Havemercy Fic: Crossing the Line (15/28)
Title: Crossing The Line
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,531 for this chapter
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to the wonderful Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, although there may be one or two of my own creation :)
Summary: When he decides to search for an art tutor, little does sixteen year old Etienne know that he's about to embark on an adventurous summer of maturity, secrets and self-discovery. However, he's not the only one in the family who's been hiding things, as Castle Nevers will never be the same again.
Author's Notes: Thanks, as usual, to manyfacesofme22.
( Previous chapters)
William
It’s far too hot for this, I thought, as I dove behind another tree.
I waited for a minute, wiping the sweat off my brow as I tried to hear if he’d moved on. When I poked my head around the trunk he was further along the path. I stepped out from my hiding place and continued to follow him quietly.
Today was the day I was finally going to find out who Jude was.
Normally, I wouldn’t be bothered about Etienne’s friends - not that he’d had many in the past - but there was something about this Jude person that was different. If he was only some mate, then why did Etienne walk for an hour several times a week just to see him? He spent whole days with the kid, and he always looked pleased with himself when he came back. His reaction when I’d questioned him about Jude was strange and his behaviour over the weekend had been off. He’d been quieter than usual, spending most of his time in his room. He even told Emilie that he didn’t want to talk, hiding behind a book instead. It was all very suspicious, and it pointed to one thing: Etienne was up to something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
Which is what had led me to my current situation: stalking Etienne at the edge of the paths, ducking behind trees or bushes when he turned round.
We were getting close to the village when I saw something that made me curse. Of all the times to make a fucking appearance. I threw myself under a nearby bush. Alfie was approaching from the opposite side of the lane. I froze suddenly. What if he had seen me and Etienne in the village last week? He would reach Etienne soon, if he hurt him -
They both said a greeting and carried on walking.
I let out the breath I was holding and let myself relax. As I watched Alfie getting closer, I got an idea. Making sure that none of his gang was following him up the path, I crouched in position and waited for him to get nearer. As he was about to walk past, I leapt out of the bush and smacked into him. He fell down, bringing me with him.
“Alright, Alf?” I asked, pinning him down with my weight.
The bastard spat in my face. I blinked, trying to clear my eye, and he used my momentary distraction to thump me one. It hurt like hell as I fell back, and through the pain in my jaw I noticed him staggering upright. I stood quickly, not wanting to give him an advantage. I couldn’t believe he’d got one over on me so easily; there was no way I was going to let him hurt me again.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” I warned him, touching my jaw to see if I could feel any damage.
“Yeah?” he spread his arms out. “I’d like to see you try. I just have to whistle and my boys’ll be here.”
I glanced back down the path. Etienne was just disappearing round a corner into the village, and I cursed as I realised I’d failed yet again. It made me even more mad. I was ready to go at him properly, no holding back, but his words made me hesitate. I could take Alfie on my own, sure, but I couldn’t handle his boys too. There were houses on the edge of the village where they could have been hiding, and I must have hesitated too long, because when Alfie spoke again his voice was even more smug than usual.
“You aren’t as subtle as you think you are. We saw you coming a mile away.”
I couldn’t lose face. “You’re lying.”
He stepped closer. “Really?”
His cocky attitude was really grating on my nerves. “Yeah,” I replied, giving him a shove to emphasise it.
He gave a whistle. At first I thought it hadn’t worked, but then a few seconds later I started seeing people moving towards us. They must have been waiting for his command.
“Fuck.”
“Run, little boy.”
I glanced over the rapidly approaching boys, assessing them in my head but knowing that it was useless.
“Not so fucking hard now, are you?” Alfie sneered.
I turned and ran.
I expected them to lay off after a few minutes, but as time stretched on I realised that they weren’t going to give up. They must have been really mad that I’d got one over on them last time, and now they were going to take advantage of me being on my own. I pushed myself to keep on running, ignoring the pain in my legs and chest. I knew that if they caught me the pain would be much worse.
I finally caught sight of the Duchamp’s farm. I clambered over the fence and fell down the other side, pushing myself back up and running towards the stables, where Alex was most likely to be.
I stopped when I was in the cool shade of the building, doubled over with my hands on my knees and tried to get my breath back. I glanced around, and that’s when I noticed Alex and the servant girl staring at me in shock. His hand was on her shoulder, their heads bent close as he was obviously comforting her about something.
“Holy fuck,” I breathed. This was going to be good.
They sprang apart. “Will,” Alex said, his voice angry as he approached me.
I held a hand up. “Wait.” I stumbled to the edge of the building and peered around it. Alfie and his boys had stopped at the fence, though they were still yelling about what a coward I was. Alex yanked me back by the arm.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I was-” it was hard to say too many words when I was panting so hard. I gave up, collapsing against the wall behind me and sliding to the floor as I struggled to catch my breath.
