Of Stormy Seas and Deafening Silences

The Shadowed Alley pt 1

(This one shot doesn't relate to the previous one. Also, possible TW) Inspired by 's "A Dark Night and a Dark Alley"

Mr Ambrose's POV
I read over the report of Miss- Mr. Linton's day. While I had been working all day, s- he had been lazing around with his friends in the park, before finally leaving them and setting off to come to his favorite chocolate shop. This place was, incidentally, just down the road from Empire house.
I tried to get back to work again, but I could not think about anything other than the stupid female. Ever since she walked into my life, I had not been able to work properly. I didn't usually wish, but I wished that I had never met her.
Do you now?
  Yes! Of course I do!
Is that why you let go of all control and almost ravished her in the rainforest?
  That was entirely her fault! I am a man, my desire was perfectly natural, she was hardly dressed!
But you've seen sparsely dressed women before, and you never gave a second thought to them.
   I- I didn't know them!
You lived in the same establishment as them for a bit, in the colonies. Remember?
She means nothing to me, alright?!
Sure, but Rikky, I just have one question.
  Oh no.
Why do you have a report of Lilly's day?
   I have a report on Mr. Linton's day because he is my secretary.
But you didn't do that for Simmons, did you?
   She is a female, she cannot be trusted. Now, shut up! You are wasting my time!
   After my internal argument, I decided to, for once, indulge in my own pleasure, and got out of my seat and look out of the window.
Waiting for someone?
  Of course not, you foolish voice! I just felt like it!
And since when do you look out of the window because you "feel like it"?
  Since now! And I thought I told you to SHUT UP.
   After a couple of wasted seconds, I saw Mr. Linton walk down the street, and come to a stop in front of my building. She- for he was, of course, in female dress- stared at what she called the "Monument to Mammon" before shaking her head and walking on. Strangely, I felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. Relieved, because, for a second, I had thought that she would come in dressed as a female, and perhaps cause a scandal, and disappointed because I wished she had come in so that I could see her, and hear her voice. How could she make me want two completely different things? It made no sense!
I stood at the window for a few more seconds, before promptly turning and walking back to my seat. My irrational feelings and desires should not have made me waste time, and I was determined not to let them do it again.
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Lilly's POV
   After an excellent day meeting my friends in the park and discussing the next suffragette rally, I decided to top my weekend off with some of the best invention in the world: chocolate. It wasn't an unusual thing for me to get chocolate on Sundays, because, although meeting with my friends at the weekend was greatly helpful, I still needed something to help me unwind after a day of being hounded by my closed-bank-vault-no-good-stupid-cold employer. As a result, I would get a hoard of the treats on Sunday and munch on them after work during the week.
As I rounded the corner onto Leadenhall street, (Is that how you spell it?) I caught sight of my workplace. Coming to a stop, I thought about entering Mammon's high temple, before shaking my head at my own idiocy and walking on.
A few doors down stood the shop and tea salon selling my one true love. I grinned from ear to ear and walked in cheerfully.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Jacobs!" I called to the Belgian man. He was my age, and often handled the shop when his father was away. He walked around the salon's counter and kissed both of my cheeks.
"Ah, the lovely Miss Linton! Good day to you, minette. I wondered when I would be seeing you!"
"Well, here I am, mon chou! Do you have my chocolates?"
He smirked at me and walked back to the counter, reaching under it to pick up a paper bag which I knew would be filled with all of my favorite treats.
"Thank you so much, mon trésor! You really are the best!"
The pet names were an inside joke between the two of us, and he had taught me a couple French ones so that we could keep it going. It had started when he heard his father call me "Ma belle", and he decided to join in, so, the next time I came around, he called me "Mon lapin". Instead of blushing, however, I had smirked at him and replied "Why thank you, darling!" Since then, we hadn't stopped doing it.
Walking forward, I grabbed some money from the small bag I had hanging from my bag and put it on the counter, reaching forward for my chocolates. At the last second, however, he pulled them away and placed them out of my reach.
"Mr. Jacobs! Why? I thought you loved me!" I exclaimed dramatically.
"First, très chère, call me Alexandre. Mr. Jacobs makes me sound like my father. Secondly, before you grabbed your treats and ran off to eat them, I thought that perhaps you would like to test something with me."
My curiosity flared up. "For the first point, fine, but only if call me Lilly. For the second, you have made me curious. What do you wish to try, mon amour?" I asked.
"Well, mon ange, recently, my father acquired a rather charming new cocoa powder machine and cacao seeds, and, although I have served some hot chocolate for my customers, I have not yet tried the new version myself. I was wondering if you would like to have some with me? On the house."
"Well, chéri, how could a poor maiden such as myself resist the assault of such an offer? I accept, Alex, with great pleasure!" I said, sitting down on one of the stools in front of the counter.
