#do i still think sbt it everyday? yes

[dykearthurmorgan]

ed tw in tags :3

[lu-undy]

Chapter 104 - SBT

Here it is!

"When is she due, Micky?" 

"A few days, maybe a week, now, Mum."

"And he's always holding her like that?" 

"Yep… Holds her more than anythin' else. Even took his week off of work for her." 

Mundy and Caroline were preparing a tray of tea and biscuits while Lucien was on the sofa, holding Perle on his lap. 

"And how is it goin' with him?" She asked. 

"Mum, he… He's amazing. I…" Mundy sighed and turned to look at Lucien, through the door. The Frenchman was absorbed by whatever he was saying to Perle and didn't pay attention to Mundy, leaning on his side on the doorframe. "I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it as it comes, Micky."

"Might come out weird."

"Micky, I'm you mum. I know you. You don't have to make excuses or anything." 

Mundy leaned his head on the doorframe too. 

"He's… perfect. He's everythin'. He's… Y'know, sometimes I think about how it was before."

"Before you met him?" 

"Yeah, and even before we lost the farm, how I used to get mad at Dad and all… And then I look at Lu' and all this frustration that I had with Dad just… melts away. It's almost like it was worth gettin' mad and going to the desert for days if it meant that I'd get with Lu' in the end." 

"Aw, Micky… Listen to you, big boy…" 

"I-I'm sorry. Might be a bit too much, the way I said it." 

"No, please…" Caroline joined him at the door. "Go on." 

"I uh… When I think back, I wonder how I managed to live before him. And then I realise that…"

"That what, baby?" 

"That I wasn't." He answered in a sigh. "Everythin' makes sense with him, and nothing does without him." 

"Aw…" 

"I don't even know if that makes sense." 

"It does, Micky, oh it does…" Caroline turned to the whistling kettle and dealt with it. 

"Really?" Mundy followed her. 

"Yeah. I felt the same for your father back in the days." 

"Not anymore?" 

"O'course I still feel that way for him, that's why I stay with him. For better and for worse, in health and in sickness." 

"Yeah… Never thought I'd get it one day, but now I do." 

"And it made you grow into an even better man, this relationship with your Lu'." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. You're so much more calm, and confident too! You used to be so shy and bottle up everythin'. Sometimes even I found it hard to understand you, Micky. But now, you open up more and you even talk about your feelings…! I didn't even know if or when you had a girlfriend or a companion…"

"Never really happened." 

"Really?" 

"No one came even close to what I'm havin' with Lu' now. It was just uh… y'know… Not more than a few hours, if we're both drunk…"

"Oh…" 

"Yeah, 'm not proud of it." Mundy blushed. "But it was never something when I could have decent conversations, or even just feelings for the guy, or the sheila. It only happened with Lu'."

Caroline smiled sweetly at her son. 

"Head over heels for him, you are, eh?"

"Yeah, at least." Mundy chuckled. 

"By the way, did you think about what I told you the other day?" 

Mundy raised an eyebrow but soon he understood his mother. 

"Oh, yeah. But he's too busy with the kittens. Will give it more thought after." 

"Fair enough. Now please, be a good boy and carry the tray for your old Mummy, yeah?" 

"Sure."

Mundy obeyed and followed his mother to the living-room.

"Mon bébé… Oh? Tu as senti ça? C'est un petit! Ils sont presque prêts!"

[My baby… Oh? Did you feel this? That was a little one! They are nearly ready!]

Lucien had his hand on Perle's side, feeling the occasional kick of the young life brewing there.

"Meow!"

"Oui! Je l'ai senti encore!" He laughed and Perle brushed her head against him.

[Yes! I have felt it again!] 

"Here we go for a cup of tea…" Caroline brought the tray. 

"Mundy, did you think about-?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah, I did, Lu', I got an extra lil' bowl of water for Pearl, don't worry." Mundy and Caroline sat left and right from Lucien. 

"Thank you." Lucien said and took the bowl Mundy handed him. He got it close to Perle who sat up and started lapping at the water. 

"You seem very worried for her." Caroline gave Mundy his cup of tea. "Did she have a bad delivery in the past?" 

"Not that I know of." Lucien answered. “But she must stay hydrated. She is drinking for four now, five including herself." 

"There are four kittens?" Caroline asked. 

"Oui, that is what the veterinarian said."

"Aw…"

"Lu' even has that book he's reading all the time about it."

"About what?" Caroline asked.

"Cat pregnancy." Lucien answered. "I want to be prepared for the delivery and to welcome the little ones. The bed is ready and waiting in our room, did Mundy show you?" Lucien asked. 

"N-no, he didn't…?"

"Lu's a bit…"

"He says I am doing too much." Lucien said. "I am merely trying my best. It is an important event in the life of our baby here, so it is extremely important to me. Besides, it is exhausting for her, mentally and physically." Lucien scratched her, brushed her and pampered her all day long. 

"I'm tellin' him he doesn't need to be such a mother hen but it's almost like he's gonna get the kittens…"

"We are, Mundy - oh, oui, ma chérie, voilà. Tu es fatiguée? Tu peux dormir, Papa veille sur toi." 

[Yes, my darling, there you go. Are you tired? You may sleep, Papa is watching over you.]

Soot jumped on Mundy's lap to then lie next to his wife. 

"Oui, Soot, tiens lui compagnie, brave garçon…" 

[Yes, Soot, keep her company, good boy…]

"Even Soot is helpin', eh?" Caroline asked as she took a sip of her tea. 

"Oui, he is an excellent future father. He bathes her everyday, thoroughly, and helps her stay warm." 

Caroline smiled sweetly. 

"May I ask, Caroline…"

"Yeah?"

"Any names you would suggest for the kittens?" Lucien asked. 

"Oh, I… I don't really know. I'm not good with names…!"

"Yeah, you are, Mum." Mundy wrapped an arm around Lucien's shoulders. "You chose my name and I'll never complain about it." 

"Mundy is so beautiful and exotic." Lucien added. 

"Oh, well… I just liked the sound of it." Caroline chuckled. "But Lu', what does your name mean? Where does it come from?"

"Ah, well…" Lucien slowly leaned back on the sofa, paying attention to disturb Perle the Soot the least possible. "My mother told me that she was the one to choose this name for me. My father was missing when I was born. We learnt only later that he had passed. She chose Lucien because of the meaning. It comes from the Latin lux, which means 'light'. My name means 'the luminous one'. She named me thus, hoping that I would bring her the light of hope." He smiled, albeit with bittersweetness. 

"That's very sweet…" Caroline said. 

"Indeed, she was." 

"Is she still…?"

"Non, she passed away a long time ago unfortunately." 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you, Caroline."

"Carrie." Lucien's eyebrows jumped. "If I call you Lu', you can call me Carrie." 

Mundy blushed from his end of the sofa. 

"But enough about old stories and let's look at the future." Lucien looked at Perle, asleep on his lap. "I cannot wait for the little ones to get born." 

"It'll be a lot of little mouths to feed, eh?" Caroline said. 

"Oui, but it is all ready, aren't we, Mundy?"

"Hey, I raised the previous litter mostly on my own, eh? Did I do a bad job at it?" 

"Well…" Lucien teased with a smirk. 

"Well, what? Dare tell me they were badly raised, I dare ya!"

"They weren't badly raised but uhm, a few things could have been improved, I believe." 

"What?!" 

Caroline chuckled at the banter. 

"You boys are made for each other." 

Mundy blushed beyond his ears and Lucien's cheeks turned pink.

"Mum…!"

"You remind me of Mike and I when we were younger." 

"By the way, how is he?" Mundy asked. 

"Would you rather I left you alone?" Lucien asked. 

"Nah, don't be silly." Caroline answered. 

"I would perfectly understand." Lucien insisted. 

"Lu', you're family." Caroline said and put her hand on Lucien's. "You need to know these things as much as Micky does." 

She put her cup back on the tray and laid her hands flat on her knees. 

"He's… Better, I think, in a way at least." Lucien and Mundy listened keenly. "He is talkin' again and living normally, so that's good." 

"But…?" Lucien felt it coming.

"But he… He doesn't really wanna talk about you, Micky."

"What d'you mean?" The Aussie asked. 

"Whenever I come back from visiting you, I always tell him that you're doin' fine and, y'know, give him the latest news. But he doesn't really react to any of it… He's hearin' me alright, eh, but he just doesn't answer anything."

Mundy lowered his head. 

"Is he eatin' and sleeping well?" He asked. 

"Yeah, like he used to. I sleep better too. But he's still a bit off for anything that concerns you."

Mundy sighed. 

"I… I'm so sorry, Mum, I-I wish I could do somethin'... Other than leavin' Lu' that is, cause that's never gonna happen."

"I know, baby, I know." Caroline said. "I wish I could do something too." 

"I might have an idea." Lucien said. "But I need to ask first, would Mike accept to see Mundy coming at your door?" 

"I-I don't know." Caroline said. "You guys want to visit?" 

"Just Mundy, I think my presence would be too much."

"No." Mundy answered. "We either go together or none of us go. He's got to understand I'm not ready to compromise on you, Lu'. I've always taken his side and taken it on my shoulders, his rants, his anger, everythin'. This time, I won't yield." 

