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smashconTitle: 'For the Love of a Lily'
Author: Blunbear
Rating: PG
Prompt: Deceit
Fandom/Series: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Word Count: 3636
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.
Summary: In 1920s America, a private detective tells a boy a story, about a man who fell in love with a girl named Lili.
'For the Love of a Lily'
The bright lights weren’t on and the shopkeepers set out their wares. A shabby private detective tugged the lapels of his dirty and bullet ridden coat, watching the world go by, with a big smile for almost all.
The road is a busy one. A boy darts in and out of legs, attempting to chase a ball. He falls down, skinning his knee. Tears bubble up and he begins to wail and cry. "Don’t cry kid," says the detective - his voice echoes gin, cigarettes and failed justice. The boy looks up and smiles at the private detective, standing up. The detective cocks his hat to the side.
"Hey Peter," he drawls ruffling his cousin’s hair. Peter gives him a large grin. “Feel like breakfast?” he asks and Peter starts nodding and jumping about excitedly. So he takes him into a café and they make a meal of it, after he makes sure that Peter knows exactly not to tell his father who gave him too many sweets.
“I should take you home,” he says checking his watch. Peter rolls his eyes and kicks the chair slightly.
“Home’s boring,” complains Peter, “Tell me a story, Alfred! With blood! And gore! And lots of shootings! Pew! Pew! Pew!”
"I know a lot of stories,” says Alfred wryly. He stares out of the window and lights his cigarette. Peter looks downcast as he begins demolishing the remains of his plate. Alfred smiles, apparently back to his ‘cheery’ self in an attempt to put Peter at ease.
"You wanted a story right? I'll tell you one about a Lily."
Romano
Every time someone goes, ‘Things were better in the old days,’ they aren’t lying, but they’re not telling the truth. They want you to believe it was all sunshine and rainbows but even if you sweep all the dust underneath a corner, you can still see it there. Jazz, fast cars, women and grog, that’s what most attempted to build an entire life out of.
There was a kid who was propelled to the middle of that world. His name was really Lovino Vargas but they all called him Romano instead. He wasn’t too bad - he was foul mouthed, a coward, and definitely wrong side of the law.
Nominally, he and his brother Feliciano were raised by their grandfather. Their grandfather was always busy, so the two ended up being raised separately. Romano was raised up by Antonio Fernández Carriedo, who seemingly mellowed once he retired to focus on his great love of tomatoes.
Then one day when he was 23, the head of the family, his Grandfather died. There were rumors that it was Braginski’s doings but nothing was ever proven or disproven. So he had to take control of the family and navigate the spider web of fragile relations – the racketeers, the picture guys, rummies, arms guys and the accountants. The accountants were the worse of the lot.
He wasn't doing too bad a job at it. He was a coward but a successful one. He knew when not to push his luck and when to move in completely. So he was lived life as calmly as he could... until he met her.
Party
The China man threw a party. He's cunning, smarter than all the people in the town and even controls the rebellious bunch with his fingers in every pie. They say he’s going a bit funny thanks to the opium but I haven’t seen evidence of that.
Everyone came to the party, mainly in order to scope out the scene. Obviously every player present and former came along. Francis Bonnefoy - he does the pictures. Gilbert - controls all the small fry though they say he’s losing his power. Ludwig - grog. Braginski - his family is even bigger than Lovino's because they took over all the small gangs. Antonio, the Edelstein’s , Elizabeta and Roderich, Lord Arthur, anyone who was someone came – party for the debauchery, party not to disturb any of the others through snobbery.
I'm forgetting someone. Oh yes, Basch Zwingli - banker by day, arms dealer by night. He sold weapons of any kind to anybody and was the most reliable banker around. He was a short tempered guy with a daisy of sister though. She was a real lady, you couldn’t catch her legs getting anywhere off the ground.
So it was Christmas party and everyone was dressed real fancy. It was far too early in the evening to start with the debauchery and 5 bottles of bad wine had been drunk after all. Romano was bored. He was a real womanizer and his latest fling, Mei wasn’t there. He looked around and saw no one, he recognized, that wouldn't be low risk. After all, he could smell danger and most of the women there had either knew someone who would castrate him or could do it themselves.
