you could have my heart (and i would break it for you)

-or-

be gay do crime

By: Aviantei

[Shibuya Operation – Story Storm]

The Disappearance of Lord Cecil Carfax, Act Four:

"when our heartbeats collide (i won't mind)"

November, 1875

Jameson yawned for the third time in the past half hour of brunch.

"You know," Evangeline said with a gentle yet teasing smile, "if you'd wanted to sleep in longer, I wouldn't have minded. You did have quite the long night last night, after all."

Jameson hadn't wanted to sleep in. Jameson had wanted to keep William all to himself, the two of them alternating between lounging in bed and indulging in each other the whole day long, but that hadn't been possible, not with William being expected to be in the lecture hall. With that in mind, it was a wonder that William had gone along with Jameson as long as he had, but sharing a bed with him had made Jameson realise that William always seemed to be operating on low amounts of sleep, save for whenever his narcoleptic naps claimed him for slumber. He'd left in the morning with a few gentle kisses and reassurances that he'd be fine, but all that had done was make Jameson want to drag him back into bed more.

In the end, their obligations to the outside world had won over, leaving William to go to work and Jameson to decide there was no point in wallowing in the blankets, reliving the memories of the night before. And yet, here Evangeline was, reminding him with a smile on her face.

Well, it's not as if we weren't quite loud last night. The thought of holding back hadn't even come close to crossing Jameson's mind. And on top of that, William wasn't as careful as usual, either. You had to look to see it, but the slightest bit of one of the marks on Jameson's neck was creeping over his collar—and Evangeline had already shown her observational sharpness, so he had no doubt she'd seen it.

"I'll have time to rest in bed later," Jameson said, though Evangeline's amused look meant she was thinking of rest as a euphemism for other things. "We have far more important things to take care of today. After all, we haven't completed your request in full just yet."

It was true that any and all crimes that Evangeline had called upon them to do were over, but Jameson wouldn't be satisfied with doing what he considered to be the bare minimum. Evangeline's eyes lit up, her previous teasing being forgotten in an instant. "You've been mentioning this mysterious new home for me for weeks now. Is today the day I get to see it?"

"That's right." Not wanting to make any clear connections between Evangeline and her home before her "abduction," they'd avoided taking her there, but that was no longer a concern. "I do hope you like it, though. I'd feel rather bad if we went this far and just put you into someplace that you don't enjoy."

Evangeline shook her head. "Please don't worry about a thing like that. All I care about is having a place that isn't with them. Anything else I can put up with. Though I do have one question I feel I must ask." Taking a drink of his tea, Jameson waved for her to go ahead. "…There is a garden there, yes?"

Jameson smiled. "You'll just have to go there and find out, now won't you, my dear friend?"

Of course there was a garden. It would have been unthinkable for there to not be. While searching for a property to purchase for Evangeline, that had been his utmost priority, and it helped that such a criteria limited the options well. From there, it had been a matter of ensuring the size of the place wasn't too much for her to live on her own (with the help of some assistance should she so wish), and then also picking a location that wasn't all that close to the Carfax townhouse. The last consideration had been whether they could purchase it in time, and that had made them settle upon a two story-building that was more tall than it was wide that opened up to a backyard that had some traces of flower beds leftover.

And it was there that Evangeline headed first, not even bothering to stop to admire the foyer or check the bedrooms or any other amenities whatsoever. No, she strode through the hall, as if drawn to the back door without even being told the way to go, and whenever she walked past that threshold she stopped there, taking it all in. Jameson caught up to her side just as she was taking a deep breath, her eyes shimmering with unspilt tears.

"It's perfect," she whispered, which meant that the matter was settled.

It was afterwards that Evangeline consented to being shown around the rest of the home. The upstairs contained a bedroom, a guest room, the washroom, and one other room that they'd left empty for Evangeline to decide what she wished to do with it. Downstairs was a small kitchen, a somewhat less small dining room, and a drawing room that the previous owner had installed some bookshelves in and they'd chosen to keep for convenience's sake. There was also a small basement, though its main purpose was storing perishable foods—not that that had stopped Albert from installing and filling a wine rack anyways.

