Hello this one came out quickly. Hope you like!
It was supposed to have more in it but it seemed like it came to a natural end here. Next chapter will definitely be a long one!
With a tug the shirt was up and over Tyki's head, his already messy hair stood up in tufts and dog-like the man shook his hair back into place. No, like a wolf would be a better description. How else could one describe the lean, iron-wrought physique, the coal black hair so dark it could it could swallow midnight and finally the golden eyes that shone predatorily in the dimmed darkness of the room. The walls came in close around Lavi and suddenly the room, the seat felt too small for the two of them.
"Now you're just showing off!" Lavi said when she finally found her voice, thankful that it had come out evenly when it did. "What am I supposed to be seeing exactly? That you survived a fire and came out the other side looking like- like that!"
Tyki chuckled softly under his breath, "Have another look." He turned in his seat baring his chest fully. Lavi did not know where to look; her mind seemed to be moving at the speed of cold treacle, unable to think beyond the slab of olive coloured muscle before. Without meaning to Lavi found herself comparing the only two male bodies she had ever seen. While she could not say that there was anything ugly about Sheril's body, there was definitely a clear winner before her.
Sold myself to the wrong brother, she thought facetiously, forcing her eyes upwards from the trail of fine dark hairs leading downwards.
And then she saw it.
Two bands of darker skin, maybe two inches thick intersected, the bands meeting where his heart would have been had his heart been on the right side of his chest. The skin was ribboned and ropey from where they stretched with growth. The horizontal scar reached all the way across his body, the vertical scar was shorter and did not pass Tyki's lowest rib, forming an unusual cross. Lavi thought the scars had a sheen, that if she were to reach out now, the skin would be smooth to the touch. There were also a scattering of smaller patches of pockmarked skin.
"From the fire?" Lavi swallowed the ball of guilt in her throat. "How?"
"Not entirely sure. I came in after I heard the glass break; you were on the floor holding on to your face and Bookman's desk was on fire. I tried to grab you but you were panicking and a lamp fell of the table, splashing its contents all over my shirt. Soaked through to the skin, and well the rest is history." Tyki recounted the story without betraying any emotion. "We got out, but Lillia, your mother she ran in to grab some papers or something, I don't know what, and I just know that she didn't come back out again."
In her mind's eye, Lavi could see the scene play out as Tyki described it. She saw her grandfather's table explode in a roar of flames, eating the papers like a demon and stealing the very air out of her lungs. Lavi felt the hands of a bigger boy, almost a man grab her and drag her somewhere breathing became easier. But still she could not stop the searing pain over eye, hot glass cutting paths into her soft child's skin.
Lavi saw a swish of a smoking skirt round a corner. Lavi remembered that was the last time she ever saw that skirt.
"The lamp exploded." She said dry mouthed. "I couldn't remember it before, but I know it now. The lamp was making funny sounds, spitting. So I went over and pushed it a little bit, nothing happened so I pushed it again and it broke. It just exploded."
The past and present formed a disorientating palimpsest that swam before her eyes. Questions bombarded her memory, what if she had left the lamp oil, then her eye would not have been damaged. If she had not panicked then Tyki would not bear the mark across his body like a nightmarish tattoo. If she had not been in trouble, than she might even have been able to stop her mother from heading back into the room.
Head buried in her knees, Lavi mentally folded away all the questions, the dark feelings. The grabbed the intangible corners of each option that was now forever lost to her and brought them together like an origami ball and locked it away into an unused antechamber of her mind.
"Are you okay?" The tobacco in the air told Lavi that Tyki had yet again lit up.
"Yeah I will be. If you don't choke me with that thing first." She growled at him.
"You're such a woman, it's just a cigarette." Tyki sulked. "Have you ever even tried one?"
"Smoke and fire killed my mother. Damn near killed you even why would you choose to swallow it?"
"Smoke and fire were just the weapons." Tyki said enigmatically, quickly he added, "And these scars aren't so bad, ladies love them." The cigarette paused halfway to his mouth. "Are you sure you're not related to Lovely, she keeps nagging me about the smoking too. Don't knock it until you try it. Here give it a go."
"Your girl from the Manor? She sounds like she's got good sense." Lavi took the cigarette that Tyki forced on her. She held it awkwardly in her hand, happy with her cover-up but painfully aware the little white stick was the same one Tyki had between his lips a moment ago. Tyki nodded encouragingly at her.
The first intake drew in a hot cloud, the bitterness stinging the soft tissues of her mouth. Reluctant to take the smoke in any further she released it all quickly.
"Not like that you have to breathe it in."