Romano wandered around the place, nodded a lot and made small talk. He saw a kid dressed in all white, get cornered by Francis the picture guy, infamous for his boundless love. Also the fact that he himself is in more than 70% of the pictures he produces with the aid of wigs and various false noses.
Lovino scooted over to them. "Miss, will you accompany me for this dance?" he asked smoothly, his arm held out for her to take. She took it slightly bemused, with a slight grateful smile as she nodded her blonde bobbed head. Francis looked reluctant but he walked away as the night was young and there were plenty of other bright young people to enjoy the company of.
Lovino danced with the little lady and she didn’t step on his feet. The band played a waltz so he holds her tightly as so not to lose her, so she couldn’t slip out of his arms, she was that tiny. She was a bit surprised at his boldness but she didn’t shrug him off. Her eyes downcast and slightly demure, she pulled him slightly closer to her. The band started another song but he couldn’t devote himself solely to her - people to see and talk. So he took her to Elizabeta.
"Take care of her," he told Elizabeta, who looked at the two in slight surprise and smirked. The little lady tugged on his sleeve, she wanted to ask him something but she didn't speak, her face is utterly red. He kissed her hand and the little ribbon she wears on her hair and walked off.
Snow
It's a rare day for Lovino, one where he gets to take a break. He sitting on the park bench by the boulevard. The little lady spotted him and hurried over. He tipped his hat to her and picked up the false lily that fell off her hat in her eagerness to rush over. She nodded her head to him and reattaches it on.
"Thank you," whispered the little lady, "for the other night." She’s dressed entirely in white and looked as though she could easily blend in if a snowstorm occurred. Lovino thought that with the crowd she hung about, there was no way she could stay white.
"Was not a problem," he said dismissively. He's tired; he had to break up a fight amongst the small fry. He pushes his fringe out of the way and that odd curl of hair that always stuck up. She saw the gash on Romano’s arm.
"You're hurt," she whispered as she handed him a handkerchief with embroidered lilies. He jerked back, startled, glaring at her. She looked hurt but held out the handkerchief stubbornly. He took it and tied it around his arm. She sat by him on the park bench and they made small talk until his followers bustled him away.
Drop in a barrel
He went over to the rummy’s place. It's not the friendliest place to be but it's safer than other places he can think of. Feliciano's there and the head doesn’t shoot without processing the proper ‘paperwork’ first.
A maid ushered him into the parlor. He used to come there all the time; Antonio would bring him over whenever he wanted to speak with Roderich and Elizabeth. He examined the mantelpiece out of boredom and saw photographs, of him, of his brother and of the people who live and lived there. It would look like an ordinary house and it was one provided, you didn’t examine the residents backgrounds all too closely.
He saw a picture of the little lady when she was a kid. She looked almost the same, except bewildered and drowning in the lilies she’s holding. He wondered why he hasn’t seen her about in the house before. He picked the photo frame up and smiled until a cough interrupted him, making him almost drop the picture.
Elizabeta hugged him and took the photo frame out of his hand so she could put back on the mantelpiece. . Elizabeta’s one of those women who can greet you with a smile then snap your neck. She can do more than cook when holding a frying pan. They say she's calmed down after marrying Roderich but I reckon it's just a cover. It’s like the Spanish Queens’s legs: she does something but it isn’t a dinner topic.
Elizabeta smiled widely. "You lady killer," she joked. Romano looked away – there is really very little you can say or deny when someone is about to impact, what they think are your secrets.
"Come on, you charmed the socks off little Lili and she can't stop thinking about you."
"Who?"
"The little blond you rescued at the Christmas party!”
“Oh her,” he said mechanically while setting aside her name. He shrugged and made himself comfortable. Elizabeta loved to talk about people.
“Lili is Basch Zwingli's sister. Well, she's Ludwig's half sister, they get their blonde hair from their mother. She used to live with him until Gilbert got us to take care of her when their place got too hot for comfort. Basch, he’s Roderich’s second cousin so he would be their third? Fourth cousin took a fancy to her and adopted her in. Nothing improper, she was ten at the time. She’s 17 or maybe 18 now. She's become quite the little lady thanks to Basch. Excellent at finance. She does all the finances for us round here."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Romano spat while he blushed furiously, storing all this information in his mind. He realized, by the standards of the underworld, Lilli is practically a saint, canonized and all, if all she’s doing is book keeping, even if the numbers are playing games.