The day before, Fred and Louis had also gone through the trouble of stocking up the kitchen with about a week's worth of food, so Jameson was able to take to cooking an early dinner for them both. Evangeline didn't just want to stay by the sidelines, so Jameson gave her instructions for simple prep-work she could handle—though his estimate of time went a bit over as Jameson hadn't been able to resist making a small cake for the two of them to enjoy in celebration. As such, by the time they'd settled down at the table, they were both famished, but that just made the food taste all the better as a result.

"I'm not so sure I'm cut out for cooking," Evangeline said. She'd managed to nick herself with the knife once, though the wound wasn't too serious. "You make it look so easy, Jameson…"

"That's just because I've practiced a lot." And because Louis was uncompromising about the quality of what he allowed on their table. Jameson had needed to learn quick, but, then again, he did also have an affinity for picking things up when trying them out hands-on. "I'm sure if you wanted to get better, you could. But you're also welcome to hire a cook. There's no need for you to be as secretive as we are."

"I suppose you're right. It does make sense why you wouldn't want too many other people inside your home now." Without the context of their crime consultancy, not having any hired help at their manor must've seemed rather eccentric. Evangeline swirled her white wine in her glass, looking more like she wanted something to do with her hands than trying to enjoy the aroma. "Still, I do need to thank you all. You've all done so much for me, and you even gave some of your fortune to me. It's far more than I could've imagined for myself."

Jameson shook his head. "Please don't worry about it. I'm not going to be able to use all that money in my life anyways." Even outfitting Evangeline with a new home, a wardrobe, and giving her enough to live at least the next five years on outright wasn't enough to make a dent. "Even if you wanted to have nothing to do with me anymore, the money would be yours." After all, Jameson was one of the last traceable connections between Evangeline's previous life and his new one. Leaving him behind altogether would be a smart move. "I can think of no better use of it."

While Jameson had meant the words to be reassuring, Evangeline was frowning at him. "Please don't say such a thing," she said, and Jameson paused mid moving his bite of broccoli to his mouth. "You're my most precious friend, Jameson. I have no intention of going anywhere, and that counts double for while you're providing so much for me."

"Are you certain?"

"Of course I'm certain!" Oh, Jameson didn't think he'd ever experienced Evangeline getting upset with him. "Getting to know you gave me the courage to ask for what I wanted. It never even crossed my mind to cut you out of my life. For God's sake!" Jameson was left to blink again; before him, she'd without a doubt never used the Lord's name like that. "In fact, I've been trying to figure out the best course of action. I don't mind that you're helping me, but I do want to pay you back."

"You don't need to worry about—"

"Did you believe Lord Albert whenever he told you that?" Point taken; if Jameson couldn't stand sitting around and doing nothing, he very well couldn't demand the same of Evangeline. "I would like to assist you with whatever you need. I just don't know if I'm well suited for the other type of work you do. I mean—I understand your intentions, and I support them. But to take a life on my own…" That seemed to be a line she didn't wish to cross, which Jameson could understand, even if it wasn't how he felt. For the sake of justice, of saving someone, he'd dirty his hands whatever way he could. "Still, I'd like to do something. Besides, even I like doing things beside tending to a garden all day. So if there's anything I can do, Jameson, please, let me do it."

The request was made with the same level of sincerity as when she'd asked for help with running away, which meant that there wasn't any possible way for Jameson to say no. It also reminded him of a few fleeting thoughts he'd had before—the limitations he had on helping people as an individual. If Evangeline was to live off his support, asking her to also contribute wouldn't be solving anything, but if they were to work together…

"I've been thinking," Jameson said as he sat his fork down, "that there's more I'd like to do to help people. What William wants is going to create a much larger change—which of course I agree with and am willing to help with." The world that James Moriarty was striving for was one well worth bloodying his hands for, over and over again. "But that dream is going to take time to fulfil. So, in the meantime, I want to help as many other people as I can.

"I have plenty of money," he continued, "and I don't mind passing it on to those who need it. In fact, using it for my own self gain is something I have a hard time with." Not so long as that wealth was associated with Stratford, a man who lived in so much excess at the expense of others. "On my own, I'm limited in what I can do, with the people I can see that need help. So even if one day we will topple this class system to the ground, until then I want to help those in need. And I think…if I were to establish an organisation with that purpose, I'd be able to do so much more."

