MEI-CHAN FIC: Photographic Evidence
Title: Photographic Evidence
Author: alianora
Rating: PG
Summery: And behind the backs of reporters and
investigators and rumor mongers, the students would smile as they
offered critical distractions for Mei and Rihito.
With someone as powerful as the Hongo group, of course there were many
people who wanted more information about Mei. There were several
reporters that visited the school, looking for a scoop.
The reporter would always find their way back to their publisher with
a handful of vague sentences about Mei and her poise, and what lessons
she was taking.
The school, including the principal, would proclaim that Mei was a
very nice girl. Would offer that she had a butler, but somehow, the
real topic never came up. And behind the backs of reporters and
investigators and rumor mongers, the students would smile as they
offered critical distractions for Mei and Rihito.
Mei and Rihito liked to think they were discreet. Careful.
They liked to think that the whole school didn't already know.
Rihito gave himself away in dozens of small ways, that only the other
butlers picked up. Rihito never knew how much was easily seen by
another butler. Things he would have noticed in an instant if it had
been somebody else, but couldn't see in himself. He knew the rules,
and convinced himself he was doing everything he could to follow them.
The other butlers laughed at him behind his back about it - smooth,
S-ranked Shibata Rihito making a fool out of himself in the way he
held his lady's arm, or set the table, or lingered over her water
glass - but really, they understood. The butlers did what they could
to keep things to themselves.
When Damon reached to fix his lady's pigtails with a comb, he would
step sideways to block the sight of Rihito smoothing Mei's hair with
gentle fingers.
If Nezi walked down the hallway at night, he would make sure the door
to Mei's room was closed and locked. The one time it hadn't been, he
had caught a brief glimpse of Rihito bending over Mei's bed, drawing
the covers back up over her sleeping form. More importantly, Nezi had
seen the careful way Rihito had smoothed the blanket back down and
bent to press a kiss to her forehead.
Kiba picked flowers for every lady on campus once, to help camouflage
the small vase of simple daisies sitting beside Mei's plate at dinner.
The photograph in the newspaper of that dinner had turned out lovely,
with Mei having no idea that Rihito was standing just out of sight of
the camera, grinning like a fool at how lady-like his lady was acting.
Mei gave herself away, too, but she was a little better at hiding it.
Mei had gotten used to having a butler, but she had not grown up with
them, like the other ladies. So, Mei rarely noticed when Rihito was
not acting completely properly, or when she herself was spending too
much time staring at him.
Her classmates helped as they could, as well. They took turns joining
Mei in her room while she was getting ready for class, and before she
went to bed.
Rika asked questions about udon when Mei jumped from the brush of
Rihito's hand across her face when he was helping her put in her
contacts.
Izumi nodded for Kiba to overturn her soup bowl when Mei and Rihito
both reached for Mei's water glass at the same time and froze as their
hands touched.
Tami threw popcorn over the railing on Mei's head whenever Mei got
that distant look on her face that meant she was thinking of things
she shouldn't be.
And in a book full of newspaper clippings about the Hongo group and
its new heir, Mei's grandfather saw a grainy photo of his
granddaughter and her butler standing a bare inch too close, and
laughed.
END
Author: alianora
Rating: PG
Summery: And behind the backs of reporters and
investigators and rumor mongers, the students would smile as they
offered critical distractions for Mei and Rihito.
With someone as powerful as the Hongo group, of course there were many
people who wanted more information about Mei. There were several
reporters that visited the school, looking for a scoop.
The reporter would always find their way back to their publisher with
a handful of vague sentences about Mei and her poise, and what lessons
she was taking.
The school, including the principal, would proclaim that Mei was a
very nice girl. Would offer that she had a butler, but somehow, the
real topic never came up. And behind the backs of reporters and
investigators and rumor mongers, the students would smile as they
offered critical distractions for Mei and Rihito.
Mei and Rihito liked to think they were discreet. Careful.
They liked to think that the whole school didn't already know.
Rihito gave himself away in dozens of small ways, that only the other
butlers picked up. Rihito never knew how much was easily seen by
another butler. Things he would have noticed in an instant if it had
been somebody else, but couldn't see in himself. He knew the rules,
and convinced himself he was doing everything he could to follow them.
The other butlers laughed at him behind his back about it - smooth,
S-ranked Shibata Rihito making a fool out of himself in the way he
held his lady's arm, or set the table, or lingered over her water
glass - but really, they understood. The butlers did what they could
to keep things to themselves.
When Damon reached to fix his lady's pigtails with a comb, he would
step sideways to block the sight of Rihito smoothing Mei's hair with
gentle fingers.
If Nezi walked down the hallway at night, he would make sure the door
to Mei's room was closed and locked. The one time it hadn't been, he
had caught a brief glimpse of Rihito bending over Mei's bed, drawing
the covers back up over her sleeping form. More importantly, Nezi had
seen the careful way Rihito had smoothed the blanket back down and
bent to press a kiss to her forehead.
Kiba picked flowers for every lady on campus once, to help camouflage
the small vase of simple daisies sitting beside Mei's plate at dinner.
The photograph in the newspaper of that dinner had turned out lovely,
with Mei having no idea that Rihito was standing just out of sight of
the camera, grinning like a fool at how lady-like his lady was acting.
Mei gave herself away, too, but she was a little better at hiding it.
Mei had gotten used to having a butler, but she had not grown up with
them, like the other ladies. So, Mei rarely noticed when Rihito was
not acting completely properly, or when she herself was spending too
much time staring at him.
Her classmates helped as they could, as well. They took turns joining
Mei in her room while she was getting ready for class, and before she
went to bed.
Rika asked questions about udon when Mei jumped from the brush of
Rihito's hand across her face when he was helping her put in her
contacts.
Izumi nodded for Kiba to overturn her soup bowl when Mei and Rihito
both reached for Mei's water glass at the same time and froze as their
hands touched.
Tami threw popcorn over the railing on Mei's head whenever Mei got
that distant look on her face that meant she was thinking of things
she shouldn't be.
And in a book full of newspaper clippings about the Hongo group and
its new heir, Mei's grandfather saw a grainy photo of his
granddaughter and her butler standing a bare inch too close, and
laughed.
END