Quiet Laughter

Maynard took Tighe to his own rooms as it was likely that Royal and the Hikaru twins would be lying in wait inside Tighe’s room. Maynard’s room was a simple affair, red draped walls and a black lace canopied bed situated in the middle of the room. Off to one side was a smaller room where Maynard kept his hefty wardrobe and shelves of costume jewelry.

First Maynard gingerly deposited Tighe down on the bed before walking off to put on some clothes. He was in the middle of deciding whether to wear the cornflower blue chiffon gown or the indigo frock when he felt a faint touch press against one of the scars on his back.

“Why are there so many?” Tighe murmured trailing his fingertips along the vampire’s spine. Maynard held his breath and was still when the Fae leaned and kissed a particularly deep wound on his back that had healed ages ago. The vampire felt Tighe’s breath as he moved away from him.

“Why’s there so many what, pixie?” Maynard asked snatching up the ankle length frock and slipped it on, hiding his scarred body from Tighe’s somber gaze.

“Did your grandfather give you all those scars?” the Fae asked following Maynard out of the wardrobe and back into the room.

“Huh?”

Tighe sat down on the bed, “You have a lot of scars. You said before you were a vampire, you lived with your grandfather.”

He was paying attention? Maynard thought in awe. He shook his head and grinned. Ah, I get it....

“Yeah, m’pappy gave me the scars.” He told as he sat down next to Tighe on the bed. “He did it because he loved me.”

The Fae frowned at him, “How do you know that?”

“Because he told me so.” Maynard replied brightly. The shocked and appalled look on Tighe’s face was rather amusing to the vampire and sent him into a fit of snorts and giggles.

Maynard knew that his laugher was twisted and would no doubt shock Tighe, who was adorable and innocent. His odd colored hair was cute. His every expression, from sadness across the spectrum to childlike joy, was cute. Even when he was looking at Maynard like he was insane, Tighe was cute.

“You look about t’bolt.” The vampire snickered and giggled when the Fae scowled. So adorable

“Why the hell would... ” Tighe sputtered. “Your grandfather was a demented fuck.”

“No, he loved me. He wanted me to know right from wrong.” Maynard clarified. “Right was wakin’ at dawn, workin’ all day and goin’ to church. Wrong is sleepin’ in, bitchin’ about the blisters and sleepin’ through the sermon.”

“You’re dress is getting blood on it.” Tighe said with a Fae like leap of subject matter. Maynard stood and looked down at the seat of the frock. Sure enough, his injuries hadn’t healed and left the indigo material stained a dark black.

“Where can I get something to treat those wounds?” Tighe asked. “At least some bandages or something.” He went on to mutter about dresses, parties and music when Maynard answered his question.

“Try poppin’ ov’r to the south wing and ask one of the humans there.”

“Okay!” Tighe said brightly before teleporting just outside the stairs leading to the southern wing.

The South Wing was strangely lacking in life. Tighe did not visit it anymore after the first time when Tighe tried befriending a maid sweeping the floor, her young voice was aged by world-weariness and the quiet words she spoke

“Your name doesn't matter, everyone is disposable.”

He climbed the stairs reluctantly; half hoping he wouldn’t run into any of the staff, the other half needing to find a human to ask about medical supplies. Down one of the less dark hallways Tighe spotted an ashen little girl polishing the frame of a painting. She looked up at him indifferently as he approached.

“Hi! Do you know where I can find some bandages? And maybe something to clean the thing I need bandages for?” the Fae greeted brightly before frowning and muttering “Do vampires need to clean their wounds?

The little girl put her cleaning rag into a pocket on her dress and walked away from him. When Tighe didn’t follow, she turned and faintly motioned him to tag along behind her.

The silent ghost led Tighe to an older girl who then led him to an older woman, whose ear she whispered into and darted off back into the darkness.

“You need bandages?” the woman gruffly inquired ambling away.

“Yes ma’am.” Tighe replied as he trailed behind. “My friend is kinda making a mess of his er-r dresses...”

“Maynard finally got some attention.”

“Er-r, yes ma’am.” Tighe replied somewhat startled then went from surprise to jauntily whistling in a Fae like instant.

“Must be Royal Kimura’s brother, the new one.” She muttered to herself. Before Tighe could answer her, they stopped before a random looking cabinet and a roll of bandages and a bottle of alcohol were thrust into his arms.

“Wonder when the cheeriness’ll fade...” Tighe heard her say as she ambled back into the darkness.

The Fae shuddered and with a frown, teleported back to Maynard’s room.