The thought had been wallowing in his mind. For the time being, he needed his wealth and status to be in an advantageous position to help with the much larger Moriarty Plan. As such, he couldn't just give it all away and wash his hands of it. But if he could take advantage of that status in other ways, he could expand his reach, helping many more people than he could on his own. It wouldn't be enough to change the world, but it would be much better than doing nothing.

"You're thinking of forming a charity, then?" Evangeline asked, and Jameson nodded. It wasn't a concrete plan by any means—he hadn't the slightest idea of where one might start such a process—but it was something he'd been thinking about over and over again. Evangeline smiled. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"I…" To hear someone back the idea pushed Jameson to consider it further. "I cannot commit to such an idea just yet. There's still…something very important I must do." Beauclerk was still out there, alive, and Jameson didn't think he could ever rest until the Duke was taken care of, once and for all. "But once that's done, if you are willing, I would very much like to ask for your help in making it happen, Evangeline."

Together, they could make a great deal of good in the world without having to drag her into the darkness.

"Yes! Whatever you need, Jameson, I'll be glad to help!" And, still beaming, she raised her wine glass in a toast. "Now let's finish our dinner so we can enjoy some of that wonderful cake you made for us."

Jameson chuckled, mirroring her movements. "Now I can drink to that."

Despite his faint hopes of their long night of lovemaking, William did not come home to find Jameson ready and waiting for him. It was to be expected, as he'd taken Miss Evangeline to her new home, and William was all but certain that Jameson was fussing over his friend all the way. His staying over the night wouldn't be all that surprising, and so William didn't bother to wait up, instead crawling into a bed that was starting to feel the slightest bit too big for just one person.

He did get enough rest to arise the following morning, though, and that would have to be enough. There were still the lingering traces of Jameson's sweet sugar and lotus scent in the sheets, though it couldn't hope to compare to the real thing. Regardless, William pulled himself out of bed and got ready for the day, the lingering fragments of a dream he couldn't remember but knew had involved Jameson in some way flittering through his mind. Jameson would return home soon enough, he was sure, and all he could do in the meantime was tend to his work as best he could.

Classes that day, he was thankful for, did not pass by slow, though they weren't all that fast, either. It was a respectable pace to enjoy the day at, though William didn't bother to linger after his last lecture. He'd already fulfilled his time in his office throughout the lunch period, and he didn't see himself concentrating much upon his research otherwise. No, it would do him good to go home, enjoy some afternoon tea with Louis, and let his mind focus upon other matters now that Evangeline was somewhere safe and sound.

Summoning a carriage, William headed straight home without any detours or lingering. It wasn't about until two-thirds of the way there that he realised the reason for his relative haste: if he were home already, he'd be more than aware whenever Jameson returned as well, and that was enough to give him pause.

I know he is open to my advances, but that doesn't mean I should take advantage of it. Even if it has been some time for the both of us. Ever since Waterford's death, William had been doing his best to ensure that Jameson always felt wanted, and not just in more explicit forms of desire. Besides, it's not just as if that's all I want from him. I'd just be happy to spend an evening in the parlour together in silence, or perhaps even practicing piano again. Yes, he reasoned, it would be just as well to ask Jameson for that upon seeing him, and they could sort out the rest of their desires as needed. They did share a bed, after all; it wasn't as if it took much effort to indulge whenever both parties were willing, as had been the purpose in cohabitating in the first place.

Arriving home after a long day was always a pleasant experience, and William set about putting aside his cane before hanging up his overcoat and hat. He was considering going to the kitchen to prepare himself some tea, until he recognised that Jameson's belongings were also at the entrance, and that made him change course altogether.

To William's credit, he did not run, though he did note that his pace was a mite bit quicker than usual as he ascended the stairs and headed to their chambers. Jameson might be anywhere in the manor, but it was well worth checking their shared spaces first. Besides, it would be good to check-in and ensure that everything had gone well with Evangeline, that she was settled and that they could consider the entirety of their mission complete.

Except, whenever he opened the door to his sitting room, there was a soft sound coming from further back. It must've been Jameson, and, as he hadn't been home in the morning, it wasn't as if he'd spent the whole day in bed. Concerned that Jameson might be feeling ill, William dropped his remaining belongings upon the sofa without much fanfare before heading back to the bedroom.

