One Shot - The Butler

-The Present-

Feeling shivers up your back from the cold barrel of the pistol on your nape, you look at him, asking him for help as he looks back at you.

" If you move an inch, she dies suka." A voice comes from the predator behind as he raises it to the back of your skull.

" Step aside and DROP YOUR WEAPON, SUKA" The man orders in a disdainful tone as you hear the click of the safety being released.

" Please." You plea to your the man before you, who hesitates.

He lowers his rifle.

*****

-The Forgotten Past-

The air was hazy, yet clear.

This game of hide and seek was always fun.

Because somehow, you knew he would always find you, wherever you were.

It was the thrill of hiding from him that gave you joy.

The man in the black vest entered the small cupboard you were in with a stupid smile on his face, after he made all the noise settle down.

" Ah, Lady. There you are!" He tried to occupy the miniscule space you hid in but hit his head on the ceiling, with a thud and staggered to his feet before cursing under his breath, quite clear to hear.

You pouted, as hearing him swear made you angry and crossed your arms and huffed a breath of disappointment, looking away.

" Oh...sowwie, Y/N. You know how much hitting your head hurts?" The man frowned but he opened his arms, signalling you to forget about it and rush into his arms as he lovingly picked you up, hitting his head again but managing to hold the words in with a pained face.

It hurt you instead.

You loved him like a father more than a butler.

*****

As you held his hand and walked out the hallway of the mansion, you edged closer and closer to him until he knew to pick you up and held you close.

When you put your face close to his chest, you mostly always pick up that smell.

You didn't care that his demeanor smelled of rotten meat or that of the "Tomato sauce" Papa always says is in your body.

Though after so long, you got used to the pungent smell he hid under a million coats of the perfume of yours he uses.

But you still used to wonder how they got tomatoes inside your body and if that's where sauce comes from.

You were a very creative kid. Just for the wrong things...

With his rough hands, he closed your eyes and pat your hair as he offered you a juice pop that was obviously not cold as you made your way to the cellar. You looked at him with another look of rage as you sucked on it.

Not before hitting him in the head for giving you a warm snack.

The man who protected you opened the door with one hand as you threw the empty packet onto another dead contract killer.

Or as he taught you, 'Losers of Tag' when you tried to wake one up before.

" My Lady, he just lost the food fight. So he must play till the end as a statue. Don't interrupt his already hard dedication." You remember his words as he laid down the last Loser on the floor with all the others.

He carefully lowered you down as your feet hit the ground of the room which smelled of grapes.

The black haired man sat down and asked you to do the same next to him, signalled by tapping the ground and incurring your wrath as you started to stomp his feet with yours with a look of dominance.

But it wasn't of supremacy, it was from pure, distilled joy.

After a few moment of soft silence, your small body got numb from sitting on the muddy ground and you hopped up gracefully and noticed he fell asleep right where he sat.

" ~Lazy sloth." You muttered to yourself as you stretched, as hard as it was in the jacket you had on which ironically kept you warm in the cold.

But even after trying to sleep next to him, you couldn't. And after feeling hungry again, you slithered up-to your butler and poked his nose.

You gave up waking him and you decided to just take what you want and you wanted juice pops.

It would be betrayal if it weren't to be mentioned that you were always very determined to get what you want.

Because that was how you were bought up. How you were raised. Being the unorthodox female heir of the Slovnaya family, you weren't treated like the other heirs.

The heir of the Slovnaya was brought up with a different condition to the others.

You were only given necessities, had you asked for them.

You weren't annoyed at all. It felt like people wanted you with them.

But you did it for their responses. The smiles that they gave back when you gave them orders.

And this man, the one who has looked after you every since you began walking, never left. And you could recall his young face.

Not once, without returning.

You trusted him because of that, with your life. Because he was the only person who stood for everything you were.

With as little noise as possible, you pulled a juice pop from the innards of his weird shirt of sorts. And another. And another.

Because you would like to not wait and hoard them beforehand and take them whenever you need them.

One would say you would die for them.

Fitting.

But when you couldn't find any more, you struck a hole with the sharp end of the straw of the container and put it in your mouth while you took to foraging his pockets, should you find more.

You pulled out something that was way too heavy for a chocolate as it felt warm.

" A bubble blower?" You thought to yourself in a small voice as you looked at it, tilting your head all sorts of possible ways to confirm whether it was one.

You let out a snicker.

Your butler tensed as he suddenly threw his eyes open and panicked, not noticing you had it pointed at his face.

Point blank.

You wanted to know how he reacted when you had soapy bubbles blowing on his face and into his mouth.

Your teeth poked out your lips as his mouth was open for the take.

*clic-

The trigger wouldn't budge past halfway.

" Empty?"

He looked at you and froze, his mind grasping the situation.

" Woah, woah! Nope! Y/N, dear, put that down!" He let the palm of his hand divert the barrel of the gun up and slowly plucked it out of your tiny fingers and gingerly tucked it back into his rolled up shirt.