Everything was just as it was before Tighe left...except the soiled dress was laying in a heap on the floor and Maynard was lying on his stomach, asleep in bed.

“May~nard.” Tighe said in a quiet voice as he tiptoed over toward the vampire. He peered over Maynard’s body at his slumbering face. He tiptoed closer.

“May~nard.” The Fae whispered leaning down, inches from his face. “I found some bandages and—”

Maynard’s eyes shot open and before Tighe could scream, he found his arm in a vice like grip, jerked down onto the bed and securely underneath the vampire.

“Sonofa fucker!” the Fae shouted, his face bright red. He wiggled his feet helplessly as Maynard laughed. Tighe noticed with Fae like outlook he still had the bandages and alcohol bottle in his hands.

“Y’know ya like me.” The vampire cooed pushing himself up on his hands and knees so Tighe could slide out.

“You’re an asshole.” The Fae replied escaping and sat down beside Maynard so he could treat his wounds. Already the ragged wounds on his neck and scores on his buttock scabbed over while underneath bright pink flesh daintily knitted together.

“It’s one of m’many charms.” Maynard teased before Tighe smiled darkly, uncapped the alcohol and dumped a moderate amount onto his exposed wounds.

“God dayamn it!” the vampire swore crushing the bed sheets in his fists. The antiseptic seeped through the scabs and the vampire hissed as new pain rushed lightning fast through his body.

“I thought you said you were fer forgiveness.” Maynard whined once the burning was gone. “That wasn’ very forgiving.”

“Y’know ya like me.” Tighe drawled performing an adequate imitation of the vampire before busting up into laughter at the incredulous expression on Maynard’s face.

Maynard chuckled, “Yura asshole. A cute one but a asshole.”

“Hm, when you’re not being loved and a punching bag for Karnik, what do you do for fun?” Tighe asked casually. The Fae tore off a sizable strip of bandages and began wrapping it around the vampire’s neck.

Must be a Fae thing, Maynard thought puzzled as to how Tighe could indifferently go from subject to subject.

“Well some times ah play cards, go out shopping.” He told the Fae. He propped his head on his fist.

“What do you shop for?”

“Material mostly.” He replied over his shoulder and winked as he continued, “Y’didn’t think mah dresses were all store bought, did ya?”

“Eh, so fraella was right.” Tighe muttered indifferently. “Do you special order the clothes you do buy?”

“Do you honestly think stores ‘round here carry dresses that can fit me?”

“Eh, we were both right.” Tighe finished securing the bandages and then began glaring at the wounds on Maynard’s buttock.

“Y’know, I love it when a man stares at m’ass.” The vampire cooed with a look over his shoulder. Tighe jumped at the thinly veiled flirt and flushed in embarrassment.

“What’cha thinking about so hard?” Maynard inquired in a smoky tone. “Like the view, hm?”

A devious look flickered across Tighe’s face and before the vampire caught the danger in that wily expression, Maynard found his body seizing in liquid pain.

“God dayamn!” he screamed as the Fae gleefully cackled. “Abracomas, ah swear if you do that again yer a dead little fairy.”

“Y’know ya like me.” Tighe drawled.

Royal found her brother an hour later sitting on Maynard’s bed looking through a box of gaudy necklaces with a rhinestone tiara propped on his head at a daring angle. The owner of the jewelry was crying over an indigo mass of cloth next to her brother.

“It’s ruined.” Maynard sobbed. “My dress! The silk! I hate you, Tighe. It was my favorite dress.”

“You have six more of the same material.” Royal replied walking in trailed by the Hikaru twins.

Upon hearing his sister and seeing his new friend, Tighe leapt off the bed and flung himself into Itsuki’s arms with a shriek.

“Suki-chan, lookie what I found.” He cried shoving a handful of pink pearls underneath the werewolf’s nose. “I found shinys.”

Itsuki looked down cross-eyed at the string of faux pearls and chuckled, “So you did.”

“I see someone’s been playing doctor with you.” Royal said to Maynard as Kazumi and his twin led the babbling Fae out the door.

Maynard smiled brightly and toyed with the bandages he wrapped around his waist, “Your fraello doesn’t like to leave a man to bleed.”

“My brother is a fragile creature.” Royal snapped. “Innocent, pure...and I’d like to keep him that way.”

“What are you hinting at, Miss Kimura?” the vampire asked with a smile. “Y’don’t think I’m planning on doin' somethin’ bad to your precious brother now do you?”

“You even touch, Tighe-look at him the wrong way and I swear on my parents’ graves, I will kill you.”