"It tastes nasty." She spluttered, the second drag caught in her throat and came back up in a hacking cough. The seat shook as Tyki threw his head back laughing at her coughs. "I give up."
"Ah you're alright for a beginner." He patted Lavi on the back consolingly with one hand and wiped a tear from his eye with the other. "You do get used to the taste."
The only time Lavi recalled tobacco tasting good was when she tasted it straight from Tyki's tongue. The thought brought a warmer tone to her face which was already red from oxygen deprivation. "I think I'll survive just fine without learning how to eat one of those things."
"Tyki where is your shirt?" Allen stood frozen at the door, dumbfounded.
Tyki looked down and seemed surprised to find that he was still shirtless, then searched for the missing article.
"Here it is." Lavi threw the ragged cloth at the man. "Cover up."
"Lavi you're –"
"Yes Allen my eye. I'll explain on the way back. Don't tell your idiot guardian though," Lavi got to her feet, and scowled at Tyki when attempted to trip her over. "You wouldn't have my eye patch with you, would you Allen?"
Ever the Good Samaritan Allen took the eye patch from his pocket and threw it over to Lavi, who caught it mid-air. She grinned appreciatively at the younger boy and the trio walked out of the room.
The tavern was as full as ever, the night clearly just beginning for some of the patrons. Cross and Melia were engaged in the corner and one of Tyki's group waved him over.
"Oi oi! Collecting boys in the backroom Mikk?" Shouted a red faced moustachioed drinker from a table close to the bar. Tyki's crowd sent the man dark glares, willing him to be silent, but Tyki laughed louder than the lout. He threw his arms over the shoulders of the two teens.
"You jealous Seamus? Your two ain't half as lovely as mine." Tyki planted a kiss on Lavi's cheek. "Get off me idiot." Lavi elbowed Tyki in the sternum as the room roared with laughter. The only ones not laughing being Seamus and the pug-faced man sitting on his right and the skinny one with the comb over on his left.
As they walked back to the Manor Lavi told Allen about what had transpired in the backroom, about her tenuous connection to the Kamelot family, and the fire that linked herself and Tyki. Allen listened to it all without question. This was one of the greatest things Lavi loved about Allen Walker, he had the ability to listen without judging. He knew when to ask questions and when to wait for the questions to be answered on their own.
When Lavi had finished her story, the two were already half way to the Manor. Allen digested the news for a whole minute before speaking. He gave Lavi a sidelong glance, "The only thing I don't understand is why you were so aggressive with Cross. I mean I know he rubs people up the wrong way and the things he said, but you were against him from the start. Did something happen between you two?"
Lavi stared up at the tiny specks of stars in the sky and sighed. "Cross gives me the creeps. He knows too much and I don't like it. He uses everything as a weapon." She put her hands in her pockets. "When I first met him, he gave me away as Bookman to Tyki. It wasn't his secret to tell." She growled through gritted teeth.
"Sorry for your loss." Lavi realised now that this was probably a dig at her mother, or maybe even her loss of freedom and that it may not have had anything to do with Jiji. But at the time her heart sunk like a lead balloon when he said those words.
"What are you going to do?"
"Do about what?"
"Tyki. He must really like you. And you obviously like him."
Lavi blushed. "He doesn't like me. I'm a boy."
"He liked you well enough to kiss you, and you can't deny he definitely does likes the you back in the Manor all dressed up and perfumed." Allen suppressed the amusement from his voice as best he could, "And I don't hear you denying that you like him either."
Lavi walked on, deep in thought. It was true that Lavi enjoyed Tyki's company whether she was dressed up as a boy or a girl, as long as he didn't try anything funny with her. But therein lay her problem. When she was playing the boy, Tyki seemed interested in her than when she was acting Lovely. Apart from the one slip he was always the gentleman. Why did that seem worse?
Did Tyki like her enough to cross gender barriers for her? Did he respect her enough to wait on her terms? And just how important is the name Bookman?
It was all so confusing.
"Thanks for the night out Allen, I appreciate it." The cheer in her voice didn't quite reach her eye, Allen thought to himself. "It's the little things eh? Because however I look at it I still belong to Sheril."
Lavi left Allen at the path, taking the route directly to the Manor. She entered an alley, followed the patch of yellow flowers and walked into the building through the disused side door Tyki had once shown her.
Cutting through the infirmary she found her way into her room and lay down, attempting to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, sleep would not come to her. The moon had nearly completed her journey across the sky when she finally admitted defeat. Rising silently she redressed as Lavi and back-tracked the route to the infirmary.
