Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ To Catch a Thief ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

To Catch a Thief

By Llewlyn

Summary: Schuldich is a master thief in the city of Schwarz, the Capitol of the great nation, Estet. Brad Crawford is a minor, but very wealthy, nobleman whose wife died three years prior. Schuldich, Aya, Yohji, Ken, and Omi are members of a crime ring run by a mysterious man named Persia. Schuldich gets an assignment to burgle a nobleman's house...

Rating: R, I guess, for upcoming lemons and limes and crude language inappropriate for kiddies.

A/N: Damn my muses... *attacks Yohji and Schu with a broom stick in one hand and a golf club in the other* My ideas always come at two in the morning. Also, the street rats have atrocious grammar, which annoys me to write, but I gotta cause they... *points at innocently grinning muses of lust and love* are making me!

***

A few hours later, Schuldich's eyes opened. His body was awash with pain and his thoughts were fogged. He sat up and tried to wrap his arms around himself, but couldn't. A chain held him captive, preventing him from curling up where he was. He pulled roughly on the chain, not realizing that the band on his wrist was digging into his skin as he tugged, trying to break the metal fastenings. He wrapped both hands around the gilded irons, pulling with all his strength until he sat, panting, and unable to pull any more. His eyes darted frantically around the room, not taking in anything that wouldn't be of assistance in freeing himself. Finally his gaze lit upon a metal nail file. He stretched out to grab it off the night table it was on, barely catching it with his fingertips.

Schuldich began sawing at the shackle on his wrist, trying to cut himself free and not registering the futility of his actions. His skin grew raw around the metal, both from the chafing caused by the sawing, and the tip of the file rubbing against his skin when he was careless. He didn't notice the effects of his battle with the bonds, he only heard the rasp of metal against metal.

***

When dawn arrived, hours later, Crawford returned to his bedroom, intending to release Schuldich from his bed and apologize. Instead, he saw his slave frantically filing his shackles and blood trickling down his wrist. "Schuldich_ Stop that at once_" he ordered, approaching the bed with his hand outstretched to take the file away.

Schuldich snarled and lashed out blindly, catching Crawford across the palm and tearing the soft skin a little. He looked up, and Crawford saw his dilated pupils, unfocused gaze, and terrified expression. "Schuldich..."

"Go away_" the slave screamed, attacking Crawford with the nail file as best he could.

"God... I'm sorry, Schuldich..." the man whispered, backing away from Schuldich. He went and got Farfarello.

The one-eyed bodyguard approached Schuldich slowly, murmuring nonthreateningly and holding the key to his chains in one hand. "See, Schu? I'm going to let you out now... nothing to be scared of, I'm not going to hurt you..." Schuldich whimpered, but let Farfarello release him. He didn't recognize Farfarello's voice as someone who would do him harm. He rose from the bed, his eyes wide and uneasy. Schuldich dressed, donning pants and a shirt. He pushed past Farfarello, who had intended to bring Schuldich down to the kitchen for something to eat.

Leaning against the walls for support, Schuldich half-walked, half-ran to the bathing chamber that he'd been tormented in his first night in the Crawford manse. Farfarello followed close behind, trying to keep Schuldich from hurting himself or others, but the redhead slammed the door to the room in his face, and the distinct sound of the lock being turned could be heard. Then the sound of pouring water, and a soft hiss of cloth falling to the ground, and gentle splashing such as would be made by someone getting into a bathtub.

Farfarello sighed and took up watch outside the door, listening for any suspicious noises. Crawford joined him soon, watching the door concernedly.

Inside, Schuldich sat naked in the large bathing tub full of icy water. He had a rough cloth in one hand and stringent soap that was used for the laundry that was done in the room in the other, and he was scrubbing roughly at his skin. I'm dirty... I've got to get his smell off me... he thought over and over as he scoured his body. I'm so dirty...