"Because you secretly wanted to know," replied Elizabeta with a smirk while she handed over some photographs of Lili. Romano pocketed the shots anyway… he didn’t want them to get into the wrong hands after all.
“Now you must stay for tea,” ordered Elizabeta, “Lili will be coming in and so will Feliciano.”
Park
He sat at a park bench overlooking the duck pond. He had finished a few deals and he was tired. There was men watching him, his and those of others. He pretended that he was all alone, it was the only way he ever got privacy.
"Mr. Vargas?"
He looks around and sees Lili. He wonders how she knows his name but he assumes that Elizabea told her. "What are doing here?" he asked suspiciously.
"I’m walking," she replied demurely.
"Isn't that Zwingli going get worried?" he replied. He patted his cheeks. He must be coming down with a fever, they were hotter than usual.
"Brother is out. Please do not refer to my brother in that manner" she whispered. He was surprised that Zwingli even lets her out of the house when he’s gone. Lovino peeked at the girl whom has started to feed the ducks. She’s so small and tiny, he hardly believed that she’s eighteen. She caught him staring at her and she blushed red. It’s kind of cute, he thinks, she looks just like a tomato. They sit there in companionable silence until he remembered the time.
“Come on, I’ll walk you home…” he sighed. She nodded and followed him a few steps behind. He wonders what it will take to make her stop following him and he wishes that she never know. He knows that she probably knows too much about him –he just doesn’t know what exactly she knows.
Word gets about quickly in their part of town.
Secrets
Zwingli hadn’t been seen around town for 6 weeks now. Lili’s had staying at Elizabeta and Roderich’s place because Basch sent her a letter asking her to stay there for exactly 6 weeks. Romano knew that Zwingli probably in another state, with even fishier business but he’s not one to talk about the families of others. He didn’t know whether Lili knew this, she was very good at deceiving most about what she actually knew.
The six weeks were useful. In that time, Lovino had been getting very close to Lili. Not close enough to make her legs lift off the ground but close enough that he didn’t want her to be put into danger. For some odd reason, Lilli’s gotten used to Lovino’s periodic fits of rejection. She found it rather cute and sometimes casted it up to him when she got him to calm down.
He isn't a marrying man but one day, he took her to a church and married her on a whim. It’s probably not official but it felt official enough to make Lili extremely uneasy about her actions. She wanted to wait for her brother's approval but he’s out of state. So she settled it down in her soul that it really isn’t deceiving Basch because it’s not really a wedding and she’ll tell him... it’s not deception if you tell the person right?
The six weeks have finished so he took her home in his car. For once, no one is following them, by car at least: on foot is another matter entirely. He wondered how she can still smile that way. He shrugged, let her cling to his arm as he drove with one hand. They soon reach her house and she opened the door.
The stench of rotting flesh hit her as soon as she stepped into the hallway. She collapsed, her face contorted in shock. He caught her. Lovino knew what that looks meant. It’s the look that appears whenever you’re confronted with a dead body. It’s a thing you forget how to do as time passes.
Presents
It looked like he’s been dead for the past day at least. His head was snapped. His lifeless eyes are just staring, staring at the ceiling. His limbs were tied up like some Christmas parcel. The Russian killed him. The trademark tap was next to his head. It was probably over arms. There were rumours that the Russian was angry with Zwingli for selling his stock over to Honda for a higher price.
Lili cried her heart out which hurt him. No, he didn’t like Basch despite the fact he told things to the contrary to Lili but he was important to Lili. He hugged her roughly, he’s never been good with contact. He figured that she really needs it. She clung onto him, trying hard to get back onto her feet. She tried hard to be strong in her own way but the shock is just too strong for her.
“I’ll protect you…” he muttered as he held her tightly, “I’ll protect you.” She sniffed and nodded. He took her back out to the car because they both don’t want to look at the body and he didn’t want any funny questions asked.
Drive
He’s drove off. He doesn’t know where. He just wants to get away from everything. Out of the country maybe? Just out of the city at least. But in thirty minutes they will have to return. He had to look after his family, his idiot brother especially. In 50 minutes he will have to teach Alfred. F. Jones a lesson about policing. It mades him want to drive away from everything. He wanted to curse, he wanted to scream but she’s sleeping in the seat next to him.