The infirmary was coloured in varying shades of black and grey, except for the alarming splash of flickering orange coming from the room in the corner. Lavi padded over silently and as she drew nearer she heard voices talking lowly.
"…would have got them both out if I could." Someone said in a choked familiar voice.
"What would you have done? From what I heard you nearly burned alive grabbing the child." Came a raspy response. Jiji.
There was a long pause. Lavi crept closer, she could see half the room, Jiji was sitting up in bed, a cup in his hand. The other occupant of the room was sitting in a chair with his back to the door, but Lavi would know that mop of messy hair anywhere.
"I'm keeping an eye on him for you. Lavi will be looked after, I promise you."
"Yes I'm sure you will. Lillia would be glad for it." Jiji said mechanically, as if he had been here before and said these words another time.
Unable to take anymore, Lavi knocked softly on the door and entered the little room. "Jiji, you should be sleeping not entertaining." She said sternly.
She took the cup from his hand and placed in on the bedside table.
"I sleep all day. Shouldn't you be working right now, grandson?" Lavi glared at the grumpy old man and moved on to deal with the other man. She could smell the waves of alcohol that rolled off him, and he only looked at her blankly not quite registering who she was. He must have drunk more than he could handle and then wandered into this part of the Manor by chance or by regret. His eyes were rimmed red; Lavi did not want to contemplate how they got to be that way.
She knelt down and spoke to him gently. "Come on Tyki, it's me Lavi. You can't sleep here tonight."
"We're just talking. Aren't we Bookman?" Tyki looked to the older Bookman for help, who only shrugged at the drunk.
"Talking is for the morning. Come now, up you get." Lavi pulled him up and put one of his heavy arms over her shoulder. "How are you going to look after me if you're up all night chatting with the old man?"
Something close to realise dawned in Tyki's eyes, now muddy with drink instead of their usual brilliant gold. "That's right, I'm taking care of you. I'll take care of her for you."
Lavi froze.
"Just dump him somewhere to sleep." Jiji said from his bed. "He's always been the same. Won't remember a word of this come tomorrow morning."
"You sure?"
Jiji nodded and rolled over.
With a measured effort Lavi managed to half carry half drag Tyki back to her room. Ideally she wanted to dump him in his own bed, but Tyki was in no state to tell her where his room was, nor was she ready to search the Manor for someone who might know the answer.
Lavi deposited him onto the sofa seat and promptly collapsed onto the floor by Tyki's head. "What am I going to do with you hmm?" Lavi mused, brushing away the hair from Tyki's forehead.
Leaning forward Lavi studied Tyki's face. Tyki was always laughing or smiling that it was so odd to see him at rest, every expression smoothed away from his features. Lavi felt almost as if she were intruding on a private moment. This man who hid himself almost as well as she could. Now there were no masks, only a blank canvas ready to start anew when daylight came.
Lavi had heard it often said that people look younger when sleeping, but Tyki did not look younger, without the ever present amusement that played about him Tyki seemed more serious. In sleep the cares he worked so hard to brush away by day caught up with him. Lavi attempted to smooth the furrows of his brow with little effect. The angles of his face were more prominent now and her fingers played along the cut of his jaw, down his neck and over his shoulder.
Feeling brave Lavi slipped one of her hands into his, interlocking fingers. Tyki's hands were bigger and heavier than hers but they fit neatly together. The skin of his palm was rough and calloused; the veins standing out as they lead back along his arm and into muscle. A workman's hand.
Lavi kissed Tyki's forehead and left the man there on her sofa.
"Stay." He mumbled.
"Ask me when you're sober." Lavi whispered as she shut the door between them, ready at last for sleep to take her.
"I'm leaving now, clear out whenever you're ready."
The command boomed in Tyki's ears, and bounced around painfully in his skull. Groggily he opened one eye a slither and the blurry image of a woman standing over him.
"Where am I?" He asked more to himself than the mystery lady. He rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands. There was an ache threatening to cleave his head in two and for some reason his body was receiving his orders of movement on a significant time delay.
"You spent the night on my sofa." The woman said shortly. She sounded familiar, that bored matter of fact tone stating the obvious reminded him of someone. Lavi, no wait it's a woman. "Get up if you're awake. What will the servants think if they find you in here?"
Not Lavi, Lovely.
"What a shame."
"What is?"
"I spent a whole night and only made it as far as the sofa." Tyki offered her what he thought was a winning smile. Lucky for him Lovely came into focus just in time for him to dodge the blow she aimed at his head.
"It's not funny to turn up drunk at someone's door in the middle of the night. And then refuse to tell them where your own room is so they would have been able to send you on your merry way."