Lucien turned his head to face away for an instant. Caroline noticed it and frowned at Mundy for his bluntness. He blushed and looked where his mother was nodding at. 

"I-I mean… I… Uh… Hm." Mundy took Lucien's hand in his and pulled it to his own chest. "It's both of us or no one, is all."

"I know, Micky." Caroline gently nodded. "But what was your idea, Lucien? Maybe we can make it work differently?" 

-- A few days later, in the evening -- 

"Meow…" 

"Oui, mon bébé, je sais, moi aussi je l'attends. Dad ne devrait plus tarder."

[Yes, my baby, I know, I am also waiting for him. Dad shouldn't be much longer.]

Lucien was sitting on the bed, in his pyjamas with his book about cat pregnancy in one hand. The other was busy petting Perle and Soot, scratching and lazily brushing their black and white fur. From time to time, he would turn a page and read whatever could make the passing of time less dull, under the night lamp. 

Whenever some noise would interrupt his reading, his ears would prick up, along with Perle's and Soot's. But he knew that if Soot didn't move - and if Perle didn't try to - then, it wasn't Mundy yet. 

Eventually, it did happen. Soot and Perle were bathing each other when the black male slithered out of bed. 

"Meow…" Perle pushed herself on her paws to stand up. 

"Ma chérie, non, regarde-toi, tu peux à peine tenir debout. Reste allongée avec moi, Dad et Soot vont venir, ne t'inquiètes pas." 

[My darling, no, look at yourself, you can barely stand up. Stay on my lap with me, Dad and Soot will come shortly, don't worry.]

Perle meowed in protest but soon agreed with her Papa when she realised that her belly was too much of a burden to jump down the bed. She curled back on her Papa's lap and complained.

"Meoooow?"

"Why, you ask? Because you are bearing fragile children, mon bébé." He brushed her long, white hair and paid attention to never pressure her belly. 

"Hey, luv'." Mundy entered the room while Soot slithered back on the bed. "Look at you, babies…" The Aussie removed his clothes to stay in a tank top and boxer shorts before joining Lucien and the cats in bed. 

"Won't you be cold with only that?" Lucien asked.

"Nah, you and the cats keep me warm."

"Meow!" Perle raised her head and pushed herself to her feet. 

"Bonsoir, mon amour." 

[Good evening, my love.]

They exchanged a kiss and Lucien naturally used Mundy's shoulder as a pillow. Perle and Soot lay between them. 

"Meow…?"

"Yeah, sorry, Pearl baby." Mundy scratched Perle on her head. "I was busy with work and all… The electricity cut on the workshop and a few other rooms. Turned out it was only a fuse in the end."

"It took you a long time…" Lucien complained and snuggled against his lover. 

"Sorry, couldn't tell it was as simple as that at first." Mundy looked down his chest. Lucien was lying on his shoulder, Perle and Soot sharing his chest and stomach. "Look at all of you, I was only gone for a few hours, eh?" 

"We missed you." Lucien said.

"Meow…!" The cats answered. 

"Aw, sorry. Did I miss anythin'?"

"Perle is getting more and more tired."

"It's gonna be soon, eh?" Mundy answered as he laced his arm around Lucien. 

"Oui. I can't wait but I am also apprehensive."

"Why?" 

Lucien closed his eyes as he felt Mundy slide his fingers through his locks to scratch his scalp.

"We will be grandparents, Mundy." 

The Aussie switched off the night lamp and Lucien put his book aside, on his night table. 

"We were grandparents before, eh. It's not the first time." 

"Oui, but this time we will attend the event of giving birth itself…! Last time, you saw the kittens days after their birth, and I? I saw them much later!" Lucien sighed with a smile. "We will see them open their eyes and… take their first steps, eat solid food for the first time…" 

"You really talk about them as if they're your own babies, eh?"

"It is as close as it can ever get." Lucien answered. 

"Would you… Would you have liked to have more children?" Mundy shyly asked and started regretting when he heard Lucien take a deep breath and sigh. In the darkness of the night, he couldn't see it, but Lucien frowned. 

"I do not know. I don't think I want more children. I just… I would have loved Jérémy to…" Lucien didn't manage to finish his sentence. "Sometimes, I think about the future, not just for you and me, but the future beyond us. Once we pass, nothing will remain of us but a lifeless body. No one will carry our name, our values, us." 

Lucien looked down and saw Perle and Soot had fallen asleep, forming one mass of fluff on Mundy's body.

"Yeah, guess you're right but you're also very wrong, baby." Mundy answered with a low voice, and pulled Lucien to rest his head on him. "You're the only reason some people made it through the war, you're the only reason some lives didn't end back then. You'll be remembered, for sure, and if you think about it, the simple existence of these people and their children is your doin', even though they're not your kids, eh." 

"Maybe, but it is very impersonal. None of these people will have a part of me in them. But those kittens, as disturbing and mad as it sounds, these kittens do have a part of you and me, as much as Perle and Soot do." 

"It's not mad, baby. It's the truth. I mean, I remember the first time I saw baby Pearl stop at a crossroad… That was madness." Mundy chuckled and Lucien smiled. "But also, that showed me what kind of man you were, and turned out you weren't so different from me." 

"What do you mean?" Lucien asked as his eyes slowly closed. 

"You showed me that you were a family man, a man who could care deeply for people, even though the suit, the tie, the balala-thingy and everythin' didn't show it much. Your heart was bigger than what it seemed and even if your attitude and all tried to hide it, your heart was still bigger and sweeter, baby." 

"Aw… Mundy… Did you really think all that when you saw Perle stop at the crossroad?" Lucien's hand slowly slid to Mundy's chest and gently scratched it on the tanktop.

"Yeah, but thing is, I didn't stop to put it into words. But now you taught me to do it, and here we are." 

"What, mon amour?"

"Remember I had that chat with you, a long time ago, and I told you that you managed to put words on things I couldn't. D'you remember that, doll?"

Lucien hummed and weakly nodded against his lover's chest, next to Perle's fluff. 

"Well, back then, you said that it was because I was scared of lookin' inside me, scared of what I'd find. But now, I'm not, not anymore. I just… I feel like I've got my life together, and in my own hands. I have a beautiful, uh… I-I don't even know what to call you, I mean, boyfriend seems childish, partner sounds like we're doin' business…"

"What about lover?"

"It's nice but… You're more than that, Lu'. You're so much more. I grew up with you, I changed. I'm so much less shy now, I'm more confident and I feel like a proper man, with a family to take care of. Lu', you… You've made me a man."

Lucien opened his eyes and raised his head to Mundy. 

"Mundy…? These are very strong words." 

"Yeah, I know." Mundy frowned.

"Are you sure about this?" Lucien turned to his stomach to rest on his forearms. Mundy looked in his eyes and slid a hand on his cheek and through his long, silky hair. 

"Yeah. I'm sure. You've changed me, Lu'. I'm more responsible now, I'm… I've always feared that day that I'd have a family on my shoulders. I can hardly take care of myself alone so takin' care of other people was just not possible. But I had it wrong in my head. O'course I can take care of a family. If the family is you, Pearl and Soot, yeah, I'll carry you all on my shoulders everyday if I have to. I just… I just love you." 

Lucien smiled and pushed himself closer to Mundy, pressing his lips against his lover. The Aussie's hand gently pushed Lucien's hair away from his face. 

"I love you too, mon amour." 

Another quick peck was exchanged and Lucien laid his head on Mundy's shoulder. It didn't take them long to fall asleep.

[nako-doodles]

tag yourself and some mutuals as bts songs 💖

oh my god is it my turn iS IT My TuRN???? IM SO GIDDY I’ve been wanting to do this FOR EONS alright ok yes this is going to be really long whatever its all under the cut

alright alright alright leggo!

@t0d-oder-freiheit dionysus - bts 

thank you for staying with me all these years. I remember you being my secret santa back when I was still a wee sophomore in hs and you brightened my days up so much ever since. I never got a chance to thank you for there for me thru multiple blogs and eras and homes and decisions and life stages. i know you told me that this is one of the few songs of recent kpop comebacks that you liked, so here it is! cheers to many more years and eras and decisions. i love you💖💖

@seokjinsult autumn leaves - bts

i think ive gushed about the whole musical composition of my absolute favorite bts song to you at least once, but you remind me of the instrumental of dead leaves: immediately recognizable, in an uncommon key/aes but still very much pull it off (@min yoongi who the fuck writes a song in b flat minor??? not even mozart fucked w this key), multi-faceted, and absolutely ingenious and unique. i had a really hard time pinpointing a single song to you and really this is why. you’re wholly unique. pls accept my feeble attempts. i love you 💖💖

@cafejoon everythingoes (ft. nell) - rm 

ur going thru a lot rn and I want you to know everything will be Alright and everything will Work Out. also bc this piece is in F Major (if my ears still work right) but the chord progression make it sound like its a minor key and its such a nice detail to a song that’s so soothing and hopeful even tho its tinged with sadness? I how much thought joon puts into composing, but more importantly how much you make me laugh even tho our lives have been so chaotic 🥺 anyways im rambling i love you 💖💖