She’s sleeping. Almost like an angel if it wasn’t for the crying and the whimpering. He rubbed her head and sighs. She begged him not to inform the police but while she was sleeping and he was filling up the gas, he borrowed the inn’s telephone to tip off the police and to the Edelstein’s just how dead Zwingli was.
He almost regretted not sending her back to the potato bastard because he doesn’t know what to do with her. Either way, with him or with potato man, she’ll end up stained; it’s just a matter of how dark. He took one last look at her when she was still snow white. He tugged out the lily that she clutched in her hand, to the point where the stem is shredded. He saw the gun.
Bang.
Hot House
It took a long time but she could eventually smile again. She grew up, quietly blooming into adulthood. She turned 19. He presents her with a big bouquet of flowers for her birthday. He asked her family permission to officially marry her, even if it’s a bit too late to do so because they were already married.
Elizabeta is the only one who is supportive and merry about it. The brothers aren’t reconciled to it and are especially angry about the thought of Romano deceiving their little sister in such a manner. They have to accept it though since it has already occurred and was recorded by the priest. They don’t want her to marry Romano but they allow her to do so as she is utterly insistent upon it and threatens to run away. They just try to push it as far back as possible, right until the next autumn.
Weddings
So it was her big day - one of the oddest weddings, society had seen yet. They think the marriage won’t really occur except it already has, they just didn’t know about it. They’re all eager to attend though, they know that something will happen, they’re just not sure what.
They all agreed that the bride at least looks vibrant and cute if not utterly beautiful. Her bouquet is full of hot house lilies, slightly wilting. Her blond bobbed hair is adorned with orange blossoms and her straight white dress accentuated her figure. She stood there vibrant and happy until a shadow fell over her face unnoticed by anyone.
The guests got restless. While it was customary for at least one of the main actors to be rather late, it wasn’t supposed to be to this extent. Minutes and hours ticked on and Lili stood there and clutched her bouquet. The guests clucked louder and louder with their gossip as family members of both the bride and the groom grew even more anxious.
The priest tugged at his vestments and flipped a few pages of his bible. Elizabeta, Antonio and Feliciano had an impromptu conference and agreed the best thing to do was to usher the guests to the food. Antonio and Feliciano started to usher the guests off like sheepdogs. Gilbert stormed out of the church angrily; his red eyes glinted demonically as he snapped orders to his followers. He wanted them to find them to find Romano immediately, dead or alive, he didn’t much care. Nobody deceived his little sister in such a manner, nobody.
Elizaberta attempted to get Lili to walk into another room, to shield her from the gossip and the curious glances. Lili didn’t budge until she collapsed, to the shock and entertainment of the guests. Roderich and Ludwig carried Lili to a sofa and the doctor was called to try and wake her up. When Lili woke up, she tore her bouquet to pieces and couldn’t stop crying until she had utterly exhausted herself.
She wouldn’t let them say anything against Romano. She knew he had a good reason for not being present.
Lilies
He lay there, in the ditch. His senses ran on overtime, in a vain attempt to process everything it could to stave off the darkness. He couldn’t get up no matter how hard he tried. Being riddled through with bullet holes will do that to a person. Wilting rice lilies surrounded him. His fingers stretched out just to grasp, just to touch one, just one lily to remind him of the Lili he had to leave behind. He can’t reach it. He can’t. His fingers drop and the wilting rice lily sways in the wind.
Alfred’s voice drains away and he wipes his glasses clean. “I better take you home,” says Alfred as he slaps the money on the table with an extremely large tip, “Come Peter.”
“What happened?” asks Peter, knowing that he isn’t being told the whole story, “Tell me more.”
Alfred suddenly stops and covers Peter. Peter peers out only to see a large, heavy set blond man, accompanied by an icily blond young woman in a blue maid’s uniform stop and smile at Alfred. Alfred stares resolutely back at the man who steps into an expensive black car and drives off, leaving Alfred to glare at the car.
Alfred comes to and motions for Peter to follow him. “Who was that? What a scary man! Not as scary as Papa but still scary! Who was he?” Peter asks constantly until he catches sight of Alfred’s face, which is angry and stone hard.
“He’s the one who tore the lily to pieces.” says Alfred angrily, “But I’ll put him behind bars yet.”