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I wouldn't have bothered you if I could avoid it. Sheril wasn't here was he?" Tyki whipped his head around as if expecting to see his brother walking out of the bedroom. "I don't remember much of last night. I thought I was with a friend of mine; one of the stable boys must've been a dream. Sorry, again."
Tyki looked up, genuinely apologising for causing the lady any discomfort; he was puzzled to see that instead of being placated Lovely's lips were tightly pursed, the corners twitched as if fighting the urge to droop.
Lovely turned on the spot and left, slamming the door shut behind her.
Tyki thought to go after her, but the rising bile gave him a more pressing need to find the bathroom.
Lavi had only been to Sheril's study once, on the day she had arrived at the Manor. Since then she had not had any need to return there. Sheril always came to find her when he wanted something. So the messenger boy who came to summon her early that morning had been met with considerable surprise and apprehension. It was too soon for Sheril to have found out about Tyki spending the night in her room, but still she had worried about the consequences for both of them.
Now as she flew down the corridors, not registering where she was walking and relying on her feet to remember and carry her to Sheril's door, Lavi could not believe she had wasted any energy on worry about that man. With any luck he would be paying dearly for his night of heavy drinking right now.
Without pausing to knock Lavi entered the study, pushing the wooden door open unceremoniously. She rationalised that Sheril had summoned her, so he would be expecting her. The door shut heavily behind her. The second door to be slammed and counting today.
Sheril looked up, surprised to see Lavi standing with her back to the door, chest heaving.
"What's gotten into you?" Sheril looked up from the papers spread on his desk, mildly concerned.
"Nothing." Lavi said thickly, wiping roughly at her eyes with her sleeve.
"Ah now, that won't do. That won't do at all." Sheril pulled out a dark red handkerchief from his pocket and walked out to Lavi in quick strides. Instead of offering the handkerchief to Lavi, he dabbed gently at her eyes and spoke in low soothing tones. "How am I supposed to leave my little fox when you're so upset? Who did this to you?"
"No one." Lavi insisted, voice quivering. "I just don't feel well. That's all."
"Hmm." Sheril hummed. He sat down on the edge of the desk and beckoned for Lavi to come closer. Lavi stepped into the circle of his arms and hated herself for letting this man of all people comfort her.
"I know you went into the village last night. Sh, it's alright I don't mind. I'm glad you have a friend, I would be sad if you didn't. You've been such a good girl, you deserve it." He whispered into her hair as he rubbed her back in soothing circles. "Is this because of Tyki? Did you see him, truly see him?"
Lavi did not say a word. She wanted to hurt Sheril for trying to bring insult to Tyki's name, flirtatious, maybe but he was not immoral. But at the same time she wanted to curse Tyki for causing her the wrenching pain inside her chest she could not shake. Lavi was not jealous of the barmaid or any of the other Tyki may or may not have been with in the village. Even harder to put into words was the sickening rejection she felt, the result of having lost to herself. Instead Lavi pressed her face harder into Sheril's shoulder squeezing out the silent tears that refused to dam.
"I did tell you not to have any expectations of him. My brother is no different from me, from what we're doing right now. It's not your fault for being swept away." Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. "If I could I'd take you with me on my trip. Would you have liked that?" No! Lavi nodded into his shoulder. "Maybe next time hmm?"
Lavi pushed herself up and let Sheril wipe her face with the dark red cloth, and then took the cloth from his hand and pressed it to the damp patch on Sheril's shirt. Lavi did her best to avoid his eyes. "I've ruined your shirt." She said monotonously.
"Not to worry." Sheril took her hand and brought it to his lips. He stood up abruptly and spun Lavi around so now he stood behind her, an arm draped around her waist. The papers on his desk turned out to be a large rolled out scroll displaying a map of the world. The borders decorated ornately with flowing art and calligraphy. Lavi pored over the map, the detail and colours were splendid.
"This is where we are." Sheril pointed to the small islands of Britain. His finger trailed southwards, coming to a stop on the continental mass. "And here is where I'll be going; France, the home of all that is decadent and beautiful."
"Why?" Although she already knew the answer, Lavi played the game he set for her.
"We will be having visitors soon. Some very important visitors and it would only be polite to greet them personally and escort them for the final leg of the journey." He bent down to kiss the back of her neck, never once loosening his hold on her. "Leaving the Manor is an occasion that calls for a party so the ball next Saturday shall happen this Saturday instead and It will be a farewell party as I leave promptly Sunday morning."
Lavi masked her elation, "How long will you be away?"
