about." Lavi repeated. "And I'm not the only one hiding something. Why are dressed like that pretending to be one of them out there?"
Tyki walked slowly to where Lavi was standing, each step daring Lavi to move back, to find an escape. He took out a remarkably white handkerchief, he smiled almost apologetically. "Even my disguise isn't so complete; this is just one of those things I have to carry over with me. Sometimes the ink bleeds through you see. Wipe your eyes and show me that you aren't hiding a thing."
Lavi stared at the stunning white cloth in his hand, the brilliance of it blinding her. She was trapped, if she didn't do it Tyki would know she was lying but if she did then everything would be on show.
She breathed out a heavy sigh, snatched the handkerchief from his hand and wiped furiously at her high. "Happy now? You knew it was there why do you need to see it too."
A bubble threatened to burst inside her chest and spill out the pent up frustration of being goaded by Cross all evening and now being forced to reveal scars she could not even remember receiving. Angry tears prickled hotly under her eyelids.
She closed her eyes tightly, trying her best to hold back anything that might make her look even more foolish than she already did. Tyki reached out a touched her cheek, Lavi could feel his thumb trace a line under her right eye following the thin network of scars and bumps that crisscrossed into a fine web. Lavi felt it as Tyki leaned close and pressed his lips softly against hers.
"Mmrgh – what are you doing?!" Lavi yelped and pushed the man back, probably a little more violently than she needed to. "I'm a boy!"
"I'm sorry! You looked like you needed it…" Tyki laughed nervously, "I don't usually kiss boys but you looked so you know, felt like I had to.,," he trailed off.
Lavi deadpanned, "You felt like you had to? God you're worse than Cross. Right after you've just boffed the bar maid you come looking for more. And this morning," Lavi bit her lip. "this morning you were chasing after that girl in the Manor."
"I only helped Dina change the barrel. Since when were you the protector of women's chastity?" Tyki retorted at her, unaware of the flurry of conflicting emotions raging inside the red head.
"Because, because it's not right to lead these women on." Lavi sulked for lack of a better comeback. She let out a sigh and dropped into an empty chair, wiping at her face to neaten up the mess of lotion around her eye. "You better go get my eye patch back. I'm not walking out of here like this."
Tyki sat down next to Lavi. "I'm not leading anyone on. Dina asked me to change the barrels and all I'm guilty of is maybe a little bit of flirty here n there for a free round for my friends. That's all. And that girl in the Manor, I'm not doing anything with her either. She's lonely I think. Lovely is just a friend." Tyki paused, letting the words sink in almost regretfully. To hear it said so plainly stung Lavi, even though she was the one who had proposed their relationship to stop at friendship. "You have the same hair as her, maybe that's why I kis- did what I did just now." Tyki attempt at a joke fell flat.
The pair sat in awkward silence, neither speaking nor moving. Lavi couldn't help but wonder if Tyki would have tried to kiss her if she was closer to him at Lovely. Lavi was disappointed in some ways that Tyki had not tried to get closer to her as Lovely, that he kept his distance.
Would Tyki try harder if he knew her to be Bookman?
"Do you really need it though, the patch? You said you can see fine."
"I can but it hurts if I strain it for too long. I need the patch." Lavi stressed.
"Do you not think you just need to exercise it more? If you keep it covered all the time then of course your eye will get tired." Tyki reasoned.
"Do you think I like this?" Lavi snapped. "It's ugly and everyone who sees it can see it is ugly. This face doesn't attract any friends."
"It's a nice face." Tyki laughed weakly at the withering glare Lavi gave him. "What you have there, it isn't so bad. You should count it as a blessing, that fire could have done you more damage than just some scars and patch of blemished skin. I was there."
"You were there?" Lavi repeated dumbly.
"Yeah I was there." Tyki gave Lavi an appraising glance. "You've shown me yours; it's only fair I show you mine."
Tyki stubbed out his cigarette, and tugged the hem of his scruffy work shirt out from his trousers. Lavi felt the heat rise in her cheeks as Tyki proceeded to pull the shirt over his head, inch by inch slowly revealing a tanned, tightly muscled stomach then chest.
Hope you enjoyed!