“Y’have m’word. I won’t do a thing yer fraello doesn’t want.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------
“Okay, explain that one again.” Maynard asked a week later as he was measuring Tighe for a new pair of pants under the watchful eye of Royal, Kazumi and Itsuki.

“In Fae culture, when one–especially a champion of the king or queen–feels they’re in the way of future generations, they give their spirit, or ghost, back to Mother Nature. My grandfather felt, with the crowning of a new Queen, there wasn’t a need for him.”

“So, he gave up the ghost.” Kazumi replied with a nod. “So Faes believe in reincarnation?”

“Kinda.” Royal responded eying Maynard extra hard as he reached dangerously close to Tighe’s crotch.

“No.” Tighe corrected oblivious where the vampire’s hands rested with the measuring tape. “Reincarnation is a whole person coming back. Our belief is that what lives around us are tiny amounts of people, animals and plants reborn.”

“Sounds like reincarnation to me.” Itsuki retorted and before Tighe could argue, Maynard asked,

“What material and color do you want these?”

“Pants are made from different materials?” the Fae asked with childlike innocence. Maynard climbed to his feet and marked Tighe’s measurements down on a sheet of paper as the Hikaru twins groaned.

“Yes fraello, pants come in different materials.” Royal answered calmly. “For example, if you wish to dress up formally your pants might be made of crushed velvet or leather--”

“Oooo!” Tighe said excitedly. “I want leather pants.”

“If you want leather, you can borrow one of mine.” Royal told him. She caught the odd looks the three men were shooting her and elaborated, “Tighe’s three inches taller than me but otherwise we’re the same size.”

“This I gotta see.” Itsuki said grabbing the measuring tape from Maynard and wrapped it around Royal’s hips. “She’s a little less than 28 inches, what’s Tighe.”

“Tad under 28 inches.” Maynard answered sweetly and Tighe giggled.

“So what do y’want me to do with y’pants since you can borrow y’sister’s leathers?” the vampire asked the Fae.

“Eh, doesn’t matter to me.” Tighe replied then added sourly, “It’s not like I’m going out any time soon.”

“I heard the Master usually lets us out after about fifty years.” Kazumi said as he put his arms around Tighe in sympathy. “We can hold out that long, right?”

Royal noted the look Maynard gave the two as he situated her brother’s measurements with the rest of his sewing material and filed the expression away to examine later. Right now, she had more pressing things to consider. Like what to do with Itsuki who still had his hands on her waist.

She cleared her throat and made her tone sweet, “Itsuki-chan, Maynard probably would like his measuring tape back.”

“Can’t I measure your bust?” Itsuki inquired.

“Baka yaro” his twin muttered as Tighe and Maynard silently laughed.

“Would you like me to bust you in the mouth?” Royal inquired evenly. A nasty sounding snicker escaped Tighe’s lips as Itsuki whimpered and tucked the tape measure behind him in the absence of a tail.

“Such a shame,” Maynard cooed. “Always getting whipped by his favorite person in the world. Poor, poor puppy.”

“Ally, you’re so mean.” Tighe added. His sister shot him a dirty look that he laughed at when all of a sudden a loud grumble filled the air. Tighe clutched his stomach with a mortified blush.

“Sounds like someone’s hungry.” Maynard commented while Tighe bashfully toyed with the buckles on his clothes. Kasumi pulled out a pocket watch from the folds of his kimono and checked the time.

“It is the usual time for the staff to have lunch all ready prepared.” He informed the room. Itsuki let out a cheer and tossed Maynard his measuring tape as he grasped Royal’s arm.

“Come on Royal-chan,” he exclaimed “‘port me there before Tighe eats all the sushi again!”

“Yeah fraella show everyone your inner sweet little girl.” Royal’s brother cooed. She flipped him the bird before vanishing with Itsuki.

“Itsuki no baka!” Kazumi shouted racing off toward the dinning room. “You were the one who consumed all the sushi!”

“Tighe, wait a minute.” Maynard said before the Fae could slip between realms. He put his tape measure up before going over to his bed and pulling out a small bag he had hidden beneath his pillow.

“Last time Ah went to town, Ah—um...try’em.” He told shoving the bag into Tighe’s hands.

“What are they?” the Fae asked opening up the sack and looked inside. Black gooey chunks that smelled sweet lay glued to the bag.

“Blackstrap molasses covered pumpkin seeds.” Maynard replied. “Ah used to love’em when I was a kid. Was the closest thing to candy m’Pappy ever let me have.”

