35: Gilded Cage

Your eyes are closed. Your ears are pricked. You wait.

There are footsteps. Those ones belong to Kenny—you can tell because of their unhurried gait and impressive weight. Caven's footsteps haven't been around for a while.

A door creaks. Then it's quiet.

Farther away, another door opens. Those wind chimes jingle their bitter greeting.

Faintly, you hear Kenny's unflattering voice. "Afternoon."

"You fucker."

There's Levi. He's here at last.

You open your mouth, ready to scream.

"Give her back."

"She's not a toy, Levi."

"Where is she?!"

"Don't get so riled. Talk to me for a sec—"

Bodies collide as someone attacks another. Items topple from shelves, then a light human frame slams into a solid countertop. Levi's, "Fuck!" suggests he lost the short scuffle.

"She's here," Kenny promises. "She'll probably start cryin' for you any second."

"Then let me see her."

"I will, once you cooperate."

"Fine," Levi rasps. "What the fuck do you want?"

Kenny's voice lowers to a level you can't make out. They speak, back and forth, discussing something secret and crucial to their relationship. You are but an outsider right now.

The door creaks again. Two steps of footsteps now: Levi's stiff, furious ones and Kenny's stalking ones. Uncle and nephew wander through the backroom, coming to your cell.

You open your eyes, gluing them to the door. Levi's here—he's right on the other side of that panel.

And when Kenny slides open the deadbolt and pushes it open, you lock eyes with your mentor. You see the same eyes you've always known, though now they are poisoned with terror. Rage and fear burn in his aura, strangling you in his presence.

You swallow down nothing and part dry lips. "Le—"

"Intern." His voice is stern, almost booming, but it's laced with worry, too. He appears horrified yet brave, angry yet thankful. Within an instant he's crossed to you, extending hands to cup your face.

They hold you like iron, more so than the metal cuffs binding you. You're caught in his palms, wincing as his fingertips press into your skin.

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no."

"Don't lie to me. If he so much as scratched you—"

"I'm not lying." You try to work your jaw free to no avail. His grip is brutal. "I'm okay, Levi."

"Ease up," Kenny sighs. "You're going to burst her damn skull."

"Shut the fuck up," Levi spits over his shoulder. "And get out. Leave us alone."

"Yeah, that's a fuckin' bright idea. I'll give you the handcuff key while I'm at it, hm?" Kenny shakes his head. "She's alive and well—you happy? Let's get back to talkin'."

"I'm not done." Levi nearly sounds like a child taken from a playdate prematurely. "I want more time with her."

"Fuckin' hell," Kenny grumbles. "Fine. You've got ten minutes, then I want you out front. One second late, and she's losing a foot."

You shudder.

"I'll be there." Levi's confirmation is remarkably servile coming from him; only to Kenny would he defer so much.

"And use protection," Kenny quips before shutting the door, isolating you and Levi.

Scoffing, Levi overlooks the comment. You're just grateful to be alone with your savior.

"Levi," you start. "We need to get out—"

"Shh." He shakes his head while blanketing your lips with his palm. "We can't do that. Walking out of this shop isn't as easy as it seems."

You smell his aura, taste his skin. Subjugated under him like so many times before, you wonder if this grasp of his is fueled by protection or possession.

Either way, the safety upon being in his presence is dwindling. Now that he's here, it's time to go—but he's saying otherwise.

"Give me a moment," he requests. "It's horrible, but Kenny has the power here. We can't do anything rash until I'm certain of the situation."

Reasonable, you admit. Your cheek scrunches against his fingertips as you try to speak. He doesn't allow it yet.

"You're not hurt, so that's a relief. He hasn't been torturing you just for the hell of it or anything."

You're still kidnapped and imprisoned, though. This isn't necessarily a jolly picnic either.

"And you look...good. Brave, I mean. You've still got that stubborn gleam in your eye."

It's uplifting praise, though it's a little unnecessary right now. Having a certain aura isn't going to unlock your handcuffs.

Everything Levi is saying is ever so slightly askew. Just a centimeter away from the mark, a smidge too unusual to find comforting.

You jerk your head back until he finally drops his grip. "Levi," you start again. "I'm just glad you're here. I—I really can't stand being here anymore. I want to get out."

"I know you do." He puts a hand on your hair, soothing his shriveled kitten. "We need to take our time, though. I'm not going to put you in danger by trying to sprint out of here."

"How long, then?" With shrugged shoulders, you waver between accepting his touch or rejecting it. "When will we find a chance? The longer I'm here...fuck, I can't stand another second. I just want to go home."

"Eventually," he guesses. "This won't be permanent."

You have to tell yourself that he's trying. He's being cautious, not dismissive. To assume his actions are meticulous rather than lazy makes your heart feel better.

"Please stay with me. Don't...don't leave me alone."