@jincentvangogh ma city - bts/134340 - bts

i dont think ive ever put this into words, but I’m so glad I get to talk to you everyday? waking up to your anecdotes and pictures and rants about your day? my fave is when we take each other with us when we go about our day and its just a series of pictures with the silliest captions posted in real time? thats so sexy of us. 

i know you said you liked pluto too, and its so apt bc at first you may seem a bit cold and distant, but you really are just a softie with a big heart 🥺🥺🥺 i love you 💖💖

@yunkisunbae intro: never mind - bts

need I say more? the entire iconic intro? yoongi’s ‘I DONT GIVE A SHIT I DONT GIVE A FUCK’ being basically our entire mood? but really tho as your Certified Old(er) Friend™, I just want you to remember these two parts: ‘we are still young and immature, don’t even worry about it’ and ‘there are lots of things in the world that you can’t help…if you feel like you’re going to crash then accelerate more, you idiot…we’re too young and immature to give up, you idiot’ i love u 💖💖 

xoxo, ur old grandma friend

@kimlineswife pied piper - bts/best of me - bts

every time I see a notif that you messaged me, I immediately open kkt like no exceptions. ur my pied piper 😔😔 but I also love that pied piper is basically bangtan telling us to stop thirsting over them and get a life. to which I reply: bold of you to assume I had a life to begin with

also: you remind of best of me mostly for the opening lines of the song: ‘when you say that you love me im flying among the clouds’ and also bc ur my sbts senpai and I vent all my sbts frustrations to you, you remind me of one of my fave songs to play 💖💖 i love u 💖💖

@moonsnail anpanman - bts

for a while I didn’t really know you except you were my love anon for a lot of our friendship, and I never told you, but those messages were one of the only things keeping me going some days. you were there lighting my days even tho there wasn’t much to illuminate, without asking for anything in return, and even now you tag me in the CUTEST posts. anyways, you’re my anpanman man, i love you 💖💖

@nervousatthenightclub heartbeat - bts

heartbeat is one of those songs that sounds like it should be really chill and soothing, but has a driving percussion and really deep lyrics and a fantastic counter-melody? jo, you’re a whole GEM of a human and like the more I get to know you, the more I love you? I got pulled into this song bc of how compelling it is, and its the same way for you too bubs. i love you 💖💖

@parkcouture trivia: just dance - j hope

youre just such a loving fun person, sunshine personified on my dash, and its so lovely for you to be my moot 🥺🥺🥺 

jae, I just have one thing to tell you: you go you funky writer you, you’re going amazing!  i love you 💖💖

@jinkookswife boyz w fun -  bts

you literally bring a smile on my face with the cutest most relatable content on my dash, just like every time boyz w fun comes up on my shuffle. and just like taehyung w the choreo to this song, you manage to come up w the most og and cute content i love you 💖💖

@producerjin miss right - bts

this is pretty self explanatory miss wendi, right? but yes. every time I scroll thru ur ‘welcome to wendi’s’ I go: yes you rite miss right. go off miss right. miss you right. anyways hello i miss u and i love u 💖💖

@jinseas i like it - bts

you already know i love you to the moon and back and also this song was literally playing when i realized we became moots so i’ll just leave you with jin calling you a pretty woman and the most iconic™ ‘dont wanna be fool, wanna be cool, wanna be loved, same love as you’ i love you 💖💖

@iluvnj hope world - j hope

you just have the same happy bouncy vibe as hope world, alright?? dont question me. reading your tags and content makes me as happy and proud as hope world, and honestly i can’t believe were moots. thank you for tolerating my chaotic ass and mess of blog i love u 💖💖

@kimnamtaejin outro: circle room cypher - bts

i dont even know how to Explain? but your iconic gifsets have the same energy as circle room cypher does? like its just as supportive and loving and teasing and cute and iconic and makes me face hurt smiling as circle room cypher. bless u my love i love u 💖💖

@biminiee so what - bts

ur one of my fave moots, esp w your take-no-nonsense attitude and  comedic streak to put the pacific to shame. so yes. you are young and wild and free and UNAFRAID to tell life that yes you are here. and youre here to stay. ur my icon, i love u 💖💖

@stargazingjin outro: proposal - bts

hello its ur local fangirl here to knock ur door to tell you how much I love you and ur cute face…. like heLLO HAVE MY HEART I GIVE IT [my heart] TO YOUUUUUUU i love u 💖💖

@httpsleepybun song request ft. suga - lee sora

youre actually my newest moot, but every time you hop into my ask box with all your gorgeous music recs and tagging me in the softest posts like hey dee-j play me a song to make me smile, a song to make me cry like wow you have my WHOLE ASS HEART pls take care of it i love u 💖💖

and finally me: so far away ft. jin, jungkook - suga. bc its my emotional support song and also bc im so far away from almost all my loved ones 

[vantekay]

about me tag

tagged by @livlovesbangtan and @snugglemejeon thank you loves :(

rules;

*tag the person who tagged you

*answer the questions

*tag 10 people

how tall are you?

5'7"

what colour and style is your hair? 

my hair is like a normal brown color? and its wavy

what colour are your eyes? 

one is blue the other is hazel/green

do you wear glasses?

yep. have since 3rd grade so about 8 years now

Do you wear braces?

I did for the entirety of middle school and got them off the summer of my freshman year of hs

what’s your fashion sense?

comfy. jeans/leggings and a hoodie and if I'm lounging around the house its sweats and a baggy tee

full name?

not gonna disclose that, but my initials are KMF (KMA after I turn 18 and change my last name)

when were you born? 

I was born at 6:19 pm

where are you from and where do you live now?

I live in the same state I was born in, just instead of living in the southern part of the state I live in the middle. I'm from good ol Pennsylvania

what school do you go to?

a highschool

what kind of student are you?

honor roll student/low A's and high B's except this year I've done really well? I just brough my gpa up to a 3.6 and I cried

do you like school?

yes and no. I like having something to do everyday because tbh I get bored when I don't have a schedule to follow or I have too much free time but I also hate how tired I am constantly because of school

favorite subject? 

English, I've always been really good at it

favourite tv shows?

uh, off the top of my head: supernatural, new girl, el internado, and um. idk thats it I guess

favourite movie?

the adventures of milo and otis. I loved that movie as a kid and I still love that movie

favourite books?

a lot of them uh but the shatter me series and eleanor and park and fangirl by rainbow rowell

favourite pastime?

reading stories on here, scrolling through Facebook for family stuff or the Instagram explore page, oh and SBTS

do you have any regrets?

oh well duh, who doesn't? but I try not to dwell on them too much

dream job?

photographer

would you ever like to be married?

possibly one day yeah, but its not something I'm super like, "oh my god I have to be married!1!1!" my mom was never married and neither was my grandmom so its not a super important part of my life but I'm not opposed to it either

would you like to have kids?

god yes, I love kids so much

how many?

a decent amount, probably like 3 or 4 but no more than 6

do you like shopping?

clothes shopping no, I get frustrated very quickly and I've been known to cry whilst shopping for clothes because I just get so tired of trying on things and being disappointed when they don't fit or don't look good like I thought I would but I like buying meaningless shit or just walking around stores and picking up stuff I see that I like

what countries have you visited?

none, I've only been to like a couple states around me lmao

scariest nightmare you have ever had?

nothing I can think of right now, I never really have nightmares

any enemies?

I wouldn't say enemies, but I do have a small list of people I hate (and I don't like using hate often besides in like the joking sense but even then I kinda eh) and its only people who have seriously hurt me in some way

any significant other?

nada. everyone has heard this by now but I've been single for 2 years lmao so I really just kinda have given up on looking and am waiting for love to find me

do you get along with your family?

my moms side of the family yes, we don't talk about my father's side

do you believe in miracles?

hmm no not really

how are you?

I'm, okay. tired and have a lot on my mind but other than that I can't complain

I tag: @yoonoclock @lilac-park-jimin @melonkooky @rosexpetalxjimin @another-star-you-fade-away @taestrawberry and @namiiyae and as always you guys don't have to :)

[lu-undy]

Chapter 81 - SBT

Here it is.

"Oh man, maths is so hard…"

"I know! But Prof L's nice."

"Yeah, makes it almost easy."

Lunch time came and Mundy smiled. He was on soup duty that day with the poor, and the kids were rushing out of their class with none other than Prof L. 

"Hey, M!" 

"Hey, guys. So how was it with L? Borin' again?" 

The kids laughed as they lined up and took a bowl each. 

"Non, it was not." Lucien went behind the counter and lent a hand to Mundy. "Was it?" He asked the children.

"Nah!" They answered as they were served by either Lucien or Mundy. 

"You see, M? My classes are never boring." 

"Pfff, of course you'd say that…!"

When the soup was served to everyone, Lucien and Mundy helped themselves and shared some bread together. Winter was gone and now was the time for spring. 

"How was it with the kids this mornin'?" Mundy asked as they both sat on plastic chairs not far from the tables that had the pots.

"Someone said it was boring." Lucien answered with a smile. 

"So I've heard, eh." 

"Pff…" Lucien nudged him with his elbow playfully and they both chuckled. 

"Nah, seriously, how was it?"

"As usual. I think some of them at least will become very good human beings, and maybe even more. Seeing them everyday fills me with joy."

"Alright then, I see you don't need me, eh?"

