AN: Thank you all for your patience! Hopefully, I can get back to regular uploads from here on out. Hope you enjoy reading~

Chapter 14:

Flavio grew worried as Fafnir continued to frown. He had not seen him speaking with Mandelson, had he? The conversation in itself was not exactly a welcomed one, and the man left Flavio feeling conflicted, uncomfortable, and confused. That was sure to raise Fafnir's protective heckles further.

As much as Flavio found Fafnir's protective instinct endearing, he did not need him prowling about with a critical glare. The guy needed to relax once in a while, too!

Frustrated and annoyed, Fafnir tugged at his tie. "When can I get out of this straight jacket?"

Mentally sighing with relief, Flavio immediately fidgeted with Fafnir's tie, empathetically loosening it for him so he would not feel as though he was being choked. He did wonder where the others were, though. Perhaps at the entrees table, as they had planned. Where Fafnir slipped away when they were distracted to go in search of him.

"It's just for tonight," Flavio reassured. "Just grit your teeth and bare it for a few more hours."

Fafnir suddenly snared Flavio by his wrist. "I know a way to make the hours go quicker."

"What do-?"

Before Flavio could finish his question, Fafnir just smiled mischievously at him and with his hand still grasping his, suddenly pulled him in a seemingly random direction. Only, it was not random. He led him down a flight of marble steps and out into the beautiful and well-manicured gardens. Very few quests mingled out in the cool night air, but Fafnir continued to guide him along, through the dark shadows of the gardens.

It almost felt as if they were sneaking out somewhere they should not be. Hiding from someone.

It was…kinda exciting, he had to admit.

"Where are we going?" Flavio asked, allowing Fafnir to tug him along.

"There's going to be fireworks tonight to celebrate," Fafnir replied, pausing momentarily in his steps to inspect their new surroundings. "Soon, actually."

Did Fafnir bring him all the way outside so that they could watch the fireworks together…alone?

They were far away from the party to be free from prying eyes, but still close enough to hear the music from the royal band being played inside.

A song, one meant to draw those onto the dance floor, soon resonated, reaching both of their ears. A part of Flavio felt relieved that Fafnir was not inside with the other guests, as he would no doubt be pressured into dancing with Princess Arianna.

The music, though, was…catchy.

Flavio felt a laugh pass his lips, true amusement and real contentment swelling inside of him as Fafnir pulled him into his arms. With one of Fafnir's arms around his waist and the other grasping his hand, Flavio rested his free hand on Fafnir's shoulder, and the two of them stumbled stupidly through a few dances.

"It's lucky we're not dancing in front of others."

"Are you saying I'm bad at it?"

"No no, not at all. Just don't step on my feet."

"I should after that remark."

Flavio laughed again as Fafnir led him through a turn and he felt himself relaxing further. "In all honesty, I'm glad this Week of Celebrations is over. I can finally breath again."

Fafnir swept him back into his arms. "Having trouble?"

"No, nothing like what you're probably thinking," Flavio quickly reassured, knowing that Fafnir's protective tendencies were brewing just below the surface. "Just extremely busy. I don't mind working the front of bar, but it's hard doing it all by myself."

Tightening his arm around Flavio's waist, Fafnir pulled him closer and uttered a small sigh. It was clear he wanted to complain about the last week. About him overworking himself. Possibly about the stupidity of how he was forced into a matchmaking scheme under the guise of doing errands.

But he held his tongue.

"Hopefully all your hard work will be worth something," he said instead. "And we're not working through Christmas. In fact, I'll make sure we're not. You, especially."

Flavio rolled his eyes fondly and draped his arm lazily over Fafnir's shoulders, their waltz transitioning to a slow, comforting dance. "This will be our first real Christmas. I'm looking forward to it."

"Hm," Fafnir murmured a sound of agreement, gently cradling Flavio's hand against his chest.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the music of the party lulling them into a slow, intimate dance. Swaying back and forth to their own rhythm, unaware to the cold night air around them.

The sound of a high-pitched whistle followed by an explosion of bright light pulled them both from their reverie. They paused in their movements and turned to gaze upwards as more fireworks decorated the night sky in an array of beautiful colours.