Then, a soft moan, and there was no way that William could mistake what that meant.

Such sounds had become a familiar song to him, one that he enjoyed experimenting with the melody to hear new compositions of Jameson's pleasure. With the door to the bedroom already open a crack, it was a simple matter to finish pushing it inwards without making a sound, William's curiosity getting the better of him. Jameson's desire must have been enough for him not to need or wish for much teasing, as he'd taken no more than his suit jacket off to shed heat and his slacks and undershorts were still hooked around one of his ankles. The result was that his freckle-dusted legs were on full display, spread enough for those fingers of his to have unrestrained access to his vulva as he toyed across both it and his clitoris. On occasion, he would push his fingers (three of them) inside himself to give a few imitation thrusts, but he couldn't resist attempting to chase himself into orgasm, and the pleasure of it all had kept his eyes shut.

The sight and sound of the situation would have had an impact each on their own, but the combination of them—that was enough to drive anyone to lust, should their preferences align. And when it came to Jameson? William's preferences were so tuned in upon him that there was no way to resist whatsoever.

But the question was what to do next? William did not consider himself a voyeur, but he also didn't wish to disturb Jameson's concentration. He did, however, want to indulge in continuing to be the audience, desiring to have Jameson see himself to a complete release, so he didn't mind taking care of his own needs. The fact did still remain, though, that William was home much earlier than anticipated, so he also didn't wish to startle Jameson with his presence—

"Oh, William," came Jameson's soft voice, a quick look confirming he hadn't opened his eyes, and was instead caught up in whatever fantasy that had driven him to self-indulgence in the first place. "William, darling—"

"Yes, my dear?"

Jameson's breath caught, his eyes flying open. As it became all the more obvious that there was no doubt William himself was in the doorway, Jameson's already flushed cheeks grew to an even deeper red—but his hand didn't stop moving, William at the perfect angle to watch those familiar insides clench upon themselves. "Y-you're—" Jameson swallowed, unable to keep the moan from his next words. "You're home early."

"So I am. Were you not expecting me?" William kept his pace slow as he walked closer to the bed, making a show of roving his eyes over Jameson's body and the delightful display he'd come across. Jameson shook his head. "Am I interrupting? Would you like me to step away?"

"I-it's alright. You can st-stay." Permission granted, William took a seat upon the foot of the bed, not yet making contact but close enough that he could reach Jameson in a matter of seconds should the fancy strike him. Now that he had William as an audience, Jameson had picked up the pace of his ministrations, not to a rapid clip, but no doubt adding to the friction and intensity of his pleasure. "How was your day?"

"It was pleasant, but nowhere near as wonderful as the surprise I've come across here." Knowing full well how it would make Jameson react, William palmed himself through his trousers, already finding the early stirrings of an erection waiting for him. "It seems you've found yourself in an enjoyable time as well, yes? Is this your first time indulging yourself so while I've been gone?"

"N-no." My, my. The mental image that produced was enough to make William smirk, though none of his imaginings were as compelling as the sight before him. "I-I don't…it's not all the time, but I got to thinking about you, and I couldn't wait, it was too much…"

"And whatever might you have thought about to elicit such a reaction?" Yes, Jameson had already admitted to thinking about William, but that was so broad. It could contain anything, and he craved the specifics, wanted to catalogue every last trace of desire Jameson had for him and use it for their combined pleasure. "I'd love to know, dearest."

A swallow chased down Jameson's throat, but the look on his face indicated the nervousness he was feeling was just adding to the excitement of the taboo he'd been caught in. "Y-you," he said, which was already beyond clear, but it was still satisfying to hear, nonetheless. "Th-the way you look at me, as if I'm something precious. The way you call me your dearest." Jameson took a shuddering breath as he dipped his fingers inside his vulva, making a few short thrusts before returning to his clitoris. "The way y-you fill me up and take me nice and slow until I can't take it anymore and burst."

William groaned at the prospect, finishing undoing his pants with haste. He, too, could imagine the sensations that would bring, and his body responded in kind. As such, William wasted no time in grasping his penis in his hand, giving the base a squeeze, though it was but a hollow substitute for the warmth of Jameson's body. Even so, the mental image complimented the ensuing friction well. "Jameson," William called, enjoying how that brought his partner's attention to him and increased the pace of Jameson's fingers. "Jameson, is that all?"