"Don't be jealous. I need you, you fill me with another kind of joy…" Lucien winked at his lover. 

"Not so loud. The kids are gonna hear you…!"

"They are far away and busy." Lucien answered with a chuckle. 

"Still have some classes this afternoon?" Mundy raised a bit of bread to his mouth.

"Oui." Lucien bent on his side and bit in the bit of bread before Mundy had the chance. 

"Oi!"

Lucien chuckled and left a quick kiss on his lover's cheek. 

"Someone told me that I looked like a thief."

"Whoever that is, they're right!"

"Ages ago, a lifetime ago. I was a different man back then, and I had come to meet with a scruffy - some would say dirty - hunter."

Mundy raised an eyebrow. 

"Back then, I used to have short hair and a clean shaven face."

"Now you're the scruffy one, eh?" Mundy joked and Lucien chuckled. 

"I guess so, oui. And back then, I used to wear a mask."

"Ah, yeah, the balala-thingy. I remember." 

"Oui. And the hunter said to me that I looked like a thief with my… balala-thing."

"Balala-thingy, not balala-thing, Professor Ski." 

Lucien's eyebrows jumped and he turned to look Mundy in the eye. 

"That's how I called you when we met, remember?" The Aussie asked. 

"Of course, I do." 

They finished their soup together and the time had come for afternoon classes. 

"I shall go."

"Yeah, don't wanna be late for your own classes, eh."

"It sets a bad example for the children." Lucien answered.

"Ooh, listen to you now, an example you are, eh?"

Lucien smirked proudly. 

"You should take notes, mon amour."

"Pfff, yeah, well, too late to change anything in me, eh."

Lucien stood up and took Mundy's hand. 

"It is never too late." He put Mundy's hand on his lips and left a kiss. The Aussie stood up and pulled Lucien's hand to his own lips.

"Go ahead, Prof L." He kissed it and Lucien blushed.

"Fine, I shall. Take care and see you tonight?" Lucien headed away.

"Yeah, see ya. And uh, Lu'?"

The Frenchman stopped and turned. 

"Je t'aime." Mundy said, with his own Australian twist to the pronunciation. 

[I love you.]

"Moi aussi, mon loup."

[Me too, my wolf.]

Mundy spent the afternoon going through donations. Clothes, toys, sometimes even pieces of furniture. Of course he wasn't alone and other volunteers helped. He took a break at some point and took a walk around the few blocks. But curiosity won over when he saw the silhouette of a man in his late forties with long, silver hair through a window. 

Mundy got closer and watched. Lucien was too absorbed explaining whatever bit of maths was on the blackboard for him to notice that he had an extra student outside, shyly observing him. Mundy saw him go to the kids, boys or girls, from one table to the next. He would crouch down to be at eye-level with them and spend a few seconds there. Sometimes he would take a pencil and scribble something on their copybook. But each time, he would finish his explanations with a smile and a pat on the shoulder or ruffling the blond or brown hair of the child he was addressing.

Mundy smiled. The cold-blooded snake of a spy did have something of a father's instinct. And even if his past job had tried to strip him off of his emotions, Lucien's heart always won. 

"Such a ball of repressed romance you are…" Mundy whispered to himself and chuckled before turning and heading back where Maurice needed him.

The afternoon flew by at the speed of light. 

"M, you can finish this tomorrow, it will start to get dark and L has finished classes a long time ago now. He will wonder why you come back home so late…!"

Maurice came to Mundy who was busy trying to repair a toy. He had a screwdriver in his hand and an allen key behind his ear. The king of beggars removed the allen key and tapped Mundy's shoulder.

"Oh, hey, Maurice."

"How is it going?"

"Alright. Just a few tweaks and a new battery ought to do the job on this little car."

"Great. Now, please, go back home or L will tell me off." Maurice chuckled. 

"Yeah, true." Mundy put away his tools and tidied up his working bench before standing. "Alright, thanks Maurice, I didn't see the time fly."

"It is alright. I should have a clock installed in this workshop. But yes, please, we'll see each other tomorrow." 

"Yeah, see ya."

They exited the workshop and Mundy locked it before heading home. His walk back home wasn't too long but as he put his hand on the front door handle, a noise surprised him. He leaned his ear on the wooden door to listen better. 

"Is that…?"

Yes, it was. It wasn't any odd noise. That particular kind Mundy could recognise anywhere. He unlocked the door and pushed it open as silently as possible before slipping in. He walked to the living-room and peeked through its door.

The flames of the fireplace made the Burgundy walls glow in warm shades of red and orange. Perle and Soot brushed themselves on Mundy's legs before slithering in the room. Lucien was sitting in the middle of it, on a piano. He had tied his hair in a messy bun but some locks of hair fell beautifully around his face. Mundy's heart swelled in his chest and he didn't even wonder where the piano had come from.

The halo of the dancing flames cut Lucien's black silhouette poetically. He was playing with the ivory keys confidently. Mundy removed his aviators to see him better.

{To the reader: the song is "Star Triste" [Sad Star] by Juliette Armanet. Some of the lyrics have been changed.}

"Accoudé à mon piano,

[Leaning on my piano]

Je fais le beau

[I play it cool]

Je veux qu'on m'aime,

[I want to be loved]

Qu'on m'aime dans la peau."

[To be so loved.]

Lucien was dancing on the piano, his hair followed the movement of his head that he swung in rhythm.

"J'voulais pas devenir chanteur,

[I didn't want to become a singer,]

Lady crooner,

[A lady crooner]

J'rêvais d'une vie plus claire,

[I dreamt of a more simple life]

Peut-être plus sincère."

[Maybe more true.]

Perle and Soot jumped on the piano seat and then on top of the piano itself and they laid there, spooning each other. Soot bathed the white cat and no doubt they were purring, even though Mundy couldn't hear them.

"J'sens que je vais finir en idole,

[I feel I'll end up an idol]

En bourreau des coeurs,

[A heartbreaker]

Le king des baby dolls,

[The king of baby dolls]

Le bureau des pleurs."

[The bureau of cries]

Gosh, what a sight. Mundy had almost forgotten that Lucien could sing that well. It was gentle, delicate waves of air that he blew between his thin lips. It was sensual and soft to the ear.

"Je cherche des yeux

[I look with my eyes]

Quelqu'un pour que le monde s'écroule

[For someone to make the world crumble and fall]

Quelqu'un pour être deux

[Someone to be two with]

Et là parmi toute la foule

[And there, amongst the crowd]

Je n'en vois pas deux

[I can't see two people]

J'suis seul pour lui tout entier

[I am alone for him entirely]

Seul sur la scène

[Alone on the stage]

Juste pour lui"

[Only for him]

Lucien raised his head off the black and white keys and looked at the door. Nothing. Hm. He could have sworn he felt as if he was being watched. 

"Il n'y a qu'un seul moyen de le savoir."

[There is only one way to find out.]

Lucien dived back in his bubble of concentration. He knew what he should play next, to lure his lover out of the shadows.

He placed his fingers on the keys and took a deep breath. Lucien started much slower than the original version. But he needed to remind himself of the chords and arpeggios. Ah, oui, it was coming back to him now, his fingers knew what they were doing and he started to sing. 

"Time can never mend

The careless whisper of a good friend.

To the heart and mind,

If your answer's kind,

There's no comfort in the truth.

Pain is all you'll find.

I should have known better, yeah."

Lucien looked at Perle and Soot. They were sleeping peacefully, their limbs were intertwined in a beautiful mix of black and white fur.

"I feel so unsure

As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor.

As the music dies,

Something in your eyes

Calls to mind a silver screen,

And all is sad goodbyes."

A breathy line of saxophone resonated from the corridor and Lucien smiled. He went on with the music, nothing shall interrupt them!

"I'm never gonna dance again!

Guilty feet have got no rhythm!

Though it's easy to pretend,

I know you're not a fool!

I should have known better than to cheat a friend!

And waste a chance that I'd been given!

So I'm never gonna dance again,

The way I danced with you!"

Mundy had entered the living-room and was now playing that oh so famous saxophone tune from the well known 'Careless Whisper', by George Michael. He joined Lucien and leaned on the side of the piano. 

One tapped ivory and ebony keys while the other played with gold. The flames of the fireplace lit the black varnished, grand piano and the golden saxophone beautifully. 

Both improvised on the piece and it lasted much longer than it should. The piano answered the saxophone and the saxophone answered the voice. Hammers hit strings more passionately as Mundy blew in his golden dragon, the flames of what his voice couldn't sing springing vividly to Lucien.

After a length of time that none of them knew precisely, they stopped. Mundy had ended up sitting next to Lucien on the piano seat. He put the saxophone on top of the piano next to the cats and took a deep breath. 

"That… was epic." He said and leaned his head on Lucien's shoulder. The latter chuckled. 

"We should do this more often." 

"What? Play Careless Whisper for hours?" Mundy asked as he dearly held Lucien's arm in his.

"Playing together. After all, that's all we've ever done, hm?" Lucien put his hand on Mundy's thigh and brushed it gently. He leaned his head on Mundy's. 

"Yeah… Playin' together weird games, eh?" 

"Oui, but I wouldn't change anything."

"I'd change the bit where you made me believe you were dead." Mundy teased. 

