quiet
WARNING: I like never write sex. Ever. I don't really feel a need for sex and it embarrasses me to do so this might be complete shit, wah-oops. You were warned...!
If you see glaring errors, oops. I will fix them later, possibly. It's eight-thirty in the morning and I need to wash my hair and be up at one for work.
ON TO THE FIC THAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, POSSIBLY?: ONWARD!
-----
The evening upon which I quite lost my head began as many often do when I’m taken into Raffles’s secret life.
I did not have much to do for him that evening; I was little more than a glorified door-stop that might warn should anyone come to disturb Raffles from his looting. I admit that I was distracted in my position as I did not think we did have anything to fear, having watched the fellow depart only an hour earlier.
I found myself instead watching Raffles. His lithe body bent before a desk, rummaging through drawers in a nearly silent fashion, bright blue eyes gliding here and there as he muttered something to himself, stepping back to invest his attention elsewhere.
“Bunny! Bunny!” he hissed, a dark curl falling freem from his hat and framing his face nicely. “Might you focus on the task I gave you rather than gaping at me? It does me little good--”
I flushed. “My apologies!”
I turned back, peeping out into the hallway as I heard him curse.
“I know it is here. I know he has it here. I heard it from the woman myself--it is only a matter of finding it.”
I felt a small spark of jealousy ignite within me at his mention of a woman. It would be that girl--Miss Constance. Lord Rothstern’s niece--his favouite niece--who spent most of her time here. A woman that would know the lay of the land, so to speak.
Of couse I knew that it was all a portion of Raffles’s plan, and I knew that I ought to trust in his wisdom in such things as I could hardly hope to plot out schemes, yet there spoke within me a voice that disliked the attention he lavished upon her.
What had he said to her, lounging upon grass beneath trees or strolling arm-and-arm upon walkways with the young woman? I wanted to know! No…I didn’t want to know!
“Bunny,” Raffles said through his teeth. “You’re doing it again.”
I turned away from him without a word, heat in my face speaking for me. My allocated task was a useless one, as the footsteps that echoed to us seemed in our precarious position to be loud enough to rouse the neighbours and I looked quickly at Raffles.
“Raffles!”
“It’s all right, Bunny!” he said with a quick grin, holding up a hand from which dangled a lengthy rope of pearls. He unceremoniously stuffed it into his pockets, stepping quickly over to me to press a few additional jewels into my gloved hands.
I had hardly copied his actions in hiding them away on my person before his fingers circled my wrist and he tugged me along, miming that I ought to be quiet. Be quiet! What did he think I would do--shout out that we were here and waiting?
I can’t say what sent Lord Rothstern our way--perhaps it was some innate inclination that something was amiss. At any rate he reached the opening of the hallway just as we poured into it from the end and it was simply a dash for the closest room.
He was shouting to raise the servants, yelling about foul burglars in his midst and Raffles tugged me along, ignoring the man’s uproar as we reached the study first.
I stumbled in my haste and fell not two steps in, breaking from my friend.
“Go on without me!”
“Don’t be a perfect ass!” he said quickly, and his hands were upon me in an instant as he hoisted me up.
He had the window open in one fluid motion, sliding his long limbs gracefully out it while I was left to scramble behind him. I hadn’t needed his assistance, really, and yet he was there, pulling me out into the cooler night air.
Perhaps it was better that he had helped me as I felt Lord Rothstern’s fingertips brush against me, just narrowly missing any hold that might fix me upon his estate for Mackenzie to come and collect.
Raffles’s gloved hand once more found my wrist and I impulsively shifted to grip him in response. He said nothing, merely glancing at me as we skirted along the slope of the Lord’s land, and then his fingers met my own, lacing together naturally as he laughed.
“Well! That was a close one, wasn’t it?”
“I think I might have had a heart attack! But--but we aren’t free yet! We aren’t even off his land, Raffles!”
“You have seen the man, Bunny. It would amaze me to find that he had ever given chase to a thing in his life. He shall call the inspectors rather than follow us any farther, and by the time they arrive we won’t be here!”
We met the fence that marked the end of the fellow’s property and Raffles climbed easily up it, dropping to the other side. I hesitated.
“Come on now, my rabbit. I can’t say it would look good for you to be sat here with jewels in your pockets when Mackenzie and his royal bunch of bunglers show up. Up you go!”
I gripped the iron in my gloves, sucking in a breath and shutting my eyes for a moment. I struggled a bit, sliding and losing purchase when I attempted to climb the fence but then I was over it as well, dropping down into the grass next to Raffles.