"I-I mean, that's most of it, but now…" A moan broke apart Jameson's voice, but he made sure to continue looking in William's eyes, no matter how red it made his face burn. "N-now all I can do is think about you touching yourself b-because of me." William released a groan of his own. Perhaps, if he were in a more aware state of mind, William would have pressed the advantage in some way, shape, or form, but the sight and Jameson before him was overwhelming his senses in a way he hadn't had time to prepare for, increasing its effectiveness to an almost unfair level. "W-William," Jameson said, and everything about his voice was almost enough for some early release to start to leak from William's tip. "William, wh-what about you?"

"Hm, whatever am I thinking?" he asked, though he knew the answer. Jameson's eager nod was too cute to pass up, though, and William felt his lips curl into a more pronounced smile. "I'm thinking of several things. I'm imagining what it must've been like for you to feel worked up enough to cave, squirming before you came to bed and slipped your pants out of the way. I'm enjoying every last sound of your voice, whether it's you calling my name or any of your other moans of pleasure." Jameson released another moan, and William gripped himself tighter as he continued to move and speak:

"I'm imagining every time I've been inside you, your body clinging tight to me, as if you wish to squeeze every ounce of satisfaction you can manage from me. I'm imaging your incoming orgasm, knowing that the thought of my touch alone is enough to bring you to release." Jameson's breaths were getting sharper, his fingers speeding up, and William groaned through his next words, "I'm enjoying watching you right now, attempting to burn the sight into my memory so that I can look back upon it as I please."

"A-ah." While William had been nothing but honest in his choice of words, that didn't change their sheer effectiveness, and that was plenty worth noting as an additional way to play to Jameson's need for praise. "W-William," he called, voice trembling in all the best ways; William quickened the pace of his hand as a result. "William, please, I want to see you finish for me."

While the request was not outside Jameson's usual scope of desire, the force of his request was, and all the more so in their positions that were outside the norm. But Jameson's jade eyes—while half lidded due to his own pleasure—were focused upon William in an even more intense state of rapture than usual, ready for the moment whenever William's own desire became too much, the proof of his orgasm spilling out of his body.

"William, please," Jameson called again, louder than before, and there was very little else William could do in that moment than obey.

A few more jerks of his hand combined with well-timed squeezes against his head was enough for William to orgasm, and he didn't bother to restrain his groan in any way, shape, or form. "Jameson, my dearest," he called, just as he knew his partner wanted to hear. All the while, William kept his eyes upon Jameson, blinking but whenever it was necessary. "You're so perfect, laid out for me like that. I never want to look away."

Jameson whined again, his breaths shaking along with his thighs. "D-don't look away," he said, the request pulling an additional, smaller burst of semen from William. "I want you to watch me." Oh, William was watching alright, and he had no doubt he'd be rewatching the scene in his mind's eye for quite some time to come. The way Jameson had spread his folds, putting every last piece of him on display while his other hand danced between his vulva and clitoris was almost mesmerising, and William used that to pull every last bit of his own release from his own body. "Mm, darling, just give me a moment, I promise I'll—"

"Take your time, dear. I'm quite enjoying the show."

"But I want—ah—" His voice broke as his breath caught, and William could see every last moment of Jameson's walls pulsing as he also achieved orgasm, pulling every piece of ecstasy he could from himself. "William, William—I love it—" He went until his hand couldn't keep up anymore, his eyes locked on William still sitting at the foot of the bed. "Please kiss me."

The distance between them vanished as William surged forward, catching Jameson's face with his one clean hand, for whatever that was worth when he'd already gotten his release over the blankets. They drank each other in, Jameson still doing his best to toy with himself, seeking overstimulation, and William helped by grinding their hips together. That was enough for Jameson to release a fresh moan into their kiss, though William didn't push too far nor did Jameson seem as if he wished to continue further just quite yet.