With more fireworks shooting across the sky, Fafnir led Flavio over to a stone garden bench. They sat down and Fafnir slipped his arm around Flavio's shoulder and he immediately leaned against him in return, resting his head on his shoulder. They turned their gazes skyward once more, watching the dazzling display in silence.

Flavio felt safe and comfortable.

He also felt as though someone was watching him. The prickly feeling on the back of his neck was undeniable.

He should ignore the feeling. He was within the grounds of the Grand Duchy, during a social event: the security should be intense, so it was unlikely to be anything insidious, right? But explorer instincts could not be switched off at will, so Flavio found himself lifting his head from Fafnir's shoulder and looking behind him before he had the chance to reconsider.

There was, however, nothing there.

Nothing he could see.

"Something wrong?" Fafnir asked as he began to pull away, a slight frown on his lips.

"No, no," Flavio immediately replied as he pressed himself against Fafnir's side, preventing him from moving. "It's nothing. Just another party goer roaming about, probably with the same idea as us."

That reassured Fafnir, allowing him to relax back onto the bench and for him to curl his arm around Flavio's back once more. Flavio snuggled against him, seeking both his warmth and presence, and rested his head on his shoulder once more.

He knew that the night, the moment could not last forever. They had to return to the others and the party inside soon. Back to reality. But, for the time being, Flavio was just going to focus on the present.

… … … … …

The carriage ride back to the inn was done in silence, everyone tired from the evening activities.

The dinner party had not been as bad as Flavio had anticipated. It did help that he and Fafnir spent the vast majority of it hidden out in the gardens, away from prying eyes and from the tedious and empty small talk that was sure to be thrust upon them.

Though the night air had been bitingly cold, it had not bothered Flavio. No where near as much as it usually would. How could it? He was with Fafnir. In his arms as they acted like the stupid young men they were, dancing to a waltz neither of them knew. To when Fafnir's arm rested around his shoulders as they watched the magnificent fireworks display, sat together on a stone bench in a secluded corner of the well-manicured gardens.

They both knew that they could not stay all night out there. They had to show their faces around the party. Shake some hands, smile falsely, kiss some butts if they had to.

When they had joined up with the others, they were immediately bombarded with questions of where they were and what they were doing. Of course, they both used the excuse that they gotten lost in the throngs of other party goers, but Flavio was almost a hundred percent certain if they were not believed.

The night moved tediously after that. But Flavio found himself constantly sharing looks with Fafnir. A gaze that promised another rendezvous in the garden if he started losing his patience once more. And the only person he wanted to join him was Flavio himself.

That eased Flavio's anxieties, allowing him to relax. He actually enjoyed the night after that.

He was still eager to get back to the inn and call it a night.

The carriage soon pulled up to the entrance of the inn and the five of the wearily clambered their way out into the cold night air. It was impossibly still that night, a few hours after midnight, with only the lanterns burning brightly outside of the main doors of the inn illuminating their surroundings.

As they stepped into the foyer, they found it unexpectedly bustling with a few explorers and a couple of guards, whom of which were all speaking with Hana.

"Oh, I am so glad you dearies are back!"

Flavio knew that Hana would still be awake, either personally waiting up for them or fussing over other guests and explorers. But he did not expect the dedicated matron and inn-keeper to be so frantic and near breathless!

"Quickly, you need to get changed out of those clothes and get to your restaurant!" Hana began to fuss, all but shooing them up the stairs. "Hurry!"

"What's wrong?" Fafnir immediately asked, his body tensing for possible danger.

"Your restaurant is on fire!"

Flavio's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and he immediately shot a glance over to Fafnir, who in turn looked over at him, his eyes wide. They stood still in shock for a moment before they reacted, scrambling upstairs to get changed out of this formal wear into something else. Something far more useful when one needed to race through the streets to reach their burning restaurant!

Flavio fumbled with his keys before he burst into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. He quickly tore off his formal wear, throwing the clothing haphazardly onto the bed, and quickly changed into his explorer gear, the first thing he thought of.

Throwing on a winter coat, Flavio dashed out into the hallway. Just as the rest of his companions tumbled out of their own rooms. Few words were exchanged as they raced out of the inn and out into the icy streets. The path to the restaurant was one they had taken many times before. But never so early in the room, and never at such a hectic pace.