" Fill it up next time." You unconsciously let out as he apologized for being a quote on quote ' Dum Dum', picking up the pops you stole from him.

And that was the last time you saw him smiling, for the years to come.

The man who you lovingly grew up with left without a trace, like the others when he left you for the first time at the new estate of the Slovnaya family with your mother, leaving soon with your father.

" Where are you going?"

" Y/N, my Lady. I'm afraid I won't be able to see you into your teenage years..." He sniffled as his eyes looked straight at yours, looking as if he aged a few decades within seconds.

" Why? When will you be back?" You remember the last words of yours to him with a hopeful smile.

He always returns.

" I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after."

His echoing laugh.

The tears on your face.

" How about...this? Let's make a deal, my Lady. You think you can hold onto this for when I come back?" The man who now wore a full on suit which was somehow uncanny this time around looked at his ring, twirling it out and putting it on your head, after caressing the side of your tearing face.

" And if I d-" The dream ended.

*****

-The Recent Past-

The screen curtain raises, lighting up your world.

A small yawn escapes your mouth as you see light enter your eyelids, just after the sound of curtains sliding against the metal handles is heard.

Morning has arrived.

" Lovely morning, isn't it, Miss Slovnaya?"

You slowly open your eyes to see your maid to your side. You raise your right hand over your eyes to barricade the mellow yet bright rays of the Sun.

" If would be, if you called me by my name, Maria." You chide the woman in white as you slowly get out of your bed.

Time passes by as usual, the routines of yours flickering by like the pages of a flip-book, making a complete tale when complied and made whole.

Breakfast time.

Your lips come into contact with the hot coffee as your father, Ilas Slovnaya takes on his plate with utmost emotion, savouring every bite as if it were his last.

" Father, would it bother you to not bother others? It's very bothersome..." You find yourself calling out his behavior.

" Well this is your mothers cooking, isn't it?" The most respected heads of the five families gives you a mischievous smile playing on his complexion as usual.

To you, he always seems like the most carefree person anyone could lay their eyes upon.

Yet you still admire that duality about him.

There wasn't a full out war due to the fact that there would be a female head in due time for a reason.

But that didn't stop the assassination attempts.

Although out of nowhere, they did cease. Because of a treaty or because they didn't get close was the only question that remained by the time you turned 12.

" That mouth of yours probably landed you in your position, father."

The grey haired man looks down at his breakfast and shrugs it off, before suddenly making a confused face, tinting it with a look of bewilderment.

A brilliant smile.

" You're turning 28 today." Ilas announces with a bold laugh.

You narrow your eyebrows.

" And what does that imply? Don't throw a party. Don't invite anyone. It's nothing special. It's two years to the ceremony." When the spur of words fly by, there comes a knock on the door.

" I'm sorry, Sire Slovnaya But it is imperative you come with me immediately. It's Sire." 

" Is it one of the Heads? The Retoro?" Ilas twists the steak as he slices it with a knife.

" It's him. He returned." Your father drops his knife, the food half spilling out as he stands up with a swift movement. 

" Sire Silvanus. He just arrived." The old butler confirms. With a baffled look with a sigh, you eye your father, waiting to query him of this new family member you never knew of. But as soon as you see the face Ilas Slovnaya, the current Head made, you knew it wasn't a laughing matter.

" Ludis, have you informed Lona about this?" The old man you knew who worked for your mother rather than your father, not informing her first did its job of piquing your interest.

" Who is this man, father?" 

No reply reached your ears.

And so, you followed your father, Ilas down the hallway as you reached the front door, seeing a shadow with glasses on at the reception, drinking a whole bottle of wine, supposedly checking a paper.

" Well, good to see you again. It sure is a pleasure Ilas, seeing you brought her up to be a fine young lady."

You freeze in your footsteps. And once you start fiddling with your pendant, it starts to bring back the words that you hoped were just a happy, fleeting dream.

" Let's make a deal, my Lady. You think you can hold onto this for when I come back?"

The face of the future heir it the Slovnaya bloodline falls pale, as you feel the circulation leave your body.

Anger boils up in your mind as you walk upfront to him.

The one called Silvanus, who you remember as clear as day, stands up, putting down the glass of wine.

" How are you, Y/N Slovnaya? I believe you may remember me." You watch as Silvanus takes off his glasses and tuck it into his suit.

An uncanny appearance turns into a meaningless problem as he exerts a pressure of authority.

And you watch helplessly as your hands react to the man, as the brunt of your palm comes into contact on his face giving way to a sharp sound.

You watch helplessly as you see your hand slap him.

" WHERE WERE YOU?!" And the next moment, watch as your mouth blurts out the pain.

" Still quite the angry child, aren't you, young lady?" And it ended as you see his face, tears of joy trickling down his eyes as he puts a hand on your head.