Please take the time to comment on the fanfic. Thanks.
Author: Blunbear
Rating: PG
Prompt: Deceit
Fandom/Series: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Word Count: 3636
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.
Summary: In 1920s America, a private detective tells a boy a story, about a man who fell in love with a girl named Lili.
'For the Love of a Lily'
The bright lights weren’t on and the shopkeepers set out their wares. A shabby private detective tugged the lapels of his dirty and bullet ridden coat, watching the world go by, with a big smile for almost all.
The road is a busy one. A boy darts in and out of legs, attempting to chase a ball. He falls down, skinning his knee. Tears bubble up and he begins to wail and cry. "Don’t cry kid," says the detective - his voice echoes gin, cigarettes and failed justice. The boy looks up and smiles at the private detective, standing up. The detective cocks his hat to the side.
"Hey Peter," he drawls ruffling his cousin’s hair. Peter gives him a large grin. “Feel like breakfast?” he asks and Peter starts nodding and jumping about excitedly. So he takes him into a café and they make a meal of it, after he makes sure that Peter knows exactly not to tell his father who gave him too many sweets.
“I should take you home,” he says checking his watch. Peter rolls his eyes and kicks the chair slightly.
“Home’s boring,” complains Peter, “Tell me a story, Alfred! With blood! And gore! And lots of shootings! Pew! Pew! Pew!”
"I know a lot of stories,” says Alfred wryly. He stares out of the window and lights his cigarette. Peter looks downcast as he begins demolishing the remains of his plate. Alfred smiles, apparently back to his ‘cheery’ self in an attempt to put Peter at ease.
"You wanted a story right? I'll tell you one about a Lily."
Romano
Every time someone goes, ‘Things were better in the old days,’ they aren’t lying, but they’re not telling the truth. They want you to believe it was all sunshine and rainbows but even if you sweep all the dust underneath a corner, you can still see it there. Jazz, fast cars, women and grog, that’s what most attempted to build an entire life out of.
There was a kid who was propelled to the middle of that world. His name was really Lovino Vargas but they all called him Romano instead. He wasn’t too bad - he was foul mouthed, a coward, and definitely wrong side of the law.
Nominally, he and his brother Feliciano were raised by their grandfather. Their grandfather was always busy, so the two ended up being raised separately. Romano was raised up by Antonio Fernández Carriedo, who seemingly mellowed once he retired to focus on his great love of tomatoes.
Then one day when he was 23, the head of the family, his Grandfather died. There were rumors that it was Braginski’s doings but nothing was ever proven or disproven. So he had to take control of the family and navigate the spider web of fragile relations – the racketeers, the picture guys, rummies, arms guys and the accountants. The accountants were the worse of the lot.
He wasn't doing too bad a job at it. He was a coward but a successful one. He knew when not to push his luck and when to move in completely. So he was lived life as calmly as he could... until he met her.
Party
The China man threw a party. He's cunning, smarter than all the people in the town and even controls the rebellious bunch with his fingers in every pie. They say he’s going a bit funny thanks to the opium but I haven’t seen evidence of that.
Everyone came to the party, mainly in order to scope out the scene. Obviously every player present and former came along. Francis Bonnefoy - he does the pictures. Gilbert - controls all the small fry though they say he’s losing his power. Ludwig - grog. Braginski - his family is even bigger than Lovino's because they took over all the small gangs. Antonio, the Edelstein’s , Elizabeta and Roderich, Lord Arthur, anyone who was someone came – party for the debauchery, party not to disturb any of the others through snobbery.
I'm forgetting someone. Oh yes, Basch Zwingli - banker by day, arms dealer by night. He sold weapons of any kind to anybody and was the most reliable banker around. He was a short tempered guy with a daisy of sister though. She was a real lady, you couldn’t catch her legs getting anywhere off the ground.
So it was Christmas party and everyone was dressed real fancy. It was far too early in the evening to start with the debauchery and 5 bottles of bad wine had been drunk after all. Romano was bored. He was a real womanizer and his latest fling, Mei wasn’t there. He looked around and saw no one, he recognized, that wouldn't be low risk. After all, he could smell danger and most of the women there had either knew someone who would castrate him or could do it themselves.