His lips soon turned blue, his skin white, as he sat in the water. His teeth chattered, but he couldn't get out.. Not until the feel of Crawford on his skin was gone, even if it meant taking off his skin by scrubbing. The water, freezing from being left in the room overnight, even in the summer, splashed over the edges of the tub, making cold puddles on the floor.

I've got to get his smell off me...

Crawford grew worried after only a short period of time, but when he could no longer hear the quiet noises of someone bathing, he ordered Farfarello to get in. He tried, but the lock was solid from the inside, and it took a locksmith to pick it. They didn't have the time it would take to call for the locksmith, so they took to just pounding on the door, but that didn't work. Schuldich didn't answer.

Nagi arrived, looking sleep rumpled and concerned about the noise that echoed up through the floors to his room. "What's going on, Farf?" he asked, brushing his wispy brown hair out of his eyes.

Crawford answered from where he slumped against the wall beside the door. "Schuldich locked himself in the bathroom, and he's not answering. We can't get the door opened."

Nagi looked the solid oak door up and down. "Did you try taking the hinge pins out?" he asked, looking thoughtful. Farfarello and Crawford looked at each other, then urgently began pulling the long pins out of the hinges. Finally the door opened, and Crawford rushed in.

Schuldich sat in the silver tub, legs pulled up to his chest and arms around his knees, rocking back and forth slowly. His eyes were wide and unblinking, his lips bluish-purple. "Schuldich_" he exclaimed, and garnered no reaction from the still slave. He practically flew to Schuldich's side, snatching a blanket from a pile of laundry left there. He carefully lifted Schuldich from the water, wrapping him in the warm sheet and cradling him in his arms. "I'm sorry, Schuldich," he whispered repeatedly, rocking the unresponsive boy. "I'm sorry..." Crawford took one of the slave's hands, feeling for his pulse, then touched his forehead lightly. "God, he's burning up_" He rose swiftly, holding Schuldich close to him as he hurried back to his room.

Farfarello and Nagi followed, watching as their lord set Schuldich down on the bed gently, tucking him under the sheets. "Nagi... get the doctor_ He's got a fever..." The child nodded and ran out of the house to get the physician that Crawford trusted with his life.

Farfarello took a seat on the opposite side of the bed from Crawford unobtrusively, merely there to hold him down in case he began thrashing, or tried to attack Crawford again. Across from him, the baronet held Schuldich's hand in his, pressing it to his lips and doing something he hadn't done in a long time.... praying.

He fervently wished Schuldich would get well, would blink or focus his eyes, speak... He prayed for the boy's recovery, for his skin to regain its healthy color and his lips to return to their soft coral shade.

The doctor arrived as quickly as possible, entering the room less than half an hour after Nagi had been sent for him. He made Crawford move, taking over the spot in order to examine Schuldich. He poked and prodded, took his pulse and temperature, then opened the black bag he carried. "Here..." he said calmly, giving Crawford a packet of willowbark and another of elespane (1). "Give these to your cook to make into tea, and give him some every hour. It will reduce his fever. He's just got a bit of the flu, he'll be fine once his temperature returns to normal." He smiled benignly and left the room, taking Nagi by the arm and indicating Farfarello should follow. He was a kindly old man who had nursed Crawford through his childhood illnesses and brought Nagi into the world ten years before, and he knew when one of his patients was in love. "Give them some time alone..." he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

"Schuldich... please, wake up," Crawford whispered, reclaiming his seat beside the bed. "Please, Schu, I have to apologize to you and I want to do it when you're listening to me." There was no sign that the redhead heard. "Schuldich, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you, and I hate myself for it."

"There's something I've got to tell you, and it took a ten year old to inform me how stupid I am for not realizing it sooner. Schuldich..." Crawford kissed the slave softly on the forehead. "I love you."

Schuldich stirred slightly and turned his face away from his master in his sleep.

1: willowbark is good for reducing pain, and elespane (I think that's right) is a fever reducer.