“Thank you so much!” Tighe cried throwing his arms around Maynard. “I haven’t had candy since I was five hundred!”

“Oh...” Maynard said faintly as he was released from the embrace and the Fae began popping the sticky treats into his mouth.

“Is it okay if I share these with Suki-chan and Zumi-san?” Tighe inquired and Maynard shrugged.

“Share’em with them or your sister if y’want.”

“Royal doesn’t like sweet stuff.” Tighe replied with a laugh. “It disagrees with her bad ass image.”

He teleported into the dining room, immediately giving out the treats to the Hikaru twins and a few curious others who had came down to eat. Then as he ate, Tighe chatted animatedly with a maid who gave him weary looks in between her cleaning duties. He tried to follow her after eating three servings of sushi when the maid left but ended up tripping and landing flat on his face.

Royal, who knew her brother best, began to suspect something was wrong. She silently observed Kazumi help Tighe back into his chair. She kept a tally of the times her brother filled his water glass and how much he drank. She noted his face had more color than it normally did. When Tighe began napping at the table, Royal knew for certain some thing was wrong.

“Hey.” she snapped drawing everyone’s attention toward her. “One of you pick Tighe up and take him to his room.”

“He looks comfy.”

“He’s sick.” Royal barked back. Kazumi and Itsuki both got up and between them both, the twins managed to pick him up.

Tighe barely twitched as the twins carried him to his room and laid him down upon his bed. The alarm Royal was feeling barely crossed her face.

“Fraello.” she said gently patting her brother’s fevered cheek. “Tighe, wake up and talk to me.”

Tighe moaned and his arm halfheartedly flopped at his side as he tried brushing Royal’s hand away. She sighed and closed her eyes, allowing her Fae senses to give her more information.

There’s a taint. something told her. Inside. A sweetened poison.

“Itsuki, Kazumi,” Royal asked calmly opening her eyes. “What was Tighe giving out before he ate? Was it some kind of sweets.”

“Blackstrap molasses covered pumpkin seeds.” Said a guilty voice from the open door. Royal turned and saw Maynard looking every bit as uncomfortable as his voice sounded. Royal did some quick math and began seeing red.

“You fucking moron!” she growled. “Blackstrap molasses and pumpkin seeds are iron supplements!”

Maynard winced, “I didn’t know…”

“You goddamn well know iron is lethal to Faes!” Royal snapped as Kazumi and Itsuki both began inching their way out of the room. They had never seen the Fae assassin so upset, she was usually so calm, her emotions subdued.

“Don’t think I didn’t see those burns he got last week on his hands.” She told him. “Fraello is shit at hiding injuries so I know about those burns and every mark Master Karnik has ever put on him.”

“Fraella?” Tighe whispered. “Non ritengo sens pas rik”

“I know you don’t feel good.” Royal replied quietly, kneeling down beside his bed. “You only speak the Fae language when you’re not thinking too well.”

“Bent vous jeque eu sou mudo?” he asked with a faint smile and his sister snorted.

“No, I’m not saying you’re dumb.”

Tighe smiled, paled and suddenly said in plain English, “I think I’m gonna hurl.”

Before Maynard could blink, Royal had slipped between realms, reappeared somewhere in the castle and came back to her brother’s bedside with an empty brass urn. Not long after, Tighe began throwing up.

Royal never could stand seeing her brother ill. When she was a very little girl, Tighe contracted an illness that left him bedridden for a week. Her budding Fae senses told her a kaleidoscope of information, the only information she received about her beloved fraello.

The sour stench of vomit and sweat said he was feverish and unable to keep food down. The rapid fluttering of his heart said his body was straining itself to stay alive. The sticky sounds his breaths made told her his breathing was hampered.

Those seven days still haunted her after so long. She never forgot the fear that was in her mother’s eyes during that week. She never forgot the pain she felt during those days of waiting. So every time Royal saw her brother vomit, she got away.

“What the hell!?” Maynard muttered as he went to Tighe’s side after Royal slipped between realms, vanishing from sight. The Fae had ceased vomiting for a moment and sat up, hugging the urn to his chest.

“She doesn’t like to see me throw up.” Tighe rasped. “Makes her feel helpless.”

“Tighe, ah am so sorry.” Maynard told him. “Ah didn’t know ‘bout the iron.”

“Then it’s a good thing I only ate about three.” The Fae replied with a weak smile. “Any more of your molasses covered yummies and I would of—”

Maynard smiled wanly as a fit of vomiting cut off the last of Tighe’s words.