Romano wandered around the place, nodded a lot and made small talk. He saw a kid dressed in all white, get cornered by Francis the picture guy, infamous for his boundless love. Also the fact that he himself is in more than 70% of the pictures he produces with the aid of wigs and various false noses.
Lovino scooted over to them. "Miss, will you accompany me for this dance?" he asked smoothly, his arm held out for her to take. She took it slightly bemused, with a slight grateful smile as she nodded her blonde bobbed head. Francis looked reluctant but he walked away as the night was young and there were plenty of other bright young people to enjoy the company of.
Lovino danced with the little lady and she didn’t step on his feet. The band played a waltz so he holds her tightly as so not to lose her, so she couldn’t slip out of his arms, she was that tiny. She was a bit surprised at his boldness but she didn’t shrug him off. Her eyes downcast and slightly demure, she pulled him slightly closer to her. The band started another song but he couldn’t devote himself solely to her - people to see and talk. So he took her to Elizabeta.
"Take care of her," he told Elizabeta, who looked at the two in slight surprise and smirked. The little lady tugged on his sleeve, she wanted to ask him something but she didn't speak, her face is utterly red. He kissed her hand and the little ribbon she wears on her hair and walked off.
Snow
It's a rare day for Lovino, one where he gets to take a break. He sitting on the park bench by the boulevard. The little lady spotted him and hurried over. He tipped his hat to her and picked up the false lily that fell off her hat in her eagerness to rush over. She nodded her head to him and reattaches it on.
"Thank you," whispered the little lady, "for the other night." She’s dressed entirely in white and looked as though she could easily blend in if a snowstorm occurred. Lovino thought that with the crowd she hung about, there was no way she could stay white.
"Was not a problem," he said dismissively. He's tired; he had to break up a fight amongst the small fry. He pushes his fringe out of the way and that odd curl of hair that always stuck up. She saw the gash on Romano’s arm.
"You're hurt," she whispered as she handed him a handkerchief with embroidered lilies. He jerked back, startled, glaring at her. She looked hurt but held out the handkerchief stubbornly. He took it and tied it around his arm. She sat by him on the park bench and they made small talk until his followers bustled him away.
Drop in a barrel
He went over to the rummy’s place. It's not the friendliest place to be but it's safer than other places he can think of. Feliciano's there and the head doesn’t shoot without processing the proper ‘paperwork’ first.
A maid ushered him into the parlor. He used to come there all the time; Antonio would bring him over whenever he wanted to speak with Roderich and Elizabeth. He examined the mantelpiece out of boredom and saw photographs, of him, of his brother and of the people who live and lived there. It would look like an ordinary house and it was one provided, you didn’t examine the residents backgrounds all too closely.
He saw a picture of the little lady when she was a kid. She looked almost the same, except bewildered and drowning in the lilies she’s holding. He wondered why he hasn’t seen her about in the house before. He picked the photo frame up and smiled until a cough interrupted him, making him almost drop the picture.
Elizabeta hugged him and took the photo frame out of his hand so she could put back on the mantelpiece. . Elizabeta’s one of those women who can greet you with a smile then snap your neck. She can do more than cook when holding a frying pan. They say she's calmed down after marrying Roderich but I reckon it's just a cover. It’s like the Spanish Queens’s legs: she does something but it isn’t a dinner topic.
Elizabeta smiled widely. "You lady killer," she joked. Romano looked away – there is really very little you can say or deny when someone is about to impact, what they think are your secrets.
"Come on, you charmed the socks off little Lili and she can't stop thinking about you."
"Who?"
"The little blond you rescued at the Christmas party!”
“Oh her,” he said mechanically while setting aside her name. He shrugged and made himself comfortable. Elizabeta loved to talk about people.
“Lili is Basch Zwingli's sister. Well, she's Ludwig's half sister, they get their blonde hair from their mother. She used to live with him until Gilbert got us to take care of her when their place got too hot for comfort. Basch, he’s Roderich’s second cousin so he would be their third? Fourth cousin took a fancy to her and adopted her in. Nothing improper, she was ten at the time. She’s 17 or maybe 18 now. She's become quite the little lady thanks to Basch. Excellent at finance. She does all the finances for us round here."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Romano spat while he blushed furiously, storing all this information in his mind. He realized, by the standards of the underworld, Lilli is practically a saint, canonized and all, if all she’s doing is book keeping, even if the numbers are playing games.