"Ah, oui, that. I almost forgot about it." Lucien found Mundy's hand and laced his fingers around his. 

"I didn't. It felt awful."

"To this day I am surprised that you did not beat me up for it." Lucien said. 

"To be honest with ya, I couldn't. It didn't even cross my mind."

"How come? I thought I was your favourite punching bag." Lucien kissed his lover's head and leaned on it again.

"Ha, yeah, 'course you are but…"

"But?" 

"But I was so happy to see you. I was over the moon…!" Mundy answered. "And uh… If you think about it, coming out of your hidin' is like refusing to lie. It's like you had the choice between continuing to lie or coming to me, and you chose to take the risks and come to me. Means a lot to me." 

Lucien smiled, albeit sadly. He wished he had met Mundy much earlier in life.

"Now, the more I think about it, the more I… Uh… I mean I love you." 

Lucien bit his lip. Something was gnawing him on the inside and had been for days now. 

"Mundy?"

"Yeah?"

"I have something to confess, yet again."

Mundy straightened his back and looked at his lover next to him. 

"What is it?"

"I fear you might want to beat me up after all." Lucien lowered his head. 

"Why?" Mundy took Lucien's hand in both of his. He looked him in the eye but Lucien was staring down at his thighs.

"Because there is a lie that I need to clear up."

"Go ahead."

Lucien took a deep breath. 

"Tomorrow I shall take you somewhere, if you agree. But you shall face it without me."

"Face what?" Mundy raised an eyebrow. 

"The lie that Maurice has been nurturing for years and that he shared with me for days now." 

Mundy frowned. 

"Alright… Uh… I must say it doesn't explain much but I guess that's all I'm gettin' for tonight?" 

"I am sorry." Lucien hid his face in his hands.

"Hey now, it's fine." Mundy hugged him.

"Non, it is not. You will hate me when you find out!"

"No! I can't hate you, luv', whatever it is, I won't hate you. I can't!"

"Mundy… Please…?" Lucien removed his hands off his face and looked up at Mundy. The Aussie saw the flames of the fireplace dance in the guilty pupils of his lover.

"Yeah?"

"I promised to stay with you and I will." Lucien said. "You will need to face this lie and look at it right in the eye. It will be painful and it will shock you beyond what you have lived so far."

Mundy's breath accelerated. His body was tense as he started to measure the seriousness of Lucien's words. 

"I will not be with you because you have to do this alone. But I will be nearby."

"Lu', you're startin' to scare me…"

"I will be nearby but…"

"But what?"

"But I will understand if you don't want to talk to me for a while, if looking at me hurts because I have overstepped the mark and did something wrong to you, again." 

"Lu', don't talk nonsense, I love you too much for that."

"Mundy…" Lucien headbutted Mundy's chest softly and buried himself there. "In my defense, please understand that since the day Maurice told me the truth, I have been unable to sleep soundly, I felt like I was lying to you and God knows that I never want that to happen again. It pained me so much that… I sometimes even found it hard to look at you in the eye because each time I did, I would hear a voice in my head screaming that I was lying to you. It was unbearable!" Lucien clawed Mundy's jumper on his chest. 

"Whatever it is, it's gonna be fine and I won't be mad at you. Don't find excuses like this. I… I'm sure that if you lied, you had good reasons to, eh?" Mundy cupped Lucien's face and made him look up. "Ok?"

"Non. I was just too cowardly to tell you the truth, and too afraid of your reaction." Lucien answered sadly. "And now I am ashamed." 

"Luv', there's no harm done, ok? I love you way too much to hold a grudge or anything." 

"You say that now, but tomorrow shall test your love for me brutally." 

Mundy hugged Lucien again. 

"Whatever it is, we've fought worse." The Aussie said. "We've fought worse and we made it. Every bloody time, however hard it was, we made it together. Now I don't know what you've been hiding from me and why you're so terrified of my reaction when I'll find it out. But I can't afford to lose you, not again. I know how hard it is to be without you. So don't worry, I won't let go of you." 

"I fear that you might reconsider everything tomorrow." 

"Don't. There's nothin' in the world that'll change the fact that I need you in my life." 

"So do I, mon amour, so do I…" 

Lucien closed his eyes and clung to Mundy. That hug lasted for minutes and to the Frenchman, it almost seemed as though it would be the last.

[lu-undy]

Chapter 59 - SBT

Here it is!

"He's tied up nicely." 

"Parfait." 

[Perfect.]

Mundy finished using the bits of rope on Duchemin's legs and wrists, completely tying the man to the chair he was sitting on. Sirens were blasting outside as the battle raged between the animals and the guards. Mundy, Lucien and their prisoner could hear the muffled roars and gunshots.

"First, we make sure he cannot scream." Lucien said with a smirk. 

"How do we do that?" 

"What do you use to scream, mon amour?"

Duchemin's eyebrows jumped. 

"Yer th-oh… D'you wanna do it or…?"

"Non, please, after you." 

"Right." Mundy removed his helmet and dropped it down to the floor before cracking his knuckles. 

"Here." Lucien went behind Duchemin and lifted his head slightly. 

"Thanks, love, here we go…!" Mundy clenched his fist and punched Duchemin's throat so hard that the criminal choked violently. He was sent in a fit of coughs that made his face turn crimson. "That's for the alligators. They aren't stupid, you mongrel, they're more intelligent than you." 

Mundy spat at Duchemin's face. Lucien let go of his head and he lowered it, panting for some air. 

"Now, I may get my tie back." He removed it off of Duchemin's mouth and the man coughed. "After you, Mundy." 

"Right, listen here you piece of filth." Mundy crouched to be at eye level with the rascal. "Ten years ago you went to buy some land here in Oz to pump some oil and sell it. It was not that far from here actually, in what became a massive oil extractin' facility, remember that?" 

Duchemin nodded weakly. 

"But there was a farm on that land, wasn't there? You sent letters, made phone calls more and more frequently. You even sent blokes almost everyday to try and make those farmers give up their house and their land, but they kept on refusin', didn't they?" 

Duchemin tried to clear his throat and his voice came out as a thin thread of air. 

"Oui… Yes… They did… But what are you two… doing?" He coughed more. "You're the singer… and you… You're his lover - argh…" 

Mundy's eyebrows jumped. Of course, without his balaclava, Lucien was Lulu in the eyes of Duchemin. 

"We will come to that. Go on, mon amour." Lucien tapped Mundy's shoulder. 

"So then, what happened, eh? After months of harrassin' the couple of old farmers, hm? What did you do, you worthless piece of filth?" 

"I… I… Got them killed…"

"Yeah, you got them killed by burning the house and the farm, while they were inside, screamin', afraid, two old, defenseless people. Did you ever stop to imagine what it felt like for them? To burn alive? Completely trapped? Devoured by the flames, hm?" Mundy was speaking in low growls, frowning and clenching his teeth. 

"Of course not… I didn't care and I still don't… Do you realise that the rest of my men will soon be done with the animals and will come to end you?"

"I think they are fairly busy, Arthur." Lucien answered, peaking through the lock of the door.

"And I don't care." Mundy added. "Lu'? your lighter." 

Lucien tossed his silver lighter at Mundy. 

"Here." 

"Thanks. Now, look here Arthur." The Aussie said and took the kukri from his belt again. He slashed through Duchemin's chest vertically and swiftly. His clothes ripped off and he yelped as the blade met his skin and sliced. "Oh, sorry mate, didn't mean to cut you, I wanted to leave that to Lu', he likes that kind of stuff." 

Lucien observed keenly as Mundy flicked the lighter open and a flame sprang up. 

"You'll find out today what it feels like to burn alive, mate." 

Duchemin's breath started accelerating. 

"Help! Help me - argh!" Mundy punched his throat again for him to stop shouting.

"You can yell as much as you want. The noise of your bloody sirens cover your cries, mongrel." Mundy got the lighter closer and closer to the criminal's skin, who could hardly believe what was happening. 

And Lucien watched, his jaw dropping. He had never imagined someone as shy and sensitive as Mundy could be cruel. And yet, what he saw that day terrified the Frenchman. Duchemin yelled, jerked his head, and thrashed on the chair, spraying the sweat that had beaded on his brow left and right as Mundy let the lighter trail along his naked chest slowly, along the scar that he had freshly made with the kukri. The blood trickled from the long, straight opening and it seemed that Mundy couldn't hear nor see the pain he was causing. Him, who could feel the pain of others, even for animals, he was hard as steel. 

Lucien couldn't believe his eyes. He walked around to see Mundy's face. 

Merde. He thought. 

Tears were silently streaming down the Aussie's face. 

"Those people you killed like a coward, they were my parents. Honest folks, farmers, they used to help the poor with the surplus that we had. Mum used to knit clothes for the orphans. She used to make jams and pies for them. Dad always gave a hand to other farmers and people around. He was really good with mechanics. He used to repair cars, tractors, pretty much anything." 

Lucien didn't dare intervene even though the sight broke him. 

"And you killed them. Good folks, who did nothing wrong, who asked nothin' of you, hell, you didn't even know them…! But you burnt them." He paused and sniffed, completely ignoring Duchemin yelling his lungs out. "I should have been there. I should have helped. But I had some work far from home. When I came back home, I saw the massacre, I saw the firemen, and when they told me that they found remnants of people, I fell to the floor. Like a sheila. My knees couldn't carry me." 