You break down.

You cry.

You don't know what to do.

The tears just won't stop.

You grab hold of him.

You hug him tight as he chuckles.

The princess of the Slovnaya, ends the minute by her wonderful reunion, albeit unexpected.

*****

" -de her think I was dead. Not the best of plans, I'd say."

" I didn't have any other choice, you know? Being gone for 20 years takes a toll if you wait for someone. It did for me." Your father's voice reaches you as you wake up once again.

" You awake yet?" He taps your forehead as you force your eyes open.

" Okay fine I'm awake! Get your hands off me, deserter!" Your hand swats his away as he smiled.

" Missed you too, Y/N." Silvanus breaks into his signature smile.

To which, how could you resist? To stay mad at him? After that?

You turn away as you face your father as he smirks at your relative.

" Father, who is he? The truth?"

Ilas looks at the man who protected you through dozens of assassination attempts, yet someone you knew nothing about.

An enigma, save the fact that he loves wine. And vests.

Like a bartender.

And the more you thought about it, the more it made sense.

The same polite attitude.

The same tendency to stop people fighting. Coming out on top due to reasons.

Mostly being in the presence of alcoholic juices.

" Are you actually a bartend-"

" NO!"

*****

Silvanus took another sip of the deep red wine.

" So. Have you fallen in love with a boy yet?" You nearly spray your mouthful of tea on his face.

" Nah-no. Moreover, why did you even pretend to be a butler?" You slowly take the beverage down your throat, feeling the burn of the ginger flow through.

" I never was your butler. You were too young to understand. But I guess, saying that I was looking after you, Y/N Slovnaya would be more than a simple understatement" He pauses as he finishes the glass and then looks at it with a look of dissatisfaction and regret.

" I'm gonna need another serving..." He eats after an awkward silence and gets up from his position.

" I'm sorry." You hear his whisper. The tone of honesty is maintained as he rolls the glass within his hands and smiles to himself, like he did every time he opens up.

" But I'm not leaving you, until you're climb up the ladder of our family. You're gonna change the five families, Y/N. And I will guide you there. Even if I seem detached as a human." Silvanus Slovnaya looks at you, his dark eyes showing a flood of memories washing onto you.

" I'm not your butler. But I'm the one who's gonna protect you, like it or not. I hope you do though, since you need to be alive, don't you, to counter this sexist view?" Hearing the laugh of the man whom you saw as the only man you can trust with your life, you feel warm inside.

" Thank you." But it feels off calling his name. You here call him, well...anything.

Because you just know him as he is, no nouns.

And you knew you could count on him when the dreaded days were to come.

*****

The man lowers his rifle, as he looks at the your captor.

Silvanus looks forlorn as he gets down on his knees, lowering his head.

You see him drop the gun on the worn out floor, painted with the sauce of other Losers who lost to tag.

And you watch helplessly as Silvanus announces," She lives. This is your personal vendetta. I die and she leaves." And he tilts his head up, seeing the stream of tears leaving your eyes.

" My Lady, you're gonna live. But promise me that you never utter a single word about this to our family. Because as much as it stands, my gift to you is a sound protection that is bestowed upon you." He utters nonsensical words.

" He's stalling...for what?" A thought crosses your mind as he leans forward and puts his palms, facing up, reminiscent of a prayer.

In an attempt to make a last stand, he was doing something unknown to you.

You can do nothing, except help him.

And so, you scream. With all your heart and before you know it, you clasp your eyes shut and kick back with all your might.

A snap resonates from the force as you feel yourself falling downwards and hear the cock of guns getting ready to fire and hear two explosive bursts of sound.

And the succeeding actions around you feel like a static channel.

Sudden flashes of light.

And dark.

The sonic screeching doesn't stop as you feel your ear bleeding.

*****

You wake up, oblivious to the smell of corpses as your eyes only see one thing.

Silvanus.

With the last of your tears exiting your streaming irises, you crawl to him.

" SILVANUS!" You cry out as the walls of your throat grind together, scratching at you like a wild animal scratching to get out of a pit.

His shoulder had been shot, unlike the unlucky perpetrator who was shot in the knee and in the head, his head splattered in a few feet radius.

The protector of the next Head of the Slovnaya's wasn't badly injured.

" Get up." You call out in a commanding voice.

He groans. The old man groans.

" I might need to retire soon. God, I'm never gonna heard to end if I died." He groans as he turns to his side and mumbles.

" No I'll be dead...I'm  really getting old." You playfully punch him on the chest, only accompanied by his blood curdling scream of pain.

" OH GOD I'M SORRY!"

- The Start of a New Rule -

*****

Ilas Slovnaya / Lona Slovnaya

Silvanus Slovnaya

( Fun fact: This guy goes as a double of Ilas since they bear a heavy semblance to one another. )

Heh. Finally a happy ending. Wow that's hard to make.