"I won't. I'll be here for you as much as I can." He promises his presence—possession over you. Safety, but not escape. "I'm going to talk with him and see what he wants. I have to know what his plans are before I try anything."

Never have you heard Levi so timid. Everything always seems to be in his control; every force at his command. Underneath his uncle, he loses any sense of authority.

"Will you be okay if I go talk to him?"

You don't have much of a choice. "Yeah. Just come back quick."

"I will." He tousles your hair, sweet and docile, before stepping away. "Wait for me."

Soon, a murmured conversation stirs from beyond the door. You can't even make out their words, using only the rumble of their voices as a dull melody to pass the time. Soon, Kenny's ragged tone outlasts Levi's, detailing something thoroughly to his nephew. There's an occasional punctuated scoff from Levi, but otherwise he has nothing to say.

After several minutes, the windchimes sing their tune as the front door opens. It closes.

One or both of them left. You wait to hear whose footsteps remain.

After a moment, a heavy frame plods through the backroom. Kenny's still here; Levi isn't.

You scoff to yourself. Levi left already? Right after promising he'd stay with you, he up and vanished. As far as valiant knights go, his armor is far from shining.

"Kenny," you call out. "Kenny, where's Levi?"

The devil doesn't answer you. His steps are lazy, his actions slow. Whatever he's doing out there, it's of no real urgency.

"Did he leave?"

Fruitless. You sigh.

After another eternity, the windchimes greet their familiar friend. Someone comes into the backroom—then right into your cell.

"Levi," you greet, your voice a mix of irritation and relief.

The professor carries a bundle of fabric and a plastic bag. He sets the bag on the ground—no real furniture to use as a desktop—before taking the sheets to the mattress.

"Fuck, this is shitty." Wincing at your stupid bed, he spreads a fitted sheet over its face and works on dressing it up to hide the stains and tears.

You watch, and for a moment you can't believe what you're seeing. He's making your bed? Of all the actions to take right now, he's deciding to spruce up your repulsive cage? What the hell is compelling him to take this route?

"Levi," you call again, demanding his attention. "Why—why are you doing that?"

His eyes remain focused on his work. "What do you mean, why? Do you want to sleep on a shit-stained mattress?"

"No. Of course not!"

"Exactly. So I'm—"

"I don't want to sleep on anything here!" you clarify, anger coiling in your chest. "I don't want to be here! Why would you make the bed like...like this is permanent? This isn't what we should be doing!"

"Oi." Levi whips his head over his shoulder, firing a glare that commands you to shut up. He flicks that sharp gaze to the door, making sure his uncle isn't within earshot. "You need to keep your voice down," he husks. "If Kenny thinks we're conspiring, I won't get to see you at all."

You say nothing, frightened into silence, as he finishes making your bed. You're pissed, but you're also acutely aware of what power lies behind that glare, and thus it stays burned into your mind even minutes after it left your sight.

"Okay." Levi drops a fresh pillow on the bed and fixes the single blanket he brought. "Better than nothing. Now—here, I picked up some food for you."

"What the fuck," you mutter as he searches through the bag. He's already taking over Kenny's duty: feeding the prisoner. Does he really become brainwashed that easily? Or is he that wary of Kenny's power, that reluctant to attempt a breakout?

"What? It's nothing great, to be fair, but you have to eat." He stands before you, holding a lidded water cup. "And drink, too. Here, have some water."

You, again, hesitate. Even if it's Levi this time, you're not ecstatic about eating and drinking at intervals like a dog in a shelter. You give the tiniest shake of your head as you draw your eyes elsewhere.

"C'mon, idiot. Just take a sip." He waits a few moments, expecting a form of consent that never comes. "I brought something small from that Greek place, too. Giouvetsi. I think you'll like it."

You want to scream at him, to let him know how ridiculous it is to be excited for takeout meals and clean bedding as if it all isn't taking place in a prison. He's too tolerant, already accepting of the situation and fitting into the role.

Practicing level-headedness, you just sigh. "This is not what I want to be doing, Levi. I want to go home. I don't want to eat anything or sleep on any sort of bed here. I just want to get out."

He doesn't react with wrath, thankfully. He joins you in your well of sorrow, shedding the indifference he's been maintaining.

A foot plants itself on the outside of your leg, then his whole frame leans closer. His hand cups your jaw, holding it between itself and the cheek he presses against your temple.

"I know," his lips breathe into your ear. "I don't want to be here either. I want to take you back to my place and keep you protected from the shithead just outside this room. Trust me, there's nothing I want more than that."

It feels good to hear that. For once, you and Levi are thinking the same thing.

"But I can't," he stresses, his fingers tense with worry as he cards them into your hair. "Kenny is stricter than ever and I know what he can and will do to me—to us. I can't gamble with your safety."