The lighter moved in languid waves along the criminal's skin, punctuating Mundy's speech. 

"At the burial, there was nothing to bury. To sell the house, there was nothing to sell. For my life, there was nothing more to live. Whatever I'd live, I'd live it without them. They counted the most and they weren't there anymore. And it wasn't because they did something to deserve it. It was just because you wanted to get some oil." 

Mundy wiped his face with the back of his hand. 

"They died because some random French fuck wanted some bloody oil…"

He sniffed but his hand kept on steadily holding Lucien's lighter. 

"It took me ten years to come out of the grave you should have thrown me in, with them. Ten years eaten out by the guilt, eaten out by regret. I've been hating myself for ten years for a crime I didn't commit. I felt like shit and stopped living for ten bloody years because a worthless good-for-nothing piece of shit burnt my life down. I accept that I'm a crazed gunman, I'm nothing but a lunatic who knows how to shoot people from far away, a coward with a rifle. I deserve what you did to them more than they ever did."

He sniffed again. 

"Wanna know the best bit? They aren't even my real parents. They found me and adopted me. Those folks were so nice that they took a baby with them, fed him, raised him, educated him, for him to become nothin' more than a crazed gunman."

Mundy closed the lighter. Duchemin's face was drenched in drool and tears, he was breathing heavily and couldn't move. His head was jerked back. He couldn't do anything but endure.

"You killed my parents ten years ago. And by the end of this, I'll make sure that there's gonna be as much as you left as my parents." Mundy put his palm flat on Duchemin's chest whose eyes snapped wide under the pain. The Aussie was crushing the burning skin below his fingers. "But first, let Lu' do what he wants to you. I need a break."

Mundy stood back up and thank God Lucien was next to him as his knees wobbled.

"Oh, be careful… Here take my cigarette case." Lucien slipped it in Mundy's hand and the latter nodded. 

"Sorry… Sorry I'm shit at this." 

"Non." Lucien went to whisper in Mundy's ear. "You were perfect. Torture is a difficult exercise for the nerves, it is normal. Go and smoke if you want." 

"I feel like shit." 

"Your stomach?" Lucien asked. 

"Y-yeah…" Mundy looked at Duchemin again and he realised only now the atrocity of what he had just done. "Oh-" He put a hand on his mouth as he gagged violently. 

"I'm here, don't worry, it is fine." 

Lucien supported him while the Aussie went to a corner of the hangar and gave back the content of his previous meals. 

"Oh… Sorry… I'm just… Ugh…" 

"It is fine, I understand, no need to explain. Come here and sit down." Lucien helped him walk not too far from Duchemin to keep an eye on him and made him sit down on the bare concrete floor. "Take deep breaths, I am here, it is fine, it is completely normal, mon amour." 

He stayed with him a minute while Mundy let his head lean back on the wall and closed his eyes. Lucien knelt on the floor and delicately wrapped his gloved hands and his arms around Mundy's head before hugging him dearly. 

"Je t'aime, Mundy. Je t'aime à la folie. Je ne sais pas si tu comprends à quel point je t'aime. Tu es fou de faire ça avec moi, tu es fou et je suis fou de toi et de ta folie." 

[I love you, Mundy. I love you madly. I don't know if you understand how much I love you. You are mad to do this with me, you are mad and I am mad about you and your madness.]

He kissed his hair and brushed it repeatedly and slowly. 

"Luv'?"

Lucien looked down. 

"It's ok, go ahead." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Go and give him hell, ok?" 

Mundy's pale face was sharply contrasted with his beautiful, yet still weak, smile. 

"I promise." Lucien answered and kissed his brow before letting go of his lover and walking over to the centre of the hangar, where Duchemin had seemingly passed out. 

Lucien snapped his fingers next to his ear and the man tied to the chair opened his eyes. 

"Ugh…" 

"Arthur Duchemin, may I introduce myself? Oui? Oui, you are listening. Please stay conscious, I would like to get my message across as much as my dearest friend here did. You know me as Lulu, but maybe the name L would ring a bell?" 

Duchemin's eyes snapped wide and he went more pale on the face. 

"I see it does! Fantastique! My reputation precedes me and I see you are well versed in secret business. As you know, I am a spy for la Douce France, Agent L, pour vous servir." Lucien bowed. 

[I am a spy for the sweet and lovely France. Agent L, at your service.]

"Now, you might wonder why I am standing in front of you now, hm? Although if you know my name, I guess you know at least parts of my story. Oui, it will be story time again I am afraid. I know how boring these can be but pray pay attention and I promise to make it short. Well, I will make the story short, maybe not the rest." 

He started pacing the hangar, turning around Duchemin on the chair in circles. 

"You… L?"

"Oui, me L." Lucien comically exaggerated. "Mon Dieu, I thought you were French, please. Our language has a more elegant way of arranging sentences than that…" 

"You're not… Retired?" 

"Oh, I see you know this part of my story, interesting, interesting indeed. I used to be retired, it is true. But as always, when there is an impossible task, the people high up call back the good old classics, hm? Let us face the truth: spies nowadays are not trained like we used to. We used to not be trained which made us extremely adaptable! It was fantastic the things we could come up with back in the days! But now, non, they have to go through all kinds of tests and absurd training that all but destroy their creativity. Being a spy is like being an artist. We are given impossible tasks that no one else but us can carry out, because no one else has the talent to do it without getting killed or caught."

Lucien took his butterfly knife out of his pocket as he went on walking in circles around Duchemin who breathed loud and groaned in pain. The spy played with his knife without looking at it, letting the blades roll around his gloved fingers. 

"Oui! We are magicians, masters of arts that would have us imprisoned, jailed or locked up in an asylum, if we weren't employed by the highest authority of our country. But I hear you ask, L, where is this all going…?" 

Lucien stopped in front of Duchemin. He grasped his hair and pulled his head straight to face him.

"About a decade ago, you ordered the robbery of a bank, quite well executed I must say, and as your employees were chased by the police, they ran over a woman and a child. Oh, hold on… "

Lucien let go of Duchemin's head and it flopped forward.

"Mundy, my cigarette case, please?" 

The Aussie threw it back at Lucien. 

"You didn't smoke?" 

"Nah, stomach's still a bit funny, maybe a bit later." 

"Fair enough." 

Lucien opened it and retrieved the picture. 

"Here, look." He pulled Duchemin's head back up and waited for him to look at the photograph. "Her name was Marie, his, Jérémy. They were my fiancée and my son, the two loves of my life."

Lucien put the photo neatly away and closed the cigarette case before turning and throwing it back at Mundy, who caught it with ease. 

"Your goons hit them with a black 4-by-4 as they were being chased by the police. Of course, you wouldn't know about this as they made it out, you took the money and fled, setting foot in Australia a few months later if my memory serves me well. I did read your file, you see?" 

"Kill… Me…" 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not yet, we still have to talk." Lucien smiled and Mundy's blood froze from where he was sitting. So that was Lu's natural habitat, eh? That was his job, his routine? 

"As I was saying, your goons ran over Marie and Jérémy. I was at the window, a block or so away from all this and I watched it all happen before my eyes: Jérémy starting to cross the road after a few people, Marie behind him. She heard the car turning at that corner, leapt at Jérémy to put him to safety, got hit first by the bonnet of that black 4-by-4, ejecting her metres away from where the impact happened and crashed on the asphalt, on the other lane. I rushed out, shouting, yelling my lungs out, tears running uncontrollably down my face as I cried their names. Once I arrived at their side, Marie closed her eyes and shed a single tear at the sight of Jérémy's lifeless body in my arms."

Lucien sighed. 

"I held them when the ambulance arrived and barked at them, threatening to kill them if they touched my Marie and my Jérémy. It was after those events that I decided to retire. I quitted everything and rented a small flat in Paris, a city that I never loved, and by then, I completely detested it. Like Mundy here, it took me ten years to come back to my senses." 

Lucien opened the grey uniform.

"You see this suit?" Duchemin frowned. "It took me ten years to put it back on. I lived in rags for ten years. I gave up shaving and cutting my hair. Anyone who saw me thought I was a beggar. No one knew who was the drunkard roaming the streets silently at night, a long bushy beard and equally long unkempt hair, a bottle of undrinkable alcohol in my hand. I was wandering, roaming the streets and drowning the pain of my loss in what would have killed me, surely."

Mundy's jaw dropped. Well, he didn't know that about Lucien…

"Non, no one knew who I was or why I was like that. No one knew that they could thank me if their mother tongue wasn't German anymore. No one would understand anyway, hm? No one would understand that the greatest spy France has ever had could go through the pain of losing the only family he ever had, the one thing you cannot pay with money, the feeling of security, of building something that would run beyond you."

Lucien paused and Duchemin raised his head. 

"But here we are, hm? You, le petit fils de pute who killed my family, my only family."

[The little son of a whore]

Lucien opened his blade. 

"Did you catch their names Arthur?" 

Mundy was genuinely scared. Lucien's eyes shone as coldly as his blade. Duchemin didn't answer. 

"ANSWER ME!"

"AARGH!" Duchemin wailed as Lucien sharply planted his blade in the hostage's thigh. 