"What a surprise," William murmured whenever they were at last both still. Jameson's expression still lingered in the afterglow of his pleasure, and William himself had that comfortable warmth seeping into his bones. "I never would have imagined you were already home, let alone indulging yourself so." He teased a touch against the outside of Jameson's thigh, savouring the sensation of that skin beneath his fingertips. "Should I keep an eye out whenever I decide to come home from work a bit earlier than usual?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?" William could find no fault in that argument he wished to pursue, so he let it stand. Jameson's smile was precious, after all, and he had no desire to change it. "You don't mind, do you? That I've…done such a thing?"

"And whyever should I mind?"

"Because we agreed to seek each other out whenever we feel desire." That had been the terms of their relationship they'd agreed to all those months ago, yes, and William supposed that pursuing one's own pleasure could be considered going against it. "I just missed you last night, and I tried to contain myself. But by the time I got back home, it was clear I wouldn't be able to concentrate much until I took care of myself, so…"

"So you thought of me—and it wasn't your first time doing so." William would have thought that, considering everything they'd done together, Jameson might not feel flustered over something so simple, but that precious blush slipped under his freckles anyways. William wasn't about to complain; he adored every last moment of Jameson's embarrassment. "Don't worry. I don't mind. In fact, I find it rather compelling an image to think about."

Jameson's expression brightened a bit. "You do?"

"Indeed. While I enjoy pleasuring you myself, the idea that you could desire me enough to not wish to wait…that does have its own charms." Given that Jameson had called William's name before he was even aware the other man was in the room with him was perfect proof that William was the one on Jameson's mind. "Besides, it's not as if I haven't done the same thing while thinking of you before."

"Really?!" Forget the slight brightening of before; Jameson had become near blinding, his eyes almost sparkling. "You've…imagined me before?"

"Of course I have. You're far more compelling than anything else I could come up with. It was the best outlet I could think of at the time to handle myself…" Whenever he didn't wish to pressure Jameson into something he wasn't able to handle, he'd taken upon himself to relieve his desires. "It hasn't been constant, but you are all I can think of to satisfy me, you know."

Jameson's grin was exceptional, and it made every last moment of the confession worth it. "Naughty," Jameson breathed, looking beyond delighted by the prospect.

"Guilty as charged." William pressed a kiss into Jameson's cheek, who saw fit to claim his lips instead. "I don't think I would wish to do so all the time whenever I could enjoy you in full, but I rather enjoyed myself with this bit of deviation from the norm. If you're willing, I'd love to have such an exchange again." Not just touching themselves in each other's presence, but adding the twist of offering the other orders would be a diversion to distract them from hours on end, William was certain.

"Sounds like a plan. Though perhaps next time we can prepare in advance so that we don't leave so much of a mess behind." While it wasn't an excessive amount, the both of them had gotten rather worked up, William's own release already drying on his hand getting into the blankets. Jameson hadn't fared much better, his own slick having left a small pool beneath him. They shared a chuckle, and William sitting up and bringing Jameson with him to observe their clothes, of which his own slacks would need a wipe down. "Help me out, darling?"

"Anytime." Jameson kicked his pants all the way off, offering his undershorts as a temporary towel, and William started by wiping off his hands. "That aside, since you had enough space of mind to indulge yourself, I take it that Miss Evangeline has settled in well?"

Jameson nodded, taking his undershorts to help William wipe off his hands before starting to dab up the semen upon the latter's pantlegs. "Yes. She seemed quite enamoured with the place. When I left her, she was already drawing up plans for her garden. I did remind her to put out a call for hiring a chef. I worry she might get caught up in her work and forget to eat—like someone I know."

The fondness of Jameson's smile drew William to kiss his lips once again before shuffling back to mop up what they could on the blankets. "I wouldn't worry too much. In time, she'll come to her senses. Besides, if you're worried, you can always go check on her any time you like." They'd ensured that was possible, after all; she would be there. Besides, there were far worse fates than throwing yourself into something you cared about so much that the rest of the world melted away. William looked over his trousers once more, but the dampness remained. "On the other hand, I don't think there's any saving these without a thorough wash, my dearest. It looks like changing is in order for me."

"So I'll get the opportunity to see more of your legs? What a shame."

William chuckled once more, pulling himself up to stand. "After what you showed me today, Jameson, returning the favour is the least that I could do. Though once we're done…" Jameson gave him a curious look. "I think I'd like more of your company. Could I trouble you for the opportunity to join me at the piano for a while?"