There were few people out on the streets. Late night revellers. But as they approached the business district, the crowds grew in density. And a strange noise accompanied them. As did an orange glow in the distance.

Drawing closer, Flavio hoped that there was some strange, terrifying misunderstanding. That some other building had caught one fire. A building that was empty, unused. There were a few, after all. Anything but their restaurant.

All hope was dashed when they rounded a corner and stood at a crossroads. Their restaurant, the one that sat on a corner. A prime spot. A place envied by others. Was on fire.

Aglow with bright orange flames. The crackling and snapping of the fire burning through the wood and furniture inside was deafening. The fire was raging, the rolling flames reaching out through the broken, blackened and chard windows, licking along the rooftop. Thick, menacing black smoke arose like intense thunderclouds, disappearing into the dark night sky.

It was well and truly on fire. There was little to nothing they could do. Nothing other than leave it to the guards and the volunteer alchemists using their ice skills to damper the flames.

The feeling of helplessness was…painful.

"Regina…?" Arianna whispered, breathless. Her eyes widened as she frantically looked around. "Wh-where is she? Where is Dame Regina?!"

Flavio and the others immediately tore their gazes from the roaring flames and toward the scattered crowd. Where was Regina? She could not still be inside!

"There she is!"

Arianna darted forward, where the firefighting cart stood. And there, sat on a nearby bench with a blanket around her shoulders and a man with brown hair and wearing a very telling white coat, stood by her side.

"Oh, Regina, I'm so glad you're all right." Arianna hastily perched on the edge of the bench next to her and threw her arms around Regina's neck and shoulders. An embrace that was meant to comfort Regina while reassuring herself.

Flavio turned to the man he assumed was a medic or doctor. "How is she?"

The man pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses. "Smoke inhalation and mild burns to her hands and arms, unfortunately. We'll need to take her to the hospital for overnight observation to prevent the possibility of shock."

Flavio could not help but wince. Yet, from the man's straightforwardness, he felt confident that Regina would be in safe hands while in the hospital.

"It started in the dining area," Regina suddenly stated firmly, insistent. Almost desperately so. "It didn't start in the kitchen. I didn't start it. It started in the dining area. I tried to fight it, but it just spread too quickly."

That was how she got burns to her hands and arms.

"Flavio!"

The familiar voice prompted Flavio turn around, just in time to watch as a certain redheaded protector push his way through the gaping crowd. "Hrothgar, over here!"

Hrothgar rushed over to him and Flavio reached out to him, allowing him to grabbed onto his arms, worry and concern evident in his expression. "Is everyone all right?"

"We're fine," Flavio immediately replied. "We weren't here at the time."

Hrothgar uttered an audible sigh and the tension in his shoulders dissipated. He kept a hold of Flavio's arms and turned his gaze toward the restaurant, taking in the frightening sight of it violently ablaze.

"What happened?" he asked as he turned his attention back to him.

But Flavio shook his head. "We don't know anything yet. Only that it started in the dining area."

He could not help but wonder how a fire could have spread so quickly. Was there no one else in the dining area at the time? Had Regina closed for the night? How did the fire start exactly?

It…could not have been started by someone, could it?

"The guards and the Grand Duchy will, no doubt, conduct an investigation into this fire," Hrothgar stated confidently. "Something like this doesn't happen often, and due to certain connections, I'm sure they'll want to get to the bottom of it quickly."

Yeah. Flavio could only hope it truly was just an accident. Though, from the way some people were willing to gossip in front of a blazing fire, that explanation was likely to only fuel more conspiracy theories.

They just did not understand.

A hand being placed on his shoulder prompted Flavio to look over his shoulder, to where Fafnir stood.

"They're taking Regina to the hospital," he began to explain. "She insists that we return to the inn and get some sleep."

Though exhausted and drained, Flavio believed sleep was not going to come easy.

"I'll stay here and see if I can gleam anymore information from the guards," Hrothgar offered.

Flavio gave him a small smile. "We appreciate it."

There truly was nothing more they could do. They had no firefighting experience. Nothing they could offer. No experience, inside or outside the labyrinths could aid the firefighters in their duties. They would only get in the way.

So, with their hearts heavy, they returned to the inn in silence.