He clapped me upon the shoulder in a spirited fashion. “A good night’s work. Should take care of some of our debts, hm? Should for some time, I would believe.”
I meant to agree with him, truly I did. I had meant to say I wouldn’t have to worry about debtors circling me--that I hadn’t had to worry, in fact, since he had rescued me during the Ides of March. Rescued--or condemned.
Sometimes I wasn’t certain which it was myself.
I had wanted to say something to that effect, and yet an entirely different phrase slipped from me instead as we loped beneath the moonlight.
“I love you.”
He looked surprised at my words, stopping at once and I stopped as well, realising what I had blurted to him. He dropped my hand from his, the laughter dying away from his face as he at once took on a sombre cast, brow furrowing.
“I’m--that’s--I didn’t mean to say, er--”
“Let’s return to the Albany,” he said finally after staring at me for what felt like long, torturous minutes. I followed a few paces behind him, shamed.
Back to the Albany. I couldn’t imagine what he would have to say to me. Perhaps he might give me a split of the haul--Raffles was always fair to me. He might do that and then tell me coldly that he wished never to see me again.
Could I blame him! Certainly not. It was abhorrent--it was abnormal! To think that I would think such things about my closest friend! The legality wouldn’t bother him--I should think he might find himself a hypocrite to ruminate on how it broke laws. No, it would disgust him instead.
He should not want anything more to do with me, and I could not blame him in the least for it.
I felt sick at the thought of severing such a partnership so that when we reached the Albany I was repelled by the sight of the very building I had often been so over-joyed to enter.
“Don’t tarry behind,” Raffles clucked at me as I hesitated at the entrance and then I had pushed in after him, following as though he was the man leading me to my execution.
I took his steps slowly with measured foot-falls so that by the time I reached his flat I found he had quite given up waiting on me and let himself in alone. I entered and removed my hat and coat, hesitating before plunging into the sitting room.
Raffles stood at his mantle, back to me, and when he heard me join him he turned, holding up a bottle of brandy with two glasses clutched in his free hand. “A drink?”
I was baffled. Had he not heard me…? A slight elation filled me before I quashed it. No, of course he had. He had distanced himself almost immediately, fixing me with an inscrutable stare before saying we ought return to his place.
He was looking to ignore what I had said, then.
“I--yes.”
When he held the glass to me I took it quickly so that he arched a brow at me, smiling slightly. “Careful, Bunny, careful! I should hate to replace a glass from clumsiness…”
I downed it one go, welcoming the burning as it travelled easily down my throat. I noted the surprise on Raffles’s face and yet he didn’t remark upon my actions, instead swishing his own alcohol thoughtfully.
“Might I?” I asked, standing and gesturing to the container he had left upon the mantle. He shrugged effortlessly, and I passed him to grab it up, pouring out another finger-ful with shaking hands.
I inhaled between my teeth and took a cautionary sip at it before flopping onto his seat, biting upon my lip. The man was ever imposing in person should he wish to be, and in my anxious state he bore down upon me like some immovable monolith, drinking thoughtfully but not saying a word.
I finished again, yet this time he stopped me from rising with an outstretched hand in the air.
“Ah, ah, ah, Bunny. I’d prefer you not fall to drink,” he said quietly. He removed my glass from me after speaking, staring at his own for a moment before swigging it away and sitting on the seat next to me.
“I shouldn’t ask you whether what you said earlier was true--as I’ve had my own inclinations for some time now--but rather when you knew you entertained such notions.”
“I--I don’t,” I said desperately, begging that he would believe me. I could not ruin this. I could not. What would I have should I lose Raffles?
He did not believe me--I could see it in his face.
He smirked at me slightly. “I am no fool, Bunny. Tell me. Recently, was it?”
“I--” I spoke to the floor, finding that it would be more understanding, perhaps, than the man next to me. “I always worshipped you as a boy, you knew that, and--it’s--difficult to say when I realised it wasn’t just that.”
I need not elaborate on sleepless night spent after hours of thievery with the man, replaying in my head every moment that his fingers brushed against my own. Recalling his husky whispers in my ear as he pressed close to me, lips flush against my skin while he gave me directions that I followed to the best of my ability. It was misery, but exquisitely so.
He looked at me severely and then he was laughing at me.
I was indignant, and I rose in my annoyance.
“I can take you tossing me out on my ear, and I can take you turning your back upon me, but I cannot subject myself to your laughter.”
“Don’t be hurt,” he chided, and yet he kept laughing anyway. “You’ve been a perfect ass!”
He found my wrist and pulled me back down against my will, and I shifted away from him. “In what fashion, I ask you!”
“You should have said how you felt early on.”