"One month, if there are no difficulties. If there are, than it could be longer." Sheril tipped Lavi's chin upwards. "I can trust you to be good while I'm gone?"
"My grandfather will continue to receive treatment?" Sheril nodded eyes glittering darkly. "Then of course."
"Good, because I have high hopes for you Lavi. When I return I will need you to –"
Lavi never heard what Sheril would need from, for at that moment the door opened, the two turned around to see the source of the interruption and much to both Lavi's and Sheril's annoyance, in walked Tyki. Lavi regarded him haughtily, Tyki had managed to clean up and from the look of him one would not have dared to guess the state of the lord the night before. Sheril sighed heavily, sat down on the table and wrapped Lavi inside his arms, pulling her onto his lap.
Lavi had schooled her reactions enough to not fight the man. Maliciously, Lavi took pleasure in the way Tyki stood up even straighter at the sight.
"Brother I need to talk to you." Lavi caught the flick of his eyes in her direction. "Alone."
"You can speak openly in front of Lovely." Sheril rested his head against Lavi's shoulder.
Tyki did not say anything but stared pointedly at Lavi.
"I should be on my way anyway." She stood up fully, gently untangling herself from Sheril. Even sitting down the man was tall enough that she did not have to stoop too low to press a light kiss to his temple. "I'll see you later, Lord Kamelot."
Lavi watched her feet as she walked, hoping she could make it to the door without having to look at Tyki. Her heart was pounding in her chest under the weight of his watchful eyes. At the last minute she betrayed herself by looking up at him.
Her heart wrenched painfully, Tyki looked worried. Worried about her.
"Have you been crying?" Tyki stepped in front of her and whispered lowly. "You weren't right this morning either. Did I, did I do something to upset you last night?"
Sheril cleared his throat loudly behind them. Tyki ignored him, scanning Lavi's face while she tried her best to give him her usual, one-eyed stare.
"I believe you came to talk to Lord Kamelot." She said mechanically.
"Lovely, I'll make it up to you. Tomorrow?"
"I don't think that would be appropriate." She said in a stilted tone and cocking her head ever so slightly at Sheril.
"Oh I don't see why not." Sheril was clearly amused at the ignorance of his brother and the eggshells Lavi tried so desperately to walk across. "She's all yours tomorrow Tyki."
"Good, I'll send a message later."
Lavi tried to protest but was dismissed with a wave of Sheril's hand. The door shut quietly behind her.
The day was crisp, fresh and erring slightly on the winter end of the thermometer, the only wind was a low breeze that did nothing more than stir the leaves in the trees and encourage a few to dive from their branches down to join their brethren on the ground. All in all it was a good day for riding, Tyki concluded. His only worry left was if Lovely would join him, or snub as he feared she might.
He couldn't even remember what he had done to upset her so badly. Lovely refused to speak to him properly after leaving him in her room in the morning. She would not meet him on the Roof Garden, nor had she replied to any of his messages.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Tyki began to worry Lovely might not turn up.
"The horses are ready." Allen came to stand beside Tyki at the door. "She still not here?"
Tyki shook his head. "No Lavi today?"
"Day off." Allen leaned against the door post. "Have you said sorry?"
Tyki sighed exasperated. "I have! So many times I don't even know what I'm apologising for. How do you say sorry for something you don't remember doing?"
"There's your problem isn't it. Don't go drinking so badly you end up in a lady's chamber with no record of how or even of what you did while you there." The boy shrugged as if it was obvious. "Have you said sorry to her? No point sending bits of paper that anyone could have written. Actually say it."
"I will. If Lovely doesn't come out here, then too hell with Sheril I'll march right up to her door –"
"And then what? Break it down?" Lovely strode up the path to the stables. The silver buttons of her black riding jacket glinted in the sun. Cream trousers and knee high lace up boots peeked out from the slits of her dark riding skirt. Her hair was plaited into a neat rope and tossed over her shoulder and for once her full fringe was swept aside in a silver clip displaying two brilliant jade orbs.
"You came?" Tyki was flushed with relief that he could leave the stables with his dignity intact.
"Oh did I keep you waiting?" Lovely regarded him disdainfully. "And you won't be needing this." Lavi pulled the cigarette from his mouth and threw it on the ground, stamping out the embers quickly under her heels.
"Yes ma'am. Hey wait – that's my horse." Too late Lovely had already trotted Joyd the midnight stallion out of the stables.
"Cottonsocks is all yours." Allen did not even bother to hide his mirth as he led the grey mare to Tyki, who promptly mounted and hurried to catch the red head who had stolen his horse.
Hope you liked!