You go quiet, trusting his word enough to appreciate his touch. If you allow it to soothe you, it will.

"So, please." As he speaks, he rests his chin atop your skull. "Please bear with me. Above all else, I need to keep you safe. Running stupid risks is not something I can do right now."

You trust him. You have to. There's no other choice.

"Will you stay strong for me? This won't be permanent, I promise."

It's time to acquiesce. The only person alive that can help you is here, and you can't make him a villain forever. "I'll stay strong."

"Good girl." Petting your hair, he shifts back and tries again to offer you the cup. "Now drink your water."

At this point, you're too exhausted to feel insulted about the dehumanizing command. You just lower your head and take the straw past your lips.

The same continues as he brings a bowl of small pasta and beef out and offers you a spoonful. You just eat without thought, trying to envelope yourself in the comfort of a nebulous man. He should be trustworthy, but for a brief moment you wonder if you're just trying to convince yourself of that. The alternative—knowing he can't be relied on—leaves you far worse off and thus you refuse to believe it. It's better to do as you're told: eat, stay quiet, and stay strong.

After your pathetic dinnertime, Kenny calls to Levi from the other room and in an instant Levi is gone. Silence reigns for a while, numbing your senses.

Then Kenny comes in and relocates you to the bed, telling you it's time to get some shut-eye. It's unbelievable to think that, given that the snow outside is still brightly lit in the glow of an afternoon sun. Far from nightfall, but you're sent to bed like a disobedient child.

Left alone, you slip under the blanket, fixing it with the lone hand that isn't tethered to the bed frame. As you get reasonably comfortable, you hear Levi's footsteps come to the door.

Then you hear Kenny. "No, kid. Get away from the door."

"The hell? I can go in and see her, can't I?"

"You can tomorrow. Go home and get some sleep. Be back here before the sun rises."

"I'm not leaving. That's dangerous."

"You're not going in there. I don't need you two sleeping together—or plotting a way out together. At night, you're not gonna see her."

"That's stupid. Seriously—"

"Don't call me stupid, boy." Kenny's voice is gruff, filled with enough threat to silence Levi. "And don't waste my time bitching about it. Go home."

"I...don't want to go home."

"Go home. Sleep and get a change of clothes. I want you here first thing tomorrow, before you go to the university."

You perk up. Thoughts of Paradis sound wonderful right now, a cozy respite to think about. Returning there would be nice—but anywhere that isn't here already meets that standard.

"Paradis?" Levi asks. "Why?"

"You work there," Kenny informs matter-of-factly. "And there's only so many days you can take off of work."

"Oh, you care about that?"

"I care about keepin' everything underground. Nobody needs to know you came here—or will continue to come here. The little professor needs to keep teaching his little classes so nobody suspects anything."

"And what about my intern? People will notice she's missing."

"She's just an intern. Paradis isn't going to crumble because she's not around."

You roll your eyes.

"People will still ask," Levi points out.

"Then you'll make something up. You'll do anything necessary to make sure nobody looks into it. Is that clear?"

"You can't seriously expect me to cover up a kidnapping—"

"Is that clear, Levi?!"

The shop goes still. You curl in, clutching the pillow, your body tense.

Seconds creep by. You can only wonder what Levi's face is showing.

"That's clear," the nephew mumbles.

"Good. Now go home."

"Let me..." Levi trails off. There's a second during which he must be rethinking. "Can I speak with her before I go?"

"Outside the door. Don't touch the lock." Kenny's footsteps drift away.

You shoot up, baited by the notion of a small conversation with Levi. It won't be much, but at this point you'll snatch any chance you can get. Beggars cannot be choosers.

"Levi." You shift to the edge of your bed, squinting at the base of the door.

"Hey." Levi's voice is closer, but still far away. "Look, I'm sorry—did you hear all that?"

"I did, yeah."

"I see." His voice lowers, dropping to a seated position against the door. "I...I have to go. Kenny isn't letting me stay here."

"I wish you didn't have to."

"Me too. I'd feel miserable leaving you with him."

"He...doesn't come in this room at night, at least. He didn't last night."

"That's good." Levi doesn't seem to take much comfort in that. "I won't get any sleep tonight, anyway. I'd rather just stay here." He sighs, his composure withered. "I'm going back to Paradis, too. I have to take care of our classes. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay. If anyone asks about you, I'll sort it out. I'll come to the pawn shop any chance I get."

"...Okay."

"Levi!" Kenny's voice calls. "Out. You're not spending any longer here tonight."

"I'm sorry," Levi whispers. "Get some sleep, intern. Stay strong for me."

He leaves, muttering something to his uncle before the front door swings open in his path. Gone from the shop, he trusts his uncle alone with his treasured intern, left with no choice but to obey the rules made for him.

You only turn over in your bed and sigh, placing a bet on which of the two of you will get less sleep.