Alex thankfully left off when he saw what a state I was in, turning instead to the girl and suggesting that she should leave. She glanced at me as she walked past, eyes nervous. When I finally felt like my lungs weren’t trying to leap out of my chest, I smirked at Alex.
“Care to explain?”
“Do you?” he shot back.
“Got into a fight. What I didn’t know was that the bastard had his mates fucking hiding. Dirty tactics.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair. He usually only did that when he was stressed or nervous.
“Your turn,” I reminded him.
“It’s not what you think,” he said quickly. “It’s just - she found about, you know, my gambling, and she threatened to tell Mr Duchamp. I didn’t want him to fire me, I actually like this job. I knew she had a bit of a crush on me, so, I thought, if I was nice to her, she’d keep quiet.”
I didn’t quite believe him.
“Who the hell’s gonna believe the word of a servant over you?”
He fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt, an old habit that I thought he’d grown out of.
“Besides, what I just walked in on was more than you being nice.”
“Well-”
I remembered something else I’d seen. “And hold on, if that’s true, why did I see you giving her money last week?”
He paled a bit under my scrutiny. “My plan wasn’t working. I’ve started bribing her.”
“It looked like it was working pretty well a few minutes ago.”
He opened and closed his mouth, failing to give another excuse.
I stood up brusquely. “Come on, then.”
“What?”
“Show me the ropes around here.”
“What?” he repeated.
“Well I’m here now, aren’t I? I might as well work.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not,” I replied cheerfully. “Where’s the animal feed?”
He blinked at me. “You can’t be serious.”
“But I am, dear brother. I want to help.”
He looked at me disbelievingly. “You don’t. You just want to cause mischief.”
I put a hand over my heart dramatically. “How could you say such things to your own flesh and blood?”
“Just go home, Will.”
I stepped closer with a smile. “How about a preposition, then? You let me stay here and help you work, like I’m supposed to, and I won’t tell Ma and Pa about any of this.”
“They won’t believe you.”
“Well how about I bribe your servant girl to come along and so that Ma and Pa can meet her and they can make up their own minds?”
He went even paler. “Don’t.”
I smirked, knowing that I had won. “Come along, then.” I picked up a tool that was leaning against the wall. “What’s this for?”
Alex took it off me and put it back before leading the way out of the shed. I smiled to myself. I didn’t believe his lies, but there was no point in confronting him about them now. No, I decided, it would be much more fun to watch him squirm all day.
Next
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,531 for this chapter
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to the wonderful Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, although there may be one or two of my own creation :)
Summary: When he decides to search for an art tutor, little does sixteen year old Etienne know that he's about to embark on an adventurous summer of maturity, secrets and self-discovery. However, he's not the only one in the family who's been hiding things, as Castle Nevers will never be the same again.
Author's Notes: Thanks, as usual, to manyfacesofme22.
( Previous chapters)
William
It’s far too hot for this, I thought, as I dove behind another tree.
I waited for a minute, wiping the sweat off my brow as I tried to hear if he’d moved on. When I poked my head around the trunk he was further along the path. I stepped out from my hiding place and continued to follow him quietly.
Today was the day I was finally going to find out who Jude was.
Normally, I wouldn’t be bothered about Etienne’s friends - not that he’d had many in the past - but there was something about this Jude person that was different. If he was only some mate, then why did Etienne walk for an hour several times a week just to see him? He spent whole days with the kid, and he always looked pleased with himself when he came back. His reaction when I’d questioned him about Jude was strange and his behaviour over the weekend had been off. He’d been quieter than usual, spending most of his time in his room. He even told Emilie that he didn’t want to talk, hiding behind a book instead. It was all very suspicious, and it pointed to one thing: Etienne was up to something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
Which is what had led me to my current situation: stalking Etienne at the edge of the paths, ducking behind trees or bushes when he turned round.
We were getting close to the village when I saw something that made me curse. Of all the times to make a fucking appearance. I threw myself under a nearby bush. Alfie was approaching from the opposite side of the lane. I froze suddenly. What if he had seen me and Etienne in the village last week? He would reach Etienne soon, if he hurt him -
They both said a greeting and carried on walking.
I let out the breath I was holding and let myself relax. As I watched Alfie getting closer, I got an idea. Making sure that none of his gang was following him up the path, I crouched in position and waited for him to get nearer. As he was about to walk past, I leapt out of the bush and smacked into him. He fell down, bringing me with him.
“Alright, Alf?” I asked, pinning him down with my weight.
The bastard spat in my face. I blinked, trying to clear my eye, and he used my momentary distraction to thump me one. It hurt like hell as I fell back, and through the pain in my jaw I noticed him staggering upright. I stood quickly, not wanting to give him an advantage. I couldn’t believe he’d got one over on me so easily; there was no way I was going to let him hurt me again.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” I warned him, touching my jaw to see if I could feel any damage.