"With you, darling," Jameson said, "it's never any trouble at all."

Dr Alexis Burnett was a woman who liked to keep busy on the job, then unwind whenever the day was done; the complication was that, due to the nature of her work, one would never know when the day was about to end or sometimes even begin. Her practise is was private, not connected to any particular hospital, and yet she'd collected a decent amount of clients, some of whom would call upon her for emergencies at all hours of the day or night—the Moriartys and their ward came to mind as the most recent examples—but she didn't consider it cause to complain.

She'd known what she was getting into when she'd started studying medicine, and she also considered the interruptions well worth it.

Some interruptions, however, were of the sort that Alexis would never be pleased to see.

Case in point: her father had just barged into her office, ignoring the protests of the nurse who tried to stop him.

To call Baron Carfax her father was nothing but an exercise in convenience—and even then there was explaining to do. Yes, he was her biological father, one half of the parents that had brought her into the world—but that was about that. From a legal perspective, he was nothing to her at all anymore, not whenever he'd gone through the trouble of disowning her.

That sure didn't stop him from barging in on her life whenever he saw fit. The one saving grace was that she'd known it was coming, thanks to Evangeline letting her know about her disappearance. Of course Baron Carfax would want to blame Alexis.

And of course he cut straight to the point without bothering to cover any pleasantries. "Where's your brother?"

"Home with you, I assume," Alexis said. Heaven knew her four brothers had washed their hands of her the moment their parents had. Her feigned ignorance made Baron Carfax seethe, but Alexis maintained her bored expression, not even bothering to stand. "If something happened, you'll have to be more specific than barging into my office and yelling at me." Not that Alexis would have ever helped her father, but his behaviour was doing nothing to help his case.

"Don't think we're fools!" Baron Carfax said, growing more incensed by the minute. No wonder his bald spot had spread since Alexis had last seen him. "Back when you were respectable, Cecil adored you. There's no doubt you had every opportunity to put those strange ideas of yours into your brother's head—"

"I don't have a brother by that name," Alexis said, not interested in the slightest of having that conversation. She'd left for many reasons, all of them her own choices, which was the precise sort of thing a man like her father couldn't stand. "In fact, thanks to you, I don't have any siblings or family to speak of. I'd rather not waste time on such things whenever I have patients who need my attention, so if you could stop obstructing business." She gestured to the door, not once balking as Baron Carfax glared at her.

Never one to stand anything not going his way, Baron Carfax growled. "You're as ungrateful as ever! You wouldn't have been able to get where you are now if we hadn't paid for your school, despite the gossip it brought on us. And then you shamed us further with your disgusting interests. That we haven't tanked your silly business is out of mercy, but, I swear, if we find out you had anything to do with Cecil disappearing, we'll—"

"You'll what?" Baron Carfax froze in his tracks, just like the coward he was, and Alexis glared over her shoulder to pin him into place. "You'll try and blacklist me? Is that the best you can come up with? Let me tell you something, my lord, your money and influence has limits. You can try and do what you like, but there's plenty of places in the world that don't give a damn what you have to say. Don't you get it?

"You have no power over me anymore."

It wasn't that hard for Alexis to imagine where she might run off to, as she'd considered it before. Perhaps she'd go to France, where there was some more freedom of love. Maybe she'd wander all the way to Austria to see the sights. Hell, she could even throw it all to the birds and disappear to America never to be seen again.

I stayed in London so I could be close to Eva if she needed anything, but now it will be fine. If she's run away from them, she'll be in a much better place. Just the thought was enough to make a faint smile slip onto her lips, which seemed to be doing rather nasty things to Baron Carfax's blood pressure. What a shame.

Baron Carfax's face contorted while he grew red with rage. When Alexis was younger, such a mood used to scare her; now she just saw him as pathetic. "Watch yourself," he said, but the words just rolled off Alexis like rainwater slipping down a windowpane, leaving no more than droplets that would soon evaporate in the sunlight.

"I find that rather difficult to do whenever you're demanding I give you all my attention." A muscle in Baron Carfax's neck twitched, but he didn't give back a retort. "I've done what you asked me to. I left the house. I haven't contacted anyone. I've changed my name and focused on my work and nothing else. If you want nothing to do with me, stop inserting yourself in my life."

