House of Anubis: House of Mistakes

Part XII

"Wow, I'm impressed," Eddie said, unimpressed, as Alfie explained what had happened. Why did he have to go sticking his nose into things that didn't concern him? Eddie wanted nothing more than to throttle Alfie right there, or maybe slap that proud grin off his face. But he had to hold back, keep up the act and remain the strong leader Sibuna desperately needed to function. It wasn't too hard—he was still the Osirian, after all, even if his powers had left him high and dry at the first sign of trouble. Ammut's right— Osiris is a coward. "I'm sorry I tried to brush off your concern. If I'd known..."

"It's okay, mate," Alfie reassured him. "I just had to save her. Frobisher— who is a teensy bit creepy, and a little bit mad, by the way— was really angry with her."

Patricia patted Alfie's arm. "He was probably upset he couldn't get to her," she said, fighting back a yawn. She'd lost count of how many nights she'd gone without a harrowing nightmare to keep her awake. "Alfie, you're a hero."

Alfie turned to her with a raised eyebrow and a steadily growing grin. "Did I just hear that right? Trixie the Goth Pixie just called me, Alfie Lewis, a hero?" Fabian stifled a laugh when Alfie clutched at his chest. "Be still my beating heart."

"Oh, shut up," Patricia scoffed, but she couldn't help but smile back. She really was being sincere, but now that she was being teased... "I take it back. It was a fluke."

"No takesies-backsies!" Alfie said, reaching out to tickle her vulnerable midsection.

"Alfie!" she yelped, suddenly wide awake. She batted his hands away while Fabian watched them fondly. "Stop it, you big baby!" They were both laughing so hard that it took them a minute to register Eddie impatiently clearing his throat.

Alfie and Patricia shifted sheepishly, and she suddenly remembered the previous year when Eddie had been actually jealous of Alfie. She grimaced apologetically. Now wasn't really the time to be dredging up any old problems.

Eddie, satisfied that they weren't having anymore fun, continued with his feigned apology. "Alfie, I really am sorry we didn't help you out; I just didn't think they'd go after her. And you're sure they didn't know it was you?"

Alfie nodded, but Fabian eyed him skeptically. "Alfie, are you sure? I mean, you got away, you're safe, but I know you too well. They have no idea it was you?"

Well, that was slightly offensive. "Please, I know how to pull off a rescue mission, thank you very much," Alfie replied. "I left not a trace..." Wait a second. He patted his empty pocket and winced. Fuck. "Except my pen... which has my name on it."

Patricia facepalmed in exasperation, and Fabian's eyes blew wide. "You have a personalized pen?!" he shouted, and Alfie looked anywhere but at him, positively mortified.

However, Eddie wasn't too concerned. Thank you, Alfie, he thought smugly, watching his team with the faintest hint of a smirk. I can work with that.

—

This bit is really intense, KT mused as she watched Jerome and Joy do a read-through of one of the work-in-progress scenes. Maybe that's what Mara and Joy were talking about this morning with that Operation Jerome stuff... Oh, wow they're really going for it, aren't they?

Joy and Jerome were indeed going for it, mouths moving together in a way that was a little too real for it to just be acting. KT had had some stage kisses before, but none had ever looked like that.

Sometimes she wished someone would kiss her like that. All wet mouths and warm hands, urgent and unifying. Someone to hold you close and block out the rest of the world that would never accept you. Someone popped into her mind unbidden, and she glanced guiltily over where Patricia and Eddie were standing with their hands discreetly clasped. She shut her eyes for a moment to block out the image. Like she'd said before, she was happy for them... but it didn't mean she couldn't ever think about it. Besides, even if Patricia seemed hesitant to label her a traitor, why would she ever want to kiss her when she had Eddie?