five times lennie scowled + one time they didn't: pt. one

or, david is late for an appointment

I like this structure as a way of doing character studies, and Lennie deserves some joy.

Set after Unfair Winds, but I did try not to lean too much on having prior knowledge. (Mild and allusive spoilers, nothing that would ruin the novel!)

Enjoy x

At least the thing they used to entice themselves out of bed to confront the day was something they liked to do in bed. But Lennie hated rising early. They glanced at David with the hope he might oblige, and sighed. It seemed unlikely.

He scurried about to dress himself, acting as though something crucial was underfoot. The bedroom, like David, dripped with weak, warm light; it would've been a lovely setting for salacious activities.

"What're you scuffling around for?" Scowling, Lennie tried to remember if he had an appointment. They kept those in order. As with most things, they took to the role of secretary with enthusiasm and aplomb. David saw no trouble with allowing a former pickpocket to help manage his family business, not that his peers or colleagues knew what Lennie had been.

Some did raise their eyebrows at Lennie's accent, which was broad-voweled and somewhat coarse compared to David's own, but he didn't suffer any sly insults offered in Lennie's direction. Passive aggressiveness did not get anybody far when David was near, and Lennie felt warmed by his vigilance. It was clear: if one wished to deal with Mr. Mills, one had to be polite to his secretary. If one was not, it was a disadvantage.

Privately, Lennie believed Mr. Mills, Senior, was rolling in his grave. They disliked wasting their breath on such a terrible codger, so never said it. He'd disliked everyone, regardless; he wouldn't have liked them.

A dismissive grunt was David's reply to Lennie's question. They waited to see if he'd say anything. There were a few things he still arranged on his own, and he might be heading to one.

To his credit, David had remarked Lennie was a better employee than Theo, his former secretary and lover, despite the latter's lack of ties to theft. While the selkie hadn't overlooked anything important while he worked for David, Lennie knew they were more adept at the multitude of little tasks that collectively added up.

Bookkeeping was one of Theo's specialties. Pivoting throughout the day or tolerating people didn't come as easily to him. Of course not. He's slowed down. He must be a century old. Theo was the only person who knew his precise age, but his bosom friends could say with certainty that he was older than he looked. And he looks good.

Perhaps it hadn't mattered if old age hindered him. When David and Theo had been together, David was exacting enough about timeliness for two or three people. Thankfully, it had mellowed. He usually behaved with less anxiety, these days.

Lennie could not help but feel proud of him, though it didn't mean he was impervious to his old demons. "David?"

On a huff, David said, "I need to be dressed."

His stark blue eyes were, in a word, panicked. It might have been amusing had Lennie not known how seriously David took everything that did not go quite right.

Sense, or a larger perspective, didn't factor into it. He'd been possessed by the ghost of a former smuggler from Joppa. He'd felled their stepbrother with magic and plotted to murder their stepfather. He was a necromancer while his nearest and dearest were seers, witches, and a selkie, respectively. In theory, nothing should ruffle him. Yet the pitfalls of daily life still posed a threat to his calmness.

"I can see that."

Pausing in his search for suitable attire, David almost chuckled. "I'm late."

As he silently fretted, they wanted to ask if they'd forgotten about something. It was possible, but they weren't forgetful as a rule. Their former professions, including the pickpocketing, didn't forgive forgetfulness.

Then Lennie wondered, again, about salacious activities. Specifically, if there might be time for anything at all, even if David was already late. They'd both returned to David's house in Norwich shortly after Alastair and Paul reunited in The Shuck, so the last month had witnessed them settling into quotidian routines. And discovering all manner of approaches to fucking. Some of them were very quick.

Some might be employed to great effect now.

Lennie was sure other things happened, too; the calendars and dairies said so. But none were as notable or fun. They'd certainly taken lovers when they fancied and were no stranger to pleasure before meeting David. Still, they marveled at how he made them feel.

"Late for what?" they pressed.

"I'm supposed to see Mr. Carlyle about trading some of his wool. Today. Almost now. It's very pretty wool, and I know it'll be a coup if I can, but I'd forgotten."

"That explains it." Grinning, Lennie watched David attempt to put his head through one of the sleeves of his jumper. Then he backed out of the sleeve like a turtle came out of its shell. "He always makes you fuss."

Lennie liked Mr. Carlyle because he was brusque yet given to mysterious pronouncements about sheep, which he knew a great deal about. His interest seemed mystical as well as practical, because he'd once commented upon their soulful personalities. Sheep knew more than they ever said, according to him.

David, however, seemed unnerved by Mr. Carlyle's brusqueness. Rather than attempt to allay David's disquiet, Lennie tried to point out the whimsy of believing sheep were soulful. The fellow couldn't be all bad, even if he was curt.

"Have you had any premonitions about it going well? Because," said David, the myrtle green jumper in its correct place now, "right this moment, I don't feel it will go well."

"No." They could've had premonitions about something mundane, and often did, but they hadn't seen anything about this. "Of course it will."

"I'm already late."

"David, you can say sorry to him and move on." Lennie tried to be gentle. David was still undoing so much of the damage his perfectionistic father had done to his mind, even months after his death. At times, Lennie could see exactly the anxious little boy he'd been because the darling man was a bit of a croaker. "He wants to do business with you." Then, they asked, "Did I forget to note something? I haven't spoken with him recently."

"No," said David, looking slightly more serene after their words. "I took the time down on a bit of paper. He paid me a visit while you were out of the office. Clearly, it's not an ideal way to remind myself of anything."

"Lose the scrap, did you?" Indulgently, Lennie stretched under the bedclothes, not just a little smug when David's eyes were drawn to their draped body. It would, should they move strategically, soon be undraped.

"Left it on my bedside table." David shook his head as his gaze lingered on their hips, then legs. "I say... I'm lucky I didn't oversleep, or it wouldn't have mattered where I put it."

"Are you so lucky? You could be having me instead of having to fly off."

"Put like that, no." Nonetheless, David bent down to kiss them and it was a sweet, heated, goodbye-for-now kiss, not the sort that might indicate lingering. "I'd much rather stay, but this would be a good alliance."

"Should have known better than to carry on with a man whose family dealt in cloth. Wool will always outshine me," said Lennie, but they tempered it with a theatrical sigh and a smile.

They never actually felt second to cloth, though they couldn't prefer not acting out amorous urges with David. It might be time to ask again when he planned to divert some money to the Apollyons and their operations at The Shuck, or even if he wished to move house: the number of people cutting into his days was rather high for Lennie's taste. Cromer would be quieter than Norwich.

The Shuck was already superb, even if she was now happily haunted. But she could do with some maintenance that David could provide.

He didn't have to know that Lennie was angling for him to work less, or be less interrupted. He's mentioned diversifying, anyway.

In their heart, they really were a simple creature. They wanted more of what felt good.

Before he quit the room, David took their chin gently in his fingertips and said, "Nothing could outshine you." Before Lennie could melt over it, he added, "But I still have to go."

Their scowl returned as he walked away, even if it was more of a pout. Yes, they would enjoy cajoling the punctual, dutiful Mr. Mills into a life of more leisure by the sea.