He raised an eyebrow at me while preparing the elegant machine. "Alex? Really, mon chat?
"Alexandre is too long, my love, so I shortened it."
He huffed, taking the now-ready powder out of the machine and boiling the milk. "Well fine. If that's how you want to play then, Liana."
I stared at him, startled. "Liana? That's a new one!"
He grinned at me. "Well, my dear, I decided that since you are the only one to call me Alex, I would give you an original nickname as well. And so, mon bijou, from Lillian comes Lilliana, which becomes Liana!"
I mulled it over. "Liana," I mused, "I like it. It's... different."
He gave me a warm smile that reached all the way to his dark brown eyes as he started pouring the powder in the bubbling milk, before pouring the finished hot chocolate in two mugs.
"There you are, chaton! Let's cheers!"
We clinked our mugs together and started drinking the liquid delight. The drink traveled in my body, warming me up and heating my insides. We both groaned simultaneously at the pleasure.
"Alex, mon beau, this is heaven in a mug!"
"I agree, Liana. I must admit, I didn't believe in God before, but there is is no possible way that this was not created by a divine entity."
"I completely agree with you, darling."
We continued drinking and talking for a bit longer until I had to leave. Alex gave me my bag of chocolates and we said our goodbyes.
I left the salon, but, halfway down the street, I heard someone calling "Liana, wait!"
I turned around to see Alexandre running towards me with a second small bag in his hand. I looked at home, confused, and waited for him to catch up to me. When he did, he was slightly out of breath, but that didn't stop him from shoving the bag towards me. I stared at it curiously.
"It's some of the cocoa powder, mon amour. It will help you warm up when you get home. Don't worry about paying, it's a gift from me to you, Linette."
I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He did not hesitate to hug me back.
"Thank you so much Xander! You really are the best, lapinou!"
His arms immediately dropped as he stared at me in exasperation.
"Xander? Really?"
"Linette? Really?" I answered in the same tone as him, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
He chuckled, ruffling my hair and making me slap his hand.
"Au revoir, mon cur." He told me.
"Goodbye, my heart." I repeated.
We both smiled before turning and going our separate ways. It was only when I turned the corner that a filthy hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed my wrist.
"ALEXANDRE!" I screamed.
*************************************
Mr. Ambrose POV
   I worked for most of the afternoon, trying, (and mostly failing) to put a certain Miss Lillian Linton out of my head. After an hour of (not so) very  productive working, my thoughts wandered back to my time with a special Ifrit in the jungle. My body seemed to start to grow hot, possibly remembering the high humidity there.         
   As it seemed to be impossible for me to work, I decided to stop wasting time and simply return to my house, which, contrary to most beliefs, was not Empire House, but a small townhouse half an hour away. In Empire House, I only had a tiny room hidden behind the bookshelf in my office.
   Leaving the building, I saw a dark-haired man with a perfectly trimmed stubble walking with his head up high, and, on the opposite side of the street, a slightly short brunette with her back to me also holding her head high happily. They were perhaps lovers, but it was of no import to me. The woman rounded the corner, and I started walking the same way as the man. That's when I heard it. A scream, which almost sent shivers down my spine.
  "ALEXANDRE!" Followed by a slap.
   The man turned back, a wild look of fear in his eyes.
    "LIANA! Non, non, non, non, non, non!" He screamed back, before starting to run.
   I could have let him go alone, but I didn't know if he had any fighting experience, and, I knew that I could never let a woman be taken against her will. So, I ran after him.
   Just as I arrived at the corner of the road, I saw the ends of his tailcoat turn down on a side alley. The sound of another muffled scream and another slap echoed ahead. This continued for five more alleys, before he came to a stop next to another small alley. He struggled to get his breath back as tears poured out of his eyes.
   "Non, Liana pourquoi?" I heard him whisper. For some strange reason, I felt something akin to compassion flow through me, which forced me to raise my hand a lay it on his shoulder. What was happening to me? Feelings?
(Possible TW, I'm not sure. So... yeah, just in case)
    I shook my head to rid myself of my thoughts, and instead peered around the corner to look into the next alley. In that one, there was a struggling heap of petticoats and skirts on the floor with a head of brown hair sticking out. In front of the lady was a man who seemed to be fiddling with his belt buckle. My blood ran cold. Was he starting, or finishing? Then I saw him open it. That was good. It meant that he was only starting, and hadn't yet violated the woman.
   I turned back to look at the man.
   "Listen!" I hissed. He looked at me, confused. "There, in that alley, is your lady. There is also a man there, but he hasn't taken advantage of her yet, so pull yourself together and help me save her!"
   He looked up at me, determination burning in his eyes. We both turned to look at the woman and scum when we heard a slap. Bastard!