“Yeah?” he spread his arms out. “I’d like to see you try. I just have to whistle and my boys’ll be here.”
I glanced back down the path. Etienne was just disappearing round a corner into the village, and I cursed as I realised I’d failed yet again. It made me even more mad. I was ready to go at him properly, no holding back, but his words made me hesitate. I could take Alfie on my own, sure, but I couldn’t handle his boys too. There were houses on the edge of the village where they could have been hiding, and I must have hesitated too long, because when Alfie spoke again his voice was even more smug than usual.
“You aren’t as subtle as you think you are. We saw you coming a mile away.”
I couldn’t lose face. “You’re lying.”
He stepped closer. “Really?”
His cocky attitude was really grating on my nerves. “Yeah,” I replied, giving him a shove to emphasise it.
He gave a whistle. At first I thought it hadn’t worked, but then a few seconds later I started seeing people moving towards us. They must have been waiting for his command.
“Fuck.”
“Run, little boy.”
I glanced over the rapidly approaching boys, assessing them in my head but knowing that it was useless.
“Not so fucking hard now, are you?” Alfie sneered.
I turned and ran.
I expected them to lay off after a few minutes, but as time stretched on I realised that they weren’t going to give up. They must have been really mad that I’d got one over on them last time, and now they were going to take advantage of me being on my own. I pushed myself to keep on running, ignoring the pain in my legs and chest. I knew that if they caught me the pain would be much worse.
I finally caught sight of the Duchamp’s farm. I clambered over the fence and fell down the other side, pushing myself back up and running towards the stables, where Alex was most likely to be.
I stopped when I was in the cool shade of the building, doubled over with my hands on my knees and tried to get my breath back. I glanced around, and that’s when I noticed Alex and the servant girl staring at me in shock. His hand was on her shoulder, their heads bent close as he was obviously comforting her about something.
“Holy fuck,” I breathed. This was going to be good.
They sprang apart. “Will,” Alex said, his voice angry as he approached me.
I held a hand up. “Wait.” I stumbled to the edge of the building and peered around it. Alfie and his boys had stopped at the fence, though they were still yelling about what a coward I was. Alex yanked me back by the arm.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I was-” it was hard to say too many words when I was panting so hard. I gave up, collapsing against the wall behind me and sliding to the floor as I struggled to catch my breath.
Alex thankfully left off when he saw what a state I was in, turning instead to the girl and suggesting that she should leave. She glanced at me as she walked past, eyes nervous. When I finally felt like my lungs weren’t trying to leap out of my chest, I smirked at Alex.
“Care to explain?”
“Do you?” he shot back.
“Got into a fight. What I didn’t know was that the bastard had his mates fucking hiding. Dirty tactics.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair. He usually only did that when he was stressed or nervous.
“Your turn,” I reminded him.
“It’s not what you think,” he said quickly. “It’s just - she found about, you know, my gambling, and she threatened to tell Mr Duchamp. I didn’t want him to fire me, I actually like this job. I knew she had a bit of a crush on me, so, I thought, if I was nice to her, she’d keep quiet.”
I didn’t quite believe him.
“Who the hell’s gonna believe the word of a servant over you?”
He fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt, an old habit that I thought he’d grown out of.
“Besides, what I just walked in on was more than you being nice.”
“Well-”
I remembered something else I’d seen. “And hold on, if that’s true, why did I see you giving her money last week?”
He paled a bit under my scrutiny. “My plan wasn’t working. I’ve started bribing her.”
“It looked like it was working pretty well a few minutes ago.”
He opened and closed his mouth, failing to give another excuse.
I stood up brusquely. “Come on, then.”
“What?”
“Show me the ropes around here.”
“What?” he repeated.
“Well I’m here now, aren’t I? I might as well work.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not,” I replied cheerfully. “Where’s the animal feed?”
He blinked at me. “You can’t be serious.”
“But I am, dear brother. I want to help.”
He looked at me disbelievingly. “You don’t. You just want to cause mischief.”
I put a hand over my heart dramatically. “How could you say such things to your own flesh and blood?”
“Just go home, Will.”
I stepped closer with a smile. “How about a preposition, then? You let me stay here and help you work, like I’m supposed to, and I won’t tell Ma and Pa about any of this.”
“They won’t believe you.”
“Well how about I bribe your servant girl to come along and so that Ma and Pa can meet her and they can make up their own minds?”
He went even paler. “Don’t.”
I smirked, knowing that I had won. “Come along, then.” I picked up a tool that was leaning against the wall. “What’s this for?”
Alex took it off me and put it back before leading the way out of the shed. I smiled to myself. I didn’t believe his lies, but there was no point in confronting him about them now. No, I decided, it would be much more fun to watch him squirm all day.
Next