Fugitive, Guard

Putting her hands in her skirt pockets, Katie Zima walked quietly for a while. I don’t have duty tomorrow.. Maybe I can go back to the Rowdy Raven for a few more drinks. She looked up when she heard ravens cawing at each other. Smiling softly, she made her way to the bar again, taking much less time than it took to get her friend out. Sitting back down, she ordered another drink, listening contentedly to the music and chattering.

             "Hello there." Said a voice.

She glanced to the side, doing a double take when she realized that the mans hair was the same red as someone she recognized. The eyepatch, too, complete with the half open, button-up shirt that the maids described him with. Dr. Devorak. She smiled slightly. Play it cool, Zima. “Hi."

“How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m good, handsome. How about you?”

      “I’m swell.”

“That’s good. Do you have a particular reason for interrupting me and my Salty Bitters?”

    “I just wanted to say you are quite possibly the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” the man smiled. It was teasing, impish almost, but it suited him.

Katie blushed slightly, “I’m sure a handsome devil like you has said that to many women, but thank you.”

     “Nope, just you, sweetheart.”

“I’ll believe you. What name might a man like you go by?”

“Julian Devorak, you?”

“Katie Zima. It’s nice to meet you, Julian Devorak.” Katie’s green eyes sparkled, mirroring the smile on her face. I have officially met Doctor Julian Devorak at a bar in downtown Vesuvia! The doctor smiled, as he stepped closer.

“Would you like to dance, Katie?”

“Dance?” She glanced away, “I’m not much of a dancer..”

     “That’s ok. I can teach you.”

This is so not happening! “Alright then,” she held her hand out for him to take, “Teach me, Mr. Devorak.”

“Please, call me Julian. We can start with a tango.”

“Rather interesting choice.”

“Yes. Just follow my lead.”

Katie hesitated ever so slightly before letting Julian pull her along. She could feel the eyes of the other patrons on her back, but she tried to focus on how he was leading her. And how warm he was, and how he was holding her.. She wanted to smack herself. She was dancing with a fugitive! A hot, pirate-looking one, yeah, but still!

“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll lead you along.” said the doctor.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Of course.”

Eventually, they forgot about everyone around them. Katie let herself slip into his control completely, resting her head against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, relaxing, and in beat with the music. Hers definitely wasn’t. After dancing, he decided to be a gentleman.

“May I buy you a drink?”

“Of course you may.”

“What would you like?”

“Just a Salty Bitters.”

“A Salty Bitter, huh? I would’ve thought something else.”

“They’re the only one I dared to try, so I’m trying to stick with it.” Katie sat on one of the barstools, face still slightly flushed from moving and from her drinks.

“Ok, if you say so.” the girl motioned to the barstool next to her, beckoning for him to sit down. He sat next to her and ordered himself a drink, sliding hers toward her as well.

The green-eyed girl took the beer. “So what do you do for a living, Julian? Are you a dancer?”

“Heh, no. I’m just living my life as a free man.”

“A free man with no job? Interesting.”

“Yup. It’s a fun life.”

“I’d imagine so. Do you only come here in your free life or do you have other hobbies?”

“I come here whenever.”

She raised a playful eyebrow at him, “Daydrinker, huh?”

His free eye glittered in response, “Yup.”

“I would be too if, alas, I didn’t have a job.”

“What’s your job?”

She glanced away. She couldn’t tell a fugitive that she was a guard! He’d think she was here to arrest him! Well, technically, she was, but she didn’t want to. “I’m a street singer,” she said finally, “I play ukulele and sing to on-goers at the market.”

“Fun, what songs do you perform?” the doctor asked.

“Whatever ones I feel like. Most of them don’t have names.”

“Oh, well. I bet you do wonderfully at that.”

“Why don’t you come see for yourself?” she smiled warmly, “If I don’t have too bad of a hangover tomorrow, I should be by the marketplace entrance.”