    Then I saw two paper bags on the floor, miraculously still shut. Written on them were the words 'Jacobs Marvelous Chocolates'. That was my Ifrit's favorite chocolate shop! And the lady had brown hair! It was a big leap to make, but I had to ask anyway.
   "Is the lady's name, by any chance, Lillian Linton?" I whispered to the man that the woman had called Alexandre.
    He was trembling with rage at the scene before us, but still managed to answer me "Yes. How did  you know?"
  "Lillian!" I choked on air.
   Miss Linton screamed again in fear as the scum started to ruffle up her skirts. He slapped her again to make her fall silent, and she whimpered in terror. He was touching MY Lillian! And what was worse was that he was making my brave Ifrit scared! Then, he forcibly kissed her, hard on the lips as she struggled to get away from beneath him. That was the moment when I lost all sense on control. I leaped out onto the street and ran towards them. The man broke the 'kiss' and looked at me, seemingly terrified. He should be.
   "S-sir w-we could sh-share her if y-you like!" He stuttered. "You c-could even h-have a f-first if you p-prefer!"
   My fist met his face. I started beating him up, and only stopped when I heard Lillian whimper. My head snapped towards her, and I saw, for the first time, that, while I was beating the attempted rapist senseless, she had curled up in a ball and Alexandre was comforting her. I let the man drop to the floor, unconscious, and  ran up to them. I heard Alexandre whispering to her.
  "Don't worry, mon amour, it's alright. Shh, yes, it's okay mon lapin, the strong man, the one who seems to know you.
Lillian mumbled something.
"Oui, mon chou, I know that you were scared. It's alright. Everything's okay."
"But Xander, how can it be? That man h-he tried t-to-"
"Sh. I know, Linette."
I felt a little like I was intruding on a private conversation, but that had never stopped me before, and it wouldn't stop me now. Besides, he wasn't courting her, so he had no right to call her those pet names.
Are you sure?
Yes! Lillian would never let anyone court her! Anyway, she's MINE!
I'm not so sure. You've never courted her, and just listen to what they're saying!
I huffed, but decided to listen to the voice's advice.
"-ll get through it all, mon trésor." the man was saying," You're a woman! Long live the Queen! Long live suffragism! Remember?"
What? How did he now about that?! I continued eavesdropping to find out more as Lillian gave a weak laugh.
"Only you could make me laugh in this state. Thank you, mon amour."
The last two words were like a sword piercing my heart. Hard. Painful. Devastating.
You see, Rikky, you were too hard, too cold. You left it too long, and now she belongs to another.
To its credit, the voice seemed sympathetic.
You've lost her, Rikkard.

No. I was always the winner. I always came out on top. I would win her back.
I walked up to the two lovers and gave them my iciest glare. Alexandre immediately jumped away from Miss Linton and regarded me warily. The lady in question, however, took a moment to focus on me.
"Xander, who is it?" She asked, curling in on herself again.
"This is the man who helped save you, darling" he answered.
My eyes narrowed by 0.2 mm at the pet name, but I said nothing. Miss Linton focus on me.
"Mr- Mr. Ambrose?!" She said quietly in shock.
I remain silent, only striding forward, kneeling down, and picking her up in my arms, like in the jungle. Except that, this time, when I touched her, she flinched back. Alexandre looked as if he were about to protest, but I shut up with a glare. I stood back up and started walking towards Empire house. Alexandre quickly bent down to pick up the chocolate bags before hurrying after me.
When I arrived, I simply kicked open the door, and let it shut behind me.
"Wait!" Shouted Alexandre, The louder noise making the shivering women in my arms cringe. My arms instinctively held her tighter, which made her freeze up.
"Mon trésor," he murmured, bending down to kiss the forehead of the woman in my arms. My eyes narrowed.
"I cannot stay, although I would like nothing more, but I have to go back to the shop. Can I leave you with this man, do you trust him?"
Miss Linton nodded,
"Alright Linette. Don't forget, you can come and see me any day at any time."
"Thank you, Alex." She whispered.
He then turned towards me.
Give her this mixed in hot milk," he said, thrusting one of the chocolate bags into my hand. "And give her some of these with the hot chocolate as well." He told me, giving me the other bag. I gave him one curt nod.
He then left, leaving me with the hysterical female. I made my way to the stairs, and walked up them. When I finally arrived at my office, I opened the door and set her in the visitors chair in front of my desk. Leaving her there, I walked downstairs with the chocolate bag and started boiling some milk in the kitchen, thoughts swirling around in my head. Was Miss Linton in love with Alexandre? Did she not feel anything for me?
The hot chocolate now done, I made my way back upstairs and prepared to deal with a terrified and crying female.
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So, what did you think? I was going to stop it when she screamed "ALEXANDRE!" But nah. Please click that little star and comment. Thanks!
Chloe0z