He was absurd. “You cannot possibly mean that!” I sputtered, looking at him with wide-eyed surprise.
If you see glaring errors, oops. I will fix them later, possibly. It's eight-thirty in the morning and I need to wash my hair and be up at one for work.
ON TO THE FIC THAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, POSSIBLY?: ONWARD!
-----
The evening upon which I quite lost my head began as many often do when I’m taken into Raffles’s secret life.
I did not have much to do for him that evening; I was little more than a glorified door-stop that might warn should anyone come to disturb Raffles from his looting. I admit that I was distracted in my position as I did not think we did have anything to fear, having watched the fellow depart only an hour earlier.
I found myself instead watching Raffles. His lithe body bent before a desk, rummaging through drawers in a nearly silent fashion, bright blue eyes gliding here and there as he muttered something to himself, stepping back to invest his attention elsewhere.
“Bunny! Bunny!” he hissed, a dark curl falling freem from his hat and framing his face nicely. “Might you focus on the task I gave you rather than gaping at me? It does me little good--”
I flushed. “My apologies!”
I turned back, peeping out into the hallway as I heard him curse.
“I know it is here. I know he has it here. I heard it from the woman myself--it is only a matter of finding it.”
I felt a small spark of jealousy ignite within me at his mention of a woman. It would be that girl--Miss Constance. Lord Rothstern’s niece--his favouite niece--who spent most of her time here. A woman that would know the lay of the land, so to speak.
Of couse I knew that it was all a portion of Raffles’s plan, and I knew that I ought to trust in his wisdom in such things as I could hardly hope to plot out schemes, yet there spoke within me a voice that disliked the attention he lavished upon her.
What had he said to her, lounging upon grass beneath trees or strolling arm-and-arm upon walkways with the young woman? I wanted to know! No…I didn’t want to know!
“Bunny,” Raffles said through his teeth. “You’re doing it again.”
I turned away from him without a word, heat in my face speaking for me. My allocated task was a useless one, as the footsteps that echoed to us seemed in our precarious position to be loud enough to rouse the neighbours and I looked quickly at Raffles.
“Raffles!”
“It’s all right, Bunny!” he said with a quick grin, holding up a hand from which dangled a lengthy rope of pearls. He unceremoniously stuffed it into his pockets, stepping quickly over to me to press a few additional jewels into my gloved hands.
I had hardly copied his actions in hiding them away on my person before his fingers circled my wrist and he tugged me along, miming that I ought to be quiet. Be quiet! What did he think I would do--shout out that we were here and waiting?
I can’t say what sent Lord Rothstern our way--perhaps it was some innate inclination that something was amiss. At any rate he reached the opening of the hallway just as we poured into it from the end and it was simply a dash for the closest room.
He was shouting to raise the servants, yelling about foul burglars in his midst and Raffles tugged me along, ignoring the man’s uproar as we reached the study first.
I stumbled in my haste and fell not two steps in, breaking from my friend.
“Go on without me!”
“Don’t be a perfect ass!” he said quickly, and his hands were upon me in an instant as he hoisted me up.
He had the window open in one fluid motion, sliding his long limbs gracefully out it while I was left to scramble behind him. I hadn’t needed his assistance, really, and yet he was there, pulling me out into the cooler night air.
Perhaps it was better that he had helped me as I felt Lord Rothstern’s fingertips brush against me, just narrowly missing any hold that might fix me upon his estate for Mackenzie to come and collect.
Raffles’s gloved hand once more found my wrist and I impulsively shifted to grip him in response. He said nothing, merely glancing at me as we skirted along the slope of the Lord’s land, and then his fingers met my own, lacing together naturally as he laughed.
“Well! That was a close one, wasn’t it?”
“I think I might have had a heart attack! But--but we aren’t free yet! We aren’t even off his land, Raffles!”
“You have seen the man, Bunny. It would amaze me to find that he had ever given chase to a thing in his life. He shall call the inspectors rather than follow us any farther, and by the time they arrive we won’t be here!”
We met the fence that marked the end of the fellow’s property and Raffles climbed easily up it, dropping to the other side. I hesitated.
“Come on now, my rabbit. I can’t say it would look good for you to be sat here with jewels in your pockets when Mackenzie and his royal bunch of bunglers show up. Up you go!”
I gripped the iron in my gloves, sucking in a breath and shutting my eyes for a moment. I struggled a bit, sliding and losing purchase when I attempted to climb the fence but then I was over it as well, dropping down into the grass next to Raffles.
He clapped me upon the shoulder in a spirited fashion. “A good night’s work. Should take care of some of our debts, hm? Should for some time, I would believe.”