"SAY THEIR NAMES!"

"AARGH!" 

Lucien dragged the blade deep in his thigh all the way down to his knee. 

"MARIE! MARIE AND JÉRÉMY-AAARGH!" 

He finally wailed. 

"Now listen." Lucien calmed down abruptly again and removed his blade that he wiped on Duchemin's shoulder. "You will spell their names letter after letter."

The criminal was all out of tears, he sweated profusely and the heat of the pain made his burns ache more. 

"SPELL IT!" Lucien shouted and planted the blade in his other thigh, sending Duchemin through another fit of uncontrollable wails and sobs. 

"M! M! ARGH! M!" 

"BIEN!"

[GOOD!]

Lucien put the blade against Duchemin's chest and carved a capital "M" through the burns that Mundy had already made. The Aussie looked the other way. He couldn't see any more of this. His stomach didn't have anything else to throw up. He just heard Lucien shouting repeatedly "Next!", and Duchemin yelling another letter. The criminal's rhythm slowed down after each letter. It was too painful to go on. But did Lucien care…? 

"You haven't finished, Arthur! What comes after? Come on!" 

The man was surviving on sheer adrenaline and the mad hope that his guards would find him before he died. But each time he started fainting, Lucien would slap him powerfully across the face. He removed his gloves and dropped them to the floor. Mundy looked at them, they started to absorb the blood that dripped from the chair. 

"Do you know why us spies wear gloves?" Lucien asked. "It is to not leave any fingerprints. But this time, I shall allow it. Let the world know that Mundy and I are responsible for your death, that we are ridding this planet of the scum that you are, enfoiré de fils de pute! NEXT LETTER!"

[Fucking son of a whore!]

And it lasted for more. Mundy heard the wails and they quieted down more and more. By that point, Lucien had rolled his sleeves up, and was oscillating between mumbling and shouting on top of his lungs, all of that in French. 

Eventually, Duchemin fell silent, which surprised Mundy. He raised his head and saw Lucien slap Duchemin hard, but the man didn't wake up. 

"RÉPONDS, ENFOIRÉ!"

[ANSWER, MONGREL!]

Mundy looked at Duchemin. The man had passed out. 

"RÉPONDS! ARGH!" 

[ANSWER! ARGH!]

Another slap but no success. 

"Love…" Mundy stood back up and went to Lucien. "He passed out. Nothing you can get out of him."

"RÉPONDS!"

[ANSWER ME!]

Lucien took Duchemin by his shoulders and shook him. His limp head bobbed around but the man was unconscious. 

"Stop!" 

Mundy pulled Lucien back and his blade fell to the floor. 

"I can't let him die, not now, I have to make him suffer more!" Lucien pushed himself forward to free himself from Mundy, like a mad rabid dog that the Aussie was holding back with a leash.

"Lu'?" Mundy pulled him back.

"... He doesn't understand, he doesn't feel it, he doesn't get it, he doesn't-"

"Lu', stop!" 

"He must understand, he must realise, he must-"

"ENOUGH!" 

Mundy's roar echoed in the empty hangar and silence fell around them as Lucien suddenly realised how far from a human being he had behaved.

"Merde… I am sorry…" 

[Shit…]

He clawed his fingers in Mundy's chest, holding on to the uniform jacket and the Aussie pulled him into a hug. 

"It's alright, I'm here now. Calm down. He's passed out, he can't hear you." 

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologising for?"

"I never wanted to show you this side of me." 

Mundy looked down and saw that Lucien's hands were covered in blood, his hair was ruffled too. The Aussie lowered his head and kissed his lover through his silky locks of hair.

"It's alright, love, I'm here." 

Lucien parted from the embrace. 

"Merde." 

[Shit.]

"What's wrong?" 

"Listen!" 

Mundy looked around them and pricked his ears. The sirens had stopped and he hadn't realised it. All he could hear was voices shouting. But it wasn't panicked shouting at all.

"They managed to put the beasts to sleep I guess. Can't hear them anymore."

"Oui, but they are looking for him now." Lucien pointed at Duchemin.

"Hey! I heard some voices in here!" 

The voice came from right outside of the hangar, on the other side of the door. Mundy looked at Lucien with horrified eyes. 

"Bugger, they're here, what do we do?" Mundy whispered.

"Go behind that door to your right. There are stairs that will lead you upstairs. From there you will have a clear shot on them. Put them to sleep or kill them, it matters little." Lucien answered. 

Mundy's eyebrows jumped. He was surprised by Lucien's answer. 

"What? What about you?" He asked back and they heard the guards trying to break in. 

"There is no time, mon amour, go!"

"I'm not going without you!" Mundy insisted. 

"Mundy, go! I know what I am doing! I have to hide Duchemin so that we can finish this somewhere else!"

"What?! Just kill him and let's get the hell out of there, we're not gonna drag him, are we?"

"We are. I will get this man to suffer more than what he put all of his victims through combined! Now go!"

"Ok, alright." 

Mundy trusted the long experience of the spy. After all, he was the expert and a very good one if one was to believe his reputation. No doubt he knew what he was doing. Mundy readied his rifle in his hands and turned on his heels. 

"Wait, Mundy?"

"Yeah?" He turned back to Lucien and the Frenchman threw himself at the tall Aussie, he grabbed his collar with his blood soaked hands and pulled him down violently to kiss him. It took Mundy completely by surprise. 

But Lucien quickly withdrew. 

"What was that for?" Mundy asked, confused. This was the last moment to share a proof of love. 

"For you to forgive me." Lucien said. 

"For what?! Look, whatever it is, it's fine, it's ok, just be quick!" 

Lucien let go of his lover's collar and Mundy ran upstairs. He positioned himself at the window above the guards who were now trying  to break the lock of the door. 

"Here! The C4's planted, that door's gonna go, get away!" 

Mundy heard one of the soldiers say and he started shooting but as he did so, the guard triggered the explosives. 

The door blew up and away. 

As did the rest of the hangar.

[lu-undy]

Chapter 35 - SBT

Here it is!

"Oh, hey there, M, wasn't it?" 

Mundy nodded at the waitress.

"Yeah."

As soon as he had entered the diner, she had recognised him and welcomed him.

"You've missed L, he was there for lunch with Perle, but he's gone now." 

"Ah, I see, but I wasn't lookin' for him. And I don't want to bother him when he's with Pearl. Just wanted some coffee, is all."

"Sure, take a seat." 

Mundy went to the table where him and L had some pancakes the other day, L's usual table. 

"Would you like anything else with your coffee?" 

"Uh… Guess a croissant will do." 

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute!" 

"Thanks, mate." 

And in a minute indeed Victoria was back with not one, but two cups of coffee.

"D'you mind if I take a break with you?" She asked.

"Nah, go ahead." Mundy gestured for her to take a seat and she did, opposite him. "So uh…" He resumed but hesitated. "He came here with Pearl?" 

"Yeah, he takes her for lunch here." 

"Ah, right… So, you've seen her?" 

"Yeah, I did, a few times already. Quite the character she has, eh." Victoria answered. 

"What d'you mean?" 

"She's always on the defensive with people. The only one she tolerates and is in fact fond of, is L."

"Really?"

"Yeah… She can even be aggressive about it."

Mundy raised an eyebrow. 

"But eh," Victoria went on. "I guess it will pass when she grows older."

"She's younger than him?"

"Oh yeah, infinitely younger!" Victoria answered and Mundy blushed. 

"Right…" He continued sipping on his coffee. 

"How long have you known L for?" Victoria asked. 

"Uh… Quite a bit I guess, but not too long, can't really remember."

"Oh, so you didn't know him before he came to Australia?"

"Nah." Mundy answered.

"And you work together?" Victoria asked. 

"Y-yeah, well, we have to." Mundy answered. 

"You don't want it?" 

Mundy raised his eyes to Victoria, behind his yellow tinted glasses, and looked away. He chose not to answer. Victoria let the silence weigh, thinking that he would find it awkward and end up answering, but no. Mundy just wouldn't say anything. 

"He didn't want it." She said and he jerked his head up to look her in the eyes. 

"Did he say that?" Mundy asked. 

"Yep." Victoria sipped on her coffee. "Said both of you and especially him didn't want to work together."

Mundy lowered his head. 

"Guess he's right…"

"But then, I think that he's changed his mind." 

When the words hit Mundy's head, he raised his head again and faced Victoria. 

"He never said it like that but…" She bobbed her head left and right. "You can kind of see it." 

"See what?" He asked. 

"You two get along well." She answered and he blushed. 

"Yeah, well, we have to work together so…"

"So that doesn't necessarily imply that you should get along." She said. "Look here at the diner, I'm stuck with some folks I don't really get along with sometimes, but eh, bills aren't going to pay themselves." 

"Hm. S'ppose so. And uh… Where did you see that we got along? We spend most of our time arguing!" Mundy said.

"You shared pancakes." Victoria answered. 

"Yeah, and?" 

"I serve that man his lunch almost everyday of the week. Never have I seen him share a dessert with anyone."

"Oh, c'mon, he must do it with Pearl from time to time, doesn't he?"

Victoria shook his head. 

"Nope, he doesn't. And even before Pearl's time, he never shared pancakes with me or anyone else."