“I’ll see you then, darling.” Julian replied.

Katie blushed again at the word ‘darling’, “You’re just the biggest flatterer in Vesuvia, aren’t you, Julian?”

“I guess I am. But, you really are beautiful. I’ll see you sometime...”

“Tomorrow,” she assured him, standing, “I’ll take my leave so I don’t drink to much and not show. It was very nice meeting you. It really was.”

“It was lovely meeting you, too, Katie.” the doctor replied.

Katie brought her hand to her lips, touching her kissed fingers to his cheek before leaving. As soon as she left the South End, she covered her hands with her mouth and squealed.

I think I just fell in love with Julian Devorak!

* * *

The Marketplace was busy the next morning, and the ground was uncomfortable. But, Katie had already committed and even tuned her uke, so she didn’t really have a choice. She started strumming and singing the first song that popped into her head. A, A5, A, Amaj7. Repeat. Repeat. The lyrics flowed out easily, effortlessly, perfectly.

“She knows this feeling all too well, / She feels her heart begin to swell, / Handsome stranger, / You have made her insides turn to jelly~.” She looked down as people started glancing over, letting her copper hair hide her face. “She wants to dance around the room, / Kiss you until your lips turn blue, / But handsome stranger, / You have made her wonder... Is she pretty?” Katie tilted her head up again, gaining confidence. She looked at the shoes of the passers. A few pairs of sandals, some barefoot, a pair of black leather boots..

“Well, look who it is. Hey, Katie.” said Julian from above the boots.

She jumped slightly, looking up, smiling at him and pausing, “Hello, Julian. I was expecting you not to show.”

            "I am a man of my word.”

“I’m glad you are. If you don’t bother the passers I’ll let you stay and listen, how about that?” Katie repositioned her fingers on her ukelele, plucking at the strings idly.

“Beautiful idea, Darling.” Julian replied.

“But,” she started tuning a chord she missed, “If I tell you to hide, hide. I have friends that come through here that are nowhere near fond of people I meet in South End.”

“Can do.”

“Good.”

Katie started her song over, singing a bit louder with Julian at her side. Many people stopped to listen for a little while, and a few even put some coins in the small jar she had placed in front of her. She sang for five songs, smiling, and only stopping to choose what to sing next.

Over thirty coins of various sizes were in the jar now, and the sun told them it was noon. Katie stopped singing to rest her voice. “So, Julian Devorak, what do you think? Worth the trip?”

“Yes. I love the way you play.” the doctor said, smiling.

She chuckled, “I’m glad you do.” she glanced away, trying to stop blushing. Her head snapped to the side she glanced to. “Hide!” she demanded, using her uke to nudge him.

“OK!” Julian said as he ran off. In the distance, Aurora and Asra were walking by, a loaf of pumpkin bread in each person’s hands.

“Ohh! Hey, Katie!” said Aurora, a cheerful smile on her face. 

“Hey, Katie.” said Asra, a lot more calm than Aurora.

“Hey guys,” Katie smiled at them from the ground, “What’re you two doing here?”

            "Pumpkin bread!" Aurora exclaimed, her blue eyes glittering, indicating her delight to have the bread.

The russian girl giggled, “I can tell. It’s pretty late for you two vampires to be out though, don’t you think?”

“I know, right? Us vampires, out in the morning sun! Who woulda thought!” Asra said jokingly, smiling wide.

“Not me, that’s for sure. Are you out for any particular reason other than pumpkin bread? Or is it your blood substitute?”

“We were grabbing groceries. After that, I was gonna head to Muriel’s place.” Aurora replied.

“Sweet. Tell him I said hi, will you?”

“Yup!” Aurora agreed.

Katie smiled, eyes trailing after them as they left, making sure to stay still and quiet until she couldn’t see them anymore. “Okay, Julian, if you’re near still. They’re gone.”

“Amazing!" Julian emerged from behind a nearby barrel. "Now, what other songs do you know?”