"Because you secretly wanted to know," replied Elizabeta with a smirk while she handed over some photographs of Lili. Romano pocketed the shots anyway… he didn’t want them to get into the wrong hands after all.
“Now you must stay for tea,” ordered Elizabeta, “Lili will be coming in and so will Feliciano.”
Park
He sat at a park bench overlooking the duck pond. He had finished a few deals and he was tired. There was men watching him, his and those of others. He pretended that he was all alone, it was the only way he ever got privacy.
"Mr. Vargas?"
He looks around and sees Lili. He wonders how she knows his name but he assumes that Elizabea told her. "What are doing here?" he asked suspiciously.
"I’m walking," she replied demurely.
"Isn't that Zwingli going get worried?" he replied. He patted his cheeks. He must be coming down with a fever, they were hotter than usual.
"Brother is out. Please do not refer to my brother in that manner" she whispered. He was surprised that Zwingli even lets her out of the house when he’s gone. Lovino peeked at the girl whom has started to feed the ducks. She’s so small and tiny, he hardly believed that she’s eighteen. She caught him staring at her and she blushed red. It’s kind of cute, he thinks, she looks just like a tomato. They sit there in companionable silence until he remembered the time.
“Come on, I’ll walk you home…” he sighed. She nodded and followed him a few steps behind. He wonders what it will take to make her stop following him and he wishes that she never know. He knows that she probably knows too much about him –he just doesn’t know what exactly she knows.
Word gets about quickly in their part of town.
Secrets
Zwingli hadn’t been seen around town for 6 weeks now. Lili’s had staying at Elizabeta and Roderich’s place because Basch sent her a letter asking her to stay there for exactly 6 weeks. Romano knew that Zwingli probably in another state, with even fishier business but he’s not one to talk about the families of others. He didn’t know whether Lili knew this, she was very good at deceiving most about what she actually knew.
The six weeks were useful. In that time, Lovino had been getting very close to Lili. Not close enough to make her legs lift off the ground but close enough that he didn’t want her to be put into danger. For some odd reason, Lilli’s gotten used to Lovino’s periodic fits of rejection. She found it rather cute and sometimes casted it up to him when she got him to calm down.
He isn't a marrying man but one day, he took her to a church and married her on a whim. It’s probably not official but it felt official enough to make Lili extremely uneasy about her actions. She wanted to wait for her brother's approval but he’s out of state. So she settled it down in her soul that it really isn’t deceiving Basch because it’s not really a wedding and she’ll tell him... it’s not deception if you tell the person right?
The six weeks have finished so he took her home in his car. For once, no one is following them, by car at least: on foot is another matter entirely. He wondered how she can still smile that way. He shrugged, let her cling to his arm as he drove with one hand. They soon reach her house and she opened the door.
The stench of rotting flesh hit her as soon as she stepped into the hallway. She collapsed, her face contorted in shock. He caught her. Lovino knew what that looks meant. It’s the look that appears whenever you’re confronted with a dead body. It’s a thing you forget how to do as time passes.
Presents
It looked like he’s been dead for the past day at least. His head was snapped. His lifeless eyes are just staring, staring at the ceiling. His limbs were tied up like some Christmas parcel. The Russian killed him. The trademark tap was next to his head. It was probably over arms. There were rumours that the Russian was angry with Zwingli for selling his stock over to Honda for a higher price.
Lili cried her heart out which hurt him. No, he didn’t like Basch despite the fact he told things to the contrary to Lili but he was important to Lili. He hugged her roughly, he’s never been good with contact. He figured that she really needs it. She clung onto him, trying hard to get back onto her feet. She tried hard to be strong in her own way but the shock is just too strong for her.
“I’ll protect you…” he muttered as he held her tightly, “I’ll protect you.” She sniffed and nodded. He took her back out to the car because they both don’t want to look at the body and he didn’t want any funny questions asked.
Drive
He’s drove off. He doesn’t know where. He just wants to get away from everything. Out of the country maybe? Just out of the city at least. But in thirty minutes they will have to return. He had to look after his family, his idiot brother especially. In 50 minutes he will have to teach Alfred. F. Jones a lesson about policing. It mades him want to drive away from everything. He wanted to curse, he wanted to scream but she’s sleeping in the seat next to him.
