Work Text:
The Slipper Thief
....
Useless.
He threw the book down on the couch with uncharacteristic frustration. He could usually regain his composure and focus by reading for awhile, but today nothing helped. Every time he tried to read a sentence his mind slipped back to the documents and the revelations they might hold... how they would change the relationships between them... how this precious alliance of strange and damaged souls could be lost in a single moment.
He would certainly be the one to destroy it.
Once the truth of Isaac's whereabouts were revealed, Omnibus would order him to finish the mission and "erase the mistakes." If he did as he was ordered, they would all despise him... though not nearly as much as he would despise himself. If he didn't do as he was ordered and disaster struck again...
Saint dropped his head in his hands. The agonizing mixture of self loathing, anger and despair threatened to consume him. He didn't know anymore which was worse. He didn't even know what was right or wrong. He had been told that his only path to salvation was to follow Omnibus' orders unquestioningly and keep correcting humanity's mistakes- he had even believed it- But now...
He rubbed his forehead. Perhaps a walk would settle his mind.
He put on his right slipper, but when he reached for the left one--
"Not again." Saint sighed, crouching down to search for his missing slipper in vain hope that it had merely been pushed further underneath the chair. But of course it wasn't there. Nor under the couch, behind his desk or between the boxes of books.
Since he doubted Lupin would have a reason to steal one of his slippers, that left his smallest, furriest apprentice as the likeliest culprit.
He opened the door and walked gingerly out into the hall barefoot, hoping that Impey hadn't dropped any screws or bolts dashing from one project to another. Saint was numb to most pain, but finding a stray bolt with his bare feet was still particularly excruciating... and it happened much too often.
Still, he couldn't be angry at the furry thief. Sisi always looked after everyone. If someone was feeling sad or anxious, he would always make sure to find the right person to help them. He even warned Saint when the other apostles were spying on them. Normal dogs couldn't sense apostles when they wished to remain unseen. Even he couldn't always sense Guinevere when she didn't want him to know she was there, but Sisi could. To his knowledge, only Omnibus's dog, Lilith could do such a thing.
He shook his head. It was hardly an important topic to be occupying his attention. None of the people in his house were the least bit normal. It was unsurprising that their dog wasn't normal, either.
He thought he knew where Sisi was leading him. To the person he most wanted to spend time with... to the person he least should spend time with.
His suspicions were confirmed by an overturned lamp near the door to Cardia's room, and a faint paw print on the border of the carpet in front of her door.
"As expected." Saint murmured. Despite everything, Sisi often wanted him to visit Cardia lately. He didn't know why. It seemed to him that anyone else would have been a better choice for Cardia's sake. He pushed aside the mixture of joy and anguish that seeing her face brought him, ever more strongly as the days passed, and knocked on the door to find it already slightly ajar.
"Miss Cardia?" he called gently, "Is everything all right?"
".... Oh, good morning, Saint. Yes, I-I'm all right."
She didn't sound all right. He knew she also hoped for and dreaded what the documents they had won in the race would hold. He wished hopelessly that they could forget all about them and everything would stay just as it was. "May I come in?"
"Yes... of course."
He pushed the door open to find his slipper on the floor and the little thief lying triumphantly on the bed. Sisi wagged his stub of a tail and gave a self-satisfied bark when he saw Saint.
Cardia turned from the desk where she was reading. Her face was pale and her beautiful eyes were deeply troubled. His heart, if he still could be said to have one, ached abominably. He wanted to tell her it would be okay... but he had lied to her enough. He wondered if his own face looked the same behind his habitual mask.
"What is the matter, Miss Cardia?"
"Oh... it's nothing. I was just studying." she said unconvincingly.
Something in her expression said she wasn't quite ready to tell him, so he nodded as if he believed her, "Apparently Sisi thinks my slipper will cheer you up."
Cardia turned to the shameless Corgi, "Sisi! How many times have I told you not to take people's things!?"
Sisi's ears drooped with an expression of false contrition, but his tail still wagged happily.
"Hehe. No harm done. Would you mind helping me shelve some books that I received the other day? I can offer tea and biscuits when we finish."
Cardia's innocently expressive face brightened, "Yes, of course! You have done so much for me... I am always happy to help you."
"I am glad to hear it." he said lightly, suppressing the pain her words brought him. "Then shall we go, my lady?" he offered her his arm.
Cardia tentatively put her hand on his arm. Saint could see that she was happier. He felt happier, too, if he could dare admit it to himself. Even if such happiness at spending time with Cardia was the last thing he deserved to have.
Feeling unaccustomedly rebellious, Saint pushed it all aside, tucked Cardia's hand beneath his arm and smiled down at her. Even if it was wrong or selfish and he didn't deserve it, he would enjoy the afternoon spent in the company of this gentle girl with a lively and strong spirit. He would do his best to ease her burdens and sorrows for as long as he could.
Cardia's eyes widened, "Your smile is beautiful," she said softly, "I have never seen you smile like that before."
"Have I not? Then it must surely be because of how happy I am to be with you now." he said, telling the complete truth for once. He impulsively took her hand and kissed it through the glove.
Cardia blushed and smiled shyly. He wondered what it would be like to be able to love her, to show her all he knew... to protect her from everything and everyone who would ever do her harm.
How would he protect her from her cursed blood? From the iron chains binding his own soul? From Fate itself?
He didn't know. He only knew that this afternoon was theirs, and he would make the very most of it he could... and Cardia's eyes had a light in them that was not there before. Yes, for just this moment, that was all that mattered.
Sisi barked cheerfully, his mission accomplished. He grabbed the slipper and trotted out the door, leading the way back to Saint's library.
.....
Fin