I meant to agree with him, truly I did. I had meant to say I wouldn’t have to worry about debtors circling me--that I hadn’t had to worry, in fact, since he had rescued me during the Ides of March. Rescued--or condemned.
Sometimes I wasn’t certain which it was myself.
I had wanted to say something to that effect, and yet an entirely different phrase slipped from me instead as we loped beneath the moonlight.
“I love you.”
He looked surprised at my words, stopping at once and I stopped as well, realising what I had blurted to him. He dropped my hand from his, the laughter dying away from his face as he at once took on a sombre cast, brow furrowing.
“I’m--that’s--I didn’t mean to say, er--”
“Let’s return to the Albany,” he said finally after staring at me for what felt like long, torturous minutes. I followed a few paces behind him, shamed.
Back to the Albany. I couldn’t imagine what he would have to say to me. Perhaps he might give me a split of the haul--Raffles was always fair to me. He might do that and then tell me coldly that he wished never to see me again.
Could I blame him! Certainly not. It was abhorrent--it was abnormal! To think that I would think such things about my closest friend! The legality wouldn’t bother him--I should think he might find himself a hypocrite to ruminate on how it broke laws. No, it would disgust him instead.
He should not want anything more to do with me, and I could not blame him in the least for it.
I felt sick at the thought of severing such a partnership so that when we reached the Albany I was repelled by the sight of the very building I had often been so over-joyed to enter.
“Don’t tarry behind,” Raffles clucked at me as I hesitated at the entrance and then I had pushed in after him, following as though he was the man leading me to my execution.
I took his steps slowly with measured foot-falls so that by the time I reached his flat I found he had quite given up waiting on me and let himself in alone. I entered and removed my hat and coat, hesitating before plunging into the sitting room.
Raffles stood at his mantle, back to me, and when he heard me join him he turned, holding up a bottle of brandy with two glasses clutched in his free hand. “A drink?”
I was baffled. Had he not heard me…? A slight elation filled me before I quashed it. No, of course he had. He had distanced himself almost immediately, fixing me with an inscrutable stare before saying we ought return to his place.
He was looking to ignore what I had said, then.
“I--yes.”
When he held the glass to me I took it quickly so that he arched a brow at me, smiling slightly. “Careful, Bunny, careful! I should hate to replace a glass from clumsiness…”
I downed it one go, welcoming the burning as it travelled easily down my throat. I noted the surprise on Raffles’s face and yet he didn’t remark upon my actions, instead swishing his own alcohol thoughtfully.
“Might I?” I asked, standing and gesturing to the container he had left upon the mantle. He shrugged effortlessly, and I passed him to grab it up, pouring out another finger-ful with shaking hands.
I inhaled between my teeth and took a cautionary sip at it before flopping onto his seat, biting upon my lip. The man was ever imposing in person should he wish to be, and in my anxious state he bore down upon me like some immovable monolith, drinking thoughtfully but not saying a word.
I finished again, yet this time he stopped me from rising with an outstretched hand in the air.
“Ah, ah, ah, Bunny. I’d prefer you not fall to drink,” he said quietly. He removed my glass from me after speaking, staring at his own for a moment before swigging it away and sitting on the seat next to me.
“I shouldn’t ask you whether what you said earlier was true--as I’ve had my own inclinations for some time now--but rather when you knew you entertained such notions.”
“I--I don’t,” I said desperately, begging that he would believe me. I could not ruin this. I could not. What would I have should I lose Raffles?
He did not believe me--I could see it in his face.
He smirked at me slightly. “I am no fool, Bunny. Tell me. Recently, was it?”
“I--” I spoke to the floor, finding that it would be more understanding, perhaps, than the man next to me. “I always worshipped you as a boy, you knew that, and--it’s--difficult to say when I realised it wasn’t just that.”
I need not elaborate on sleepless night spent after hours of thievery with the man, replaying in my head every moment that his fingers brushed against my own. Recalling his husky whispers in my ear as he pressed close to me, lips flush against my skin while he gave me directions that I followed to the best of my ability. It was misery, but exquisitely so.
He looked at me severely and then he was laughing at me.
I was indignant, and I rose in my annoyance.
“I can take you tossing me out on my ear, and I can take you turning your back upon me, but I cannot subject myself to your laughter.”
“Don’t be hurt,” he chided, and yet he kept laughing anyway. “You’ve been a perfect ass!”
He found my wrist and pulled me back down against my will, and I shifted away from him. “In what fashion, I ask you!”
“You should have said how you felt early on.”
He was absurd. “You cannot possibly mean that!” I sputtered, looking at him with wide-eyed surprise.