She’s sleeping. Almost like an angel if it wasn’t for the crying and the whimpering. He rubbed her head and sighs. She begged him not to inform the police but while she was sleeping and he was filling up the gas, he borrowed the inn’s telephone to tip off the police and to the Edelstein’s just how dead Zwingli was.
He almost regretted not sending her back to the potato bastard because he doesn’t know what to do with her. Either way, with him or with potato man, she’ll end up stained; it’s just a matter of how dark. He took one last look at her when she was still snow white. He tugged out the lily that she clutched in her hand, to the point where the stem is shredded. He saw the gun.
Bang.
Hot House
It took a long time but she could eventually smile again. She grew up, quietly blooming into adulthood. She turned 19. He presents her with a big bouquet of flowers for her birthday. He asked her family permission to officially marry her, even if it’s a bit too late to do so because they were already married.
Elizabeta is the only one who is supportive and merry about it. The brothers aren’t reconciled to it and are especially angry about the thought of Romano deceiving their little sister in such a manner. They have to accept it though since it has already occurred and was recorded by the priest. They don’t want her to marry Romano but they allow her to do so as she is utterly insistent upon it and threatens to run away. They just try to push it as far back as possible, right until the next autumn.
Weddings
So it was her big day - one of the oddest weddings, society had seen yet. They think the marriage won’t really occur except it already has, they just didn’t know about it. They’re all eager to attend though, they know that something will happen, they’re just not sure what.
They all agreed that the bride at least looks vibrant and cute if not utterly beautiful. Her bouquet is full of hot house lilies, slightly wilting. Her blond bobbed hair is adorned with orange blossoms and her straight white dress accentuated her figure. She stood there vibrant and happy until a shadow fell over her face unnoticed by anyone.
The guests got restless. While it was customary for at least one of the main actors to be rather late, it wasn’t supposed to be to this extent. Minutes and hours ticked on and Lili stood there and clutched her bouquet. The guests clucked louder and louder with their gossip as family members of both the bride and the groom grew even more anxious.
The priest tugged at his vestments and flipped a few pages of his bible. Elizabeta, Antonio and Feliciano had an impromptu conference and agreed the best thing to do was to usher the guests to the food. Antonio and Feliciano started to usher the guests off like sheepdogs. Gilbert stormed out of the church angrily; his red eyes glinted demonically as he snapped orders to his followers. He wanted them to find them to find Romano immediately, dead or alive, he didn’t much care. Nobody deceived his little sister in such a manner, nobody.
Elizaberta attempted to get Lili to walk into another room, to shield her from the gossip and the curious glances. Lili didn’t budge until she collapsed, to the shock and entertainment of the guests. Roderich and Ludwig carried Lili to a sofa and the doctor was called to try and wake her up. When Lili woke up, she tore her bouquet to pieces and couldn’t stop crying until she had utterly exhausted herself.
She wouldn’t let them say anything against Romano. She knew he had a good reason for not being present.
Lilies
He lay there, in the ditch. His senses ran on overtime, in a vain attempt to process everything it could to stave off the darkness. He couldn’t get up no matter how hard he tried. Being riddled through with bullet holes will do that to a person. Wilting rice lilies surrounded him. His fingers stretched out just to grasp, just to touch one, just one lily to remind him of the Lili he had to leave behind. He can’t reach it. He can’t. His fingers drop and the wilting rice lily sways in the wind.
Alfred’s voice drains away and he wipes his glasses clean. “I better take you home,” says Alfred as he slaps the money on the table with an extremely large tip, “Come Peter.”
“What happened?” asks Peter, knowing that he isn’t being told the whole story, “Tell me more.”
Alfred suddenly stops and covers Peter. Peter peers out only to see a large, heavy set blond man, accompanied by an icily blond young woman in a blue maid’s uniform stop and smile at Alfred. Alfred stares resolutely back at the man who steps into an expensive black car and drives off, leaving Alfred to glare at the car.
Alfred comes to and motions for Peter to follow him. “Who was that? What a scary man! Not as scary as Papa but still scary! Who was he?” Peter asks constantly until he catches sight of Alfred’s face, which is angry and stone hard.
“He’s the one who tore the lily to pieces.” says Alfred angrily, “But I’ll put him behind bars yet.”
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