"Doctor," came Stephanie's voice from the other side of the door. "Your three o'clock appointment is here."

"Thank you. See them to the checkup room. I'll be there in a moment." Alexis walked over to her desk, each step echoing off the floor and against the stunned silence of her office. Finding the medical charts she'd been reviewing earlier with ease, she picked the whole lot up, sparing a glance for the photo of her and Evangeline together, the one remaining possession she'd kept from those days. "I think we're done here. Now, will you see yourself out, or will I have to ask someone to do it for you?"

Baron Carfax chose the former, though not without cursing first and slamming the door behind him.

It didn't even take a moment for him to vanish from Alexis's mind as she headed back to work.

The weather that day, many would argue, was not conducive to celebration. Dark clouds had settled in, bringing with them a rain that covered the entire city and showed no signs of letting up. In fact, there was every chance they were in for several days of the weather, and that with it sped up the rate of the autumn chill that had been seeping into the air since September. As such, many people were holed up inside, fires burning, and the general atmosphere was almost sleepy.

Evangeline would not hesitate to disagree with that statement whatsoever, and she did not care one bit just how strange that might make her seem to others around her.

Today is my first full day of true freedom.

The masquerade the other night before had been, for lack of any better word, magical, almost like it had come out of some sort of fairytale. Except, whenever the ball was over and everyone had returned to their ordinary lives, no spells had worn off, nothing had left Evangeline returning back to her drab, unhappy self. No, it was if all the suits and the male expectations had been the spell, a curse to be broken so that she could be free.

No amount of rain could dampen that.

In fact, as far as Evangeline was concerned, the rain made everything better.

To her, rain was peaceful while still being a time of anticipation. In the aftermath, the plants would be vibrant, flush with green from being replenished, the sort of green that no careful watering schedule could replicate. There would also be the waterdrops clinging to the leaves and the flower petals, glittering in the light once the clouds at last cleared. And the smell—the absolute freshness had always made her feel refreshed, enough so that she was willing to open up the window to her guest room even with the chill.

Which was why she'd remained outside in the garden, even whenever the rain has started to pour. There wasn't much to the place left, as its previous owner hadn't left much but empty flowerbeds in their wake, but that still left exposed soil that turned to mud against her palms. Jameon and the Moriartys hadn't failed to think things through, which meant Evangeline had sets of clothes worthy of being exposed to the elements and working in the dirt so she didn't have to worry about making a mess of her new, elaborate dresses for going out.

As such, she didn't even think twice about allowing herself to be soaked to the bone, even with the chill. She felt refreshed, as green as the grass beneath her feet, and she twirled around, dancing without any music or sense of rhythm in her steps until she was breathless with laughter, until her cheeks ached from her grin.

She didn't know how much time it took until the cold got to her, chasing her inside. The house was quiet, but it didn't feel oppressive, and Evangeline shucked off her dirty layers inside the laundry room. She'd need to go out soon, put out a call for help as Jameson had suggested, pick up things to fill the garden with flowers, but those were things she could do whenever she pleased, and no one would get in her way.

A bath, she decided, craving warm water and soap to wash away the dirt. Then fresh clothes, and I shall go out for dinner, before coming home and enjoy the cake that Jameson left behind with some tea before going to bed. It was the perfect plan as far as she was concerned, and Evangeline hoped that the rain lasted throughout the night so it could lull her to sleep, the next day ready to dawn anew.

[Author's Notes]

And with this chapter, the current [Shibuya Operation - Story Storm] season is at an end! While it was mostly a solo run from me, Chronic Guardian has come in at the final hour to post a new update to his Gunslinger Girl fic, Contract Closure. I very much recommend!

But back to focusing over here, Evangeline's pre-canon arc is now complete! Sometimes we just need a chill (and kinda indulgent) chapter as a breather. Honestly, you could consider this a complete arc, but I think it works best when paired with the next section, so we can keep rolling along! We're coming up on the climax of the pre-canon story, so it's full speed ahead!

Chapter title is from U's "Millennium Parade."

Next time: The Home Where Others Await Your Return. Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[22 February 2025]