* * *

She just wanted to talk to Julian, and had to remind herself of that as she stood by the Rowdy Raven entrance. She wasn’t here to drink. She was here to keep Julian from drinking. She stepped inside and the doctor came up to her as soon as he saw her.

“Katie!” he said, obviously very excited.

“Hi, Julian.” she smiled up at him, her chest filling with warmth at his excitement.

“How was your night, Katie? Anything interesting?” Julian asked, interested in what she had to say.

“Well, I’m hoping it’ll be good. If you come with me,” she took his hand gently, “I’m going down to the docks. I was going to ask if you’d like to come along.”

“Of course, Darling.” he replied.

“Great. Follow me.”

Katie led Julian from South End to the docks, holding his hand the whole way. They sat on the edge of the pier in the silence. There was no one else there, just the two of them. She never let go of his hand. “Pretty, huh?” she asked quietly after a moment.

“Very, like you.”

“Shut up!” she nudged him, “It’s annoying when I think you don’t mean it, handsome.”

“I do mean it,” the doctor said.

“Do you?” she looked down, her voice dipping into sadness, “I have trouble believing that.”

Julian frowned. “Please believe me. You aren’t like the other girls I’ve met. You are much more beautiful. You also aren’t as annoying.”

Katie snorted, gently trailing her thumb up and down his gloved hand. “I believe all that. I just have trouble believing that you actually like me the way you imply.”

Julian looked her in the eyes, “I’m telling the truth, Katie.”

“The truth that you like me? That you trust me?”

“The truth that I like you. That I trust you.”

“That you wouldn’t get mad if I told you my secrets?”

“That I wouldn’t get mad if you told me your secrets. But you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.” He said, maintaining eye contact.

“I want to,” she smiled softly, “I want to tell you before I mess up and make things bad.”

“Then tell me, Darling,” he said with a smile on his face.

“I like you, a lot. Love you, even. And I’m not supposed to. I was supposed to arrest you when I first properly met you.” she looked away, not wanting to see his expression change, “I’m a Vesuvian guard. I was Lucio’s personal one, when he was alive. I was supposed to bring you for execution, and I haven’t.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t bring me to the palace. In fact, it makes it more fun for you to be a guard,” he said, smiling at her. “I don’t mind if you’re a guard.”

“You.. don’t?” she looked back at him with wide eyes.

“No,” he said with a smile. He really did, in fact, love her. Even if she was a guard.

She let out a sigh of relief, “I thought you’d be so mad, I really did! Oh, Julian, thank you so much..” she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

“No, Darling. I don’t care if someone is supposed to arrest me. I just love you for you. Everything about you is amazing,” said the doctor, patting her hair.

“Shush, you’re making me cry..”

“Let it out, Katie.”

The girl sniffled, burying her face in his chest so he couldn’t see her. Julian patted her hair as they sat on the docks, holding each other. When Katie finished crying, she gently pulled away from him and wiped her eyes on the palm of her hand. “Thanks, Julian. I needed that.”

“Of course, Darling. You can tell me anything, you know that?”

“I do now.”

“Good.”

Katie smiled softly, turning towards the water again and resting her head on his shoulder. “Is it alright if I call this our first date?”

“Of course, Darling. We did just confess our love for each other,” the doctor said, smiling.

She giggled, “Forbidden romance if I’ve ever seen it.” 

Julian let out a laugh, “I know, It’s fun, isn’t it?”

“Very. You know, technically I’m a criminal. I vowed that I’d do anything the Count and Countess told me, yet here I am, not taking a murderer to the Countess.”

“I know, but she doesn’t have to know. You’re safe.” said Julian.

“I know I am,” Katie closed her eyes happily, “I’m always safe with you.”

“What do you say we tango?” he asked.

She laughed, “Sure, let’s tango to the sound of crashing waves.” The two then got up and started to dance to imaginary music, but the same beat. Here they were, happy and free of any secrets.