Mundy held on to that information dearly. His mind ran wild and free, replaying the movie of that afternoon, sharing the pancakes with the Frenchman… Hm, there was something comforting about it.

"Hey, Sir!" 

The child's voice pulled Mundy out of his daydream. The little boy had entered the diner and ran to Mundy's table. 

"You're M, Sir?" 

"Yeah." 

Victoria watched the exchange. 

"Can you come, please? We got sent to get you somewhere." 

"We?" Victoria asked, looking around but seeing only one child. 

"Yeah, sure." Mundy said, he looked at Victoria. "You don't mind? Work's calling." 

"Uh… Sure?" She answered, confused that work was coming in the form of a little kid. 

Mundy paid what he owed and exited the diner, following the child. 

"Where do I need to go?" He asked. 

"Just follow me." The boy answered. 

"Oh, so it's not far." He said.

"Nah, just around the corner… Here." 

They stepped in an alley and the rest of the group of little boys was there. 

"So, what d'you have for me, boys?" Mundy asked.

"This box. It comes from Richard."

The tallest of the children came forward with a large, yet relatively thin box. 

"Oh… Ok… Well, thanks a lot." 

"See ya!" 

The kids ran away from the alley and Mundy went back to the van. He drove away such that Victoria wouldn't see anything and parked again. He hopped at the back of his van and sat down on the old, worn out couch, putting the box on his lap. It was made of glossy white paper and wrapped with a dark blue satin knot. 

"Yep, only bloke posh enough to send me something like that is Richard or L… No that L’s gonna send me anythin’..."

Mundy pulled on the knot and the satin ribbon came loose. He opened the lid and frowned. 

"What the hell…?" 

-- Queen Victoria --

"Good evening, Sir. The usual?" 

"Yes, please."

"Including the coffee?"

"Yeah, please."

"Certainly."

The waiter disappeared and Mundy looked around. There were more and more people around him, the dining area was filling up and the chatter around him floated in the air. It wasn't too loud, thank God, and was just enough to tell him that indeed, he wasn't the only one to make an effort and wear a suit on Saturday.

And what a suit…?

He had never worn anything like it before. It didn't feel tight, neither did Mundy feel strangled by it, or uncomfortably restrained. No, it had been easy to put on, soft against his skin and when he had seen himself on the reflection of the Queen Victoria's windows, as he entered, he didn't recognise himself. That was what that box sent by Richard contained.

The suit was beige, with a white shirt and brown bowtie. The vest and trousers were perfectly cut for him. Well, they were custom-made…!

Something he didn't understand though, was why Richard would send him an extra suit? He was expecting the one for Duchemin's ball, but not this. Hm. 

His dessert and coffee landed in front of him. 

"Ah, thanks." 

He started digging in, although his mind was very much still on the suit. 

"Ladies and gentlemen…!"

Mundy stopped eating sharp and raised his head. He knew the show would really start now. 

"The one and only, the great Lulu!"

People applauded in the audience and the volume was louder than for the previous show. 

"Ah…" Mundy sighed in delight and relief when Lulu appeared, through the red curtains and walked to the microphone. He was a sight to behold, that man, in his pastel blue suit and beige bowtie. He looked like an ang- 

"No, bloody hell…" Mundy shook his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lulu started. "Thank you again for the letters, I appreciate the kind words and would like to reiterate my thanks." 

A wave of applause rolled in the audience. 

"Secondly, I took the liberty of changing tonight's song."

Mundy leaned back. He didn't care what the man sang, he knew that whatever it would be, it would get to him. Lulu went to the piano and started playing at the same time as the violins. 

And when he started singing, Mundy got flushed and blushed, the singer was closing his eyes, the movement of his eyebrows betrayed what burnt inside him, the meaning of the lyrics that Mundy barely got. And the hunter stared at the artist, at his sensitivity, how openly he was sharing what he had inside without being judged or without fear of people looking at him differently for whatever he was saying. 

That was a luxury that Mundy couldn't afford. 

He squinted, all slouched on his seat, resting his jaw on his palm with his elbow on the table. The lights in the dining area were low but the spotlight on Lulu shone bright, even his hair was shining, a bit like silk. 

Gosh…

Lulu's lips were a hairwidth away from the microphone and Mundy sighed on his seat. He was jealous of that silver steel, cold microphone… Oh he wished. He wished he could be the one those words, whatever their meaning, were sung to. He wished he could have someone he could hold against him now, he wished he could be held, he wished he could find again what it meant to live and not survive, he wished…

He wished killing Duchemin didn't mean to be tracked and his days counted down as a certain and imminent death would take him away. He wished he could stay alive after all this, just… At least to hear Lulu again, but this time, without feeling like those concerts, those moments of peace  were more and more rare as his own fingers were closing on Duchemin's throat.

Nah, Mundy as always could but wish. He had spent his life doing that. Wishing. Wishing to get out of school, wishing for his parents to give him a sibling, wishing to get a bit of money to help them out, wishing he could live like a proper adult, far from them, but knowing that it was tearing him apart, wishing his father could make the effort and understand him, wishing that he could have been there to help them, to save them. And now, wishing he could over-live, live beyond his final stop. 

And why?

For those silver eyes, hidden behind a veiled curtain of long, black eyelashes, for that slim, hooked nose, in the middle of masculine cheeks, the cheekbones jutting just slightly, just what they should, a well defined jaw, a smooth jawline. And then there were two thin lips, the most delicate lips in the world, and no doubt the softest; lips from which the sounds of an exquisite agony came out, the delicious pain and luxury of thinking about one's own feelings, as if one didn't have any other problems in the world but the waves and storms in his own insides...

Mundy's tired eyes blinked slowly and his eyelids fell halfway through his irises. The waves inside him were rolling and softly crashing on the shore. His insides were warm, the flickering flame of Lulu's voice was so powerful. 

"Je suis un homo,

[I am a man-oh/homo]

Comme ils disent."

[As they say.]

Gosh. Mundy straightened his back in a flash, splaying his hands flat on the table. He might have understood that sentence. Oh my God, he just might! Ha, listening to that Solitude song on loop in the van made him pick up a few words and expressions. 

But how on Earth was Lulu able to sing that? Where did he get that courage, that foolishness, that madness from? If Mundy had understood well, he had just admitted to… liking men. Not only that, Mundy already knew of that, nah, he had sung that in a room that could hardly be more full of people. 

Mundy looked left and right. And what kind of people? Only the respectable, the custom-made suits, the dresses with matching hats, the expensive make-up and even more wealthy style of life… 

And yet, Lulu had just sang it. He said it powerfully, yelled it in the room for everyone to hear loud and clear. No, no, no, the more Mundy thought it, the more certain he became. Yes! Yes, he had just said that! Mundy's French from his days at school were very poor rudiments now, but he remembered it. Je suis means I am. Je suis un homo then surely meant… It meant…

Mundy looked again left and right, his head twisting and turning. People's faces were still watching the singer and the performance as if nothing had just happened. Was he the only one to have understood that? Was he the only one who had cared about the lyrics and actually tried to understand? Why was no one offended? Why was no one caring? Why was no one making a scandal right there and then, and leaving the place slamming the door?

Mundy's eyes came back to Lulu. 

"Bloody hell… He really meant…" 

The singer's tears were visible. He had tried to swallow them back and keep a bit of dignity, but no. The truth he was singing split him in halves, the two halves of a tortured soul. Each half had prepared one single tear, and they now raced down his cheeks, as he screwed his eyes shut, as if that would make him disappear off of everyone's sight. 

The song ended and people applauded loudly. Mundy didn't. He was paralysed on his seat, awestruck. Lulu opened his eyes and looked through the crowd. Good God, his eyes were a shade of blue that was so light under the spotlight… 

"Bugger." 

It seemed to Mundy that Lulu was staring in his direction. The Frenchman's eyebrow twitched, his lips parted as if he had wanted to say something in the microphone. Mundy was hanging off of his very lips, waiting for him to tell him. What was it, Lulu? J-just say it…!

The singer lowered his head, his cinder front lock of hair falling between his eyes, and he stood up, leaving the stage with a hand on his face. He didn't even thank his audience.

The lights got back on in the dining area and Mundy fell back on his chair. He exhaled in an unusually long sigh. Bloody hell, he had been holding his breath all along and didn't realise it. 

"Gosh…" 

It took him long minutes to get a normal and steady breath back. Mundy's eyes fell on his plate. He hadn't finished his dessert, so he got back to the chocolate cake. But he didn't feel its taste. His mind was racing. Why did Lulu change the song of tonight's show to sing that one? Why did he insist on that one? Why did he cry? Was it just something he did all the time when he sang? Mundy remembered that he had shed a tear singing about Solitude. Was it all for show? What did it all mean?

"Wait." 

Mundy raised his head off his piece of cake and frowned. Why the hell did he care? Why did he feel like he should care about that man's feelings and whatever the hell was going through him? Mundy hated people and the less time he spent with them, the better. People were complicated, people lied, people were all over the place! 

He finished his cake and drank his coffee but felt neither the sweetness of the first, or the bitterness of the second. He wiped his mouth on the napkin and wiped his hands. Wait, what? His hands?

Mundy looked at his hands and rubbed