As he stepped back into his room at the inn, Flavio ran a hand through his hair, tugging the strands from his hair tie roughly. What. A. Day. First, some weirdo was caught peering in at him through the window in the tearoom. Then he had an encounter with Mandelson at the birthday celebration. And now the restaurant burning down!

His only bright spot was being able to spend some alone time with Fafnir. That was his one and only time he actually enjoyed himself.

They say that life had its ups and downs, but they never said it happened in such quick succession!

With a sigh, Flavio shrugged off his coat. Only to pause when his gaze fell on something small and white lying on the floor.

A white envelope. It sat in the middle of the floor. Was it there before? It might have been as he had been in such a frantic rush to get in and out. But…did he lock the door when he barged out? He could not remember.

A chill raced down his spine as he froze, his eyes darting around the room in a desperate attempt to pinpoint anything out of place. His formal wear laid sprawled out across his bed. His desk was in his usual organised chaos. The door to his private bathroom was slightly ajar. The window was closed and the curtains drawn.

But…how did the envelope reach the centre of his room?

With his heart thundering in his chest, Flavio slowly, cautiously approached the door to his bathroom. He did not, for the life of him, remember if he left it ajar or not. Maybe he did? No, he usually left it closed. But that was before bed. He might have ducked in there before leaving for the party.

Steeling himself, Flavio raised his hand and brushed his fingertips against the door handle, swallowing thickly when his mind registered that it was cold to the touch. He pressed forward, wrapping his hand around it and counted to three in his head.

1…2…3!

He threw open the door.

And inside…

Nothing. The room was empty. The shower curtain was drawn back, as he had left it, revealing an empty bathtub. No one was hiding there. And no one was hiding behind the door.

There was no one there.

Flavio breathed an audible sigh of relief and leaned heavily against the door. He did not need that scare. Definitely something he could have done without. He closed the door of the bathroom behind him, making the mental note of doing so to ensure that he would not go through such an unnecessary scare again.

He still instinctively shot a glance over at his bed, but he knew that the gap between the bedframe and the floor was far too narrow. No one, unless they were six-inches thick, could get under there to hide.

All that was left to deal with was that envelope.

He first ensured the door to his room was locked before he crouched down and picked up the seemingly innoxious letter. There was nothing written on the front or the back. But it was not a letter meant to be mailed, as there had been no attempt to seal the letter.

Yet, inside was not a letter. It was a folded piece of cardboard. Like those he had received with the flowers.

"I did it for you. Now the restaurant can't hurt you anymore."

Flavio dropped the card as though it had physically hurt him and backed up until he collided with the door that led out into the hallway. He slid down it and sat haphazardly on the floor. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared unblinkingly into the space before him, not looking at anything in particular.

He could barely breath.

The restaurant was purposely targeted. Purposely burnt down. Someone had actually gone to the extreme length to target it. Uncaring of who was inside.

And it was his fault. The burning down of the restaurant was because of him. He was the reason it was targeted by an arsonist.

No…

He…could never, ever tell anyone about his situation. He couldn't. They would blame him, too. Wouldn't they?

N-no, what was he thinking? If he told them everything, they would not blame him, would they? They would understand that he would never, ever wish for such a thing. He could never!

But why would they do such a thing? Why?

Had Flavio done something? He must have done something. Did he somehow give the indication that he was…interested? Allowed an opening for a courtship? H-he could not have. He would not have.

Flavio clutched his head as he tried to think. But he couldn't. He had only ever been cordial with others. Friendly. Pleasant. And others were the same with him. Never had anyone ever showed…interest in him. Not that he had noticed.

No, it was so stupid! Never had he encountered anyone who gave him the indication that they would burn down a building for him. How could he have possibly known someone would do that? He most certainly never even joked about something like that, even in the midst of his exhaustion!

What…should he do?

He…had to tell Fafnir. It was too much. He could not keep it a secret. If his stalker was willing to set a building on fire, what else were they willing to do? Who were they willing to hurt?

But…not at the moment. It was too late at night. Too early in the morning, rather. He would tell him at some point. After he…collected himself.

He would…sleep on it.

Rather, stare up at the ceiling and replay the events in his head over and over again until he either passed out or it was time for breakfast.

Whatever came first.