25. Disturbed Breakfast

I have been here for barely a week but in those few days that I have been here, I notice that Elian is a stickler for routine and certain things like waking up early, having his dinner at a certain time, and may I bitterly add, never with me.

Also being too much a prick about the privacy of matters.

He always wakes up early, taking his dinner and breakfast before me, and is usually not around for lunch mainly because he never misses work. What does he even do for work? I don't know and I guess we'll never know either.

but it's safe to say that he is like a roommate that I never see throughout the day.

But it baffles me so much as to why I would wake up early two days in a row just to catch a moment with my own husband to feed him some hot gossip about us.

And all he does is hum nonchalantly while paying more attention to the dreary newspaper than to my rumpled puffy morning face.

I set my eyebrows straight, staring at him. He looks incredibly fresh in a starched white shirt that falls against the barely tanned skin of his neck. The weather being foggy, he has put on a full-sleeved shirt and his hair is slightly ruffled but you can see that he has combed through it and it looks effortlessly styled when it's actually not.

"Is that all you're going to say?" I ask, baffled by his disinterestedness when he's supposed to freak out and go batshit crazy.

"Whatever it is you mean, Adian." He briefly glances at me and then goes back to the newspaper, "This was sure to happen the moment you punched Vance Welstone in front of two hundred guests.

"Two hund—!" I sigh and continue more calmly, "The point is that it happened."

"Yes, it happened, and thank heavens that things aren't as worse as I expected."

"Well, if I want things badly, I've got you for that."

A sigh erupts from him and it sounded as if it came from deep down his stomach, an expression of pure aggravation.

I feel that I've under-achieved in my wrinkled cotton pajamas that I have very clearly slept in but Elian hasn't commented on it. Did he take a good look at me? Yes, he did. He ran his eyes all over as soon as I barged into his breakfast time and then proceeded to turn back to his jam bun as if he didn't see me.

"So what is your point, Adian?"

The name just rolls off his tongue and it seems to happen in slo-mo until I notice that he is giving me a completely peeved look.

"I just..wanted to talk about that."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah…" I shrug with one shoulder, "...and talk."

"Talk?" He echoes in bafflement as though I just asked him to kiss my shoes. But to give him the benefit of doubt, I should have expected that.

"You can't be waking up three hours early just to talk to me."

"Well, when you put it like that— wait, how do you know that I wake up late every day?"

"How wouldn't I know that?"

I roll my eyes, "Elaborate."

"No, thank you. I won't." Elian flips his newspaper up, giving me a cheeky look, and the corners of his mouth twitch barely. I wish that something wasn't boiling in my chest when he showed those playful eyes.

"You are…" I shake my head, unable to finish the sentence.

A heavy shadow falls in the room as I skid the sofa chair backward when I stand up. I look outside the wide window and the waning streaks of sunlight are now completely gone. The garden shrubs flutter in soft winds against the backdrop of dark grey fluffs of cotton clouds. It might rain but again. London's weather was as unpredictable as a good game of monopoly. When I turn back, Elian's eyes are fixed on me instead of me and he doesn't flinch or look away when I catch him.

"Don't concern yourself with the rumors. If anything about it bothers you, I shall take care of it." He softly whispers at me when I don't look back.

"I am not bothered by it. You don't need to worry. If anything, I am only amused."

"Don't be too sure."

"Yeah. I'll handle that on my own." I remark jokingly, taking my steps back towards the door. My back is turned towards Elian rather than the door of the living room.

Oof!

I feel a solid form collide against me as soon as I step outside the door. The collision causes something to fall softly on the ground.

"Sir Adian!" Maria exclaims in shock, controlling her heartbeat with a palm over her chest.

"I am so sorry!" I fervently apologize, bending down to pick up the freshly washed laundry that looks as if it had been dry pressed.

"Are you in a hurry?" I jokingly question her fiddling manner while laying the clothes properly into the basket in her arms.

"There's no hurry." She scoffs, making a 'phooey' sound but while her expression is saying something entirely different. I frown suspiciously at this.

"Oh, come on. What is it?"

"Lobster!" She exclaims in a suppressed voice and then squeals, "There's an early shipment of fresh lobsters at the market today and I wanted to leave before Lord Elian leaves."

"lobsters?" I question, slowly prying the laundry basket out of her arms. She doesn't notice her excitement.

"Everyone is raving that it will be the freshest of all bunches." She whispers conspiratorially, bouncing his pure excitement.

"Hah!" I nod thoughtfully and hug the laundry basket to myself, "You don't say…" I remark, my features widening as an idea comes over to me.

"Maria!"

She jumps slightly at my sudden excitement and I nod excitedly.

"Let's go get that lobster! You and me both!"

------------------

The first time ever that I am stepping out into the reality of this place and I am hit with the actuality of it all, and it is a stark contrast against the grim silence and peace of Elian's place, whatever its name was, Sommet du Ciel.

The market is right smack in the middle of the town square where everyone bustles only with pure chaos and unbridled energy with small tea stalls and a myriad of grocery stalls. If you were to head a bit into the side of the building that houses all of these stalls, you would be on a stone pathway that is almost constantly wet and there are all kinds of meat hanging down at your face from all directions.

Women with aprons, a basket in one hand, and a child in the other. Men with their worn work clothes emit hostile energy with their eyes rolling all over the place. It is a typical picture you'd see with very typical people, some minding their business and some...well. At rare moments I could see a few excessively tall people dressed in finer clothes walking through with an air of authority— an alpha noble in the flesh. But there wasn't anyone who looked like an omega, not that I'd know immediately.

There's a lot of yelling going on and beside me is Maria who is also putting on a good show.

"You goddamned heckler!" She yells with her chair, veins almost popping at her neck. This is the most entertainment I have gotten to see and I wish I had popcorn with me.

"What did you say, woman?! I do no such thing! This is the finest lobster of all ___! I swear upon the breath of God!"

"I don't believe such bad reasoning! God does not need to breathe. how can you swear it upon the breath of God?"

"Wha–! Have you seen the sheen of its tail and the fluttering of its legs? This is still alive!"

"Yes, as alive as God is! I'll take this at 6 pence!"

Bejeezus. The woman does not hold back and I am proud to say that she is my Maria. I wouldn't fight with this woman even if my life depended on it. I laugh to myself, seeing the signs of resignation in the face of the stall vendor.

The rush of people walking behind me increases and before I could move away, a tall frame hits their arm against my shoulder as he tries to move past me.

"Sorr– Oh." I turn to apologize but the word is cut short as soon as I take a look at the person. Anything that I wanted to say is now stuck right in my throat and I swallow hard.

My heart skips a beat for a moment when I see the face. But as he moves closer to me, I could see his long blonde hair swaying behind him in a ponytail and a wave of relief passes over me.

Vincent peers at me, and I could see judgment in his eyes as he comments haughtily,

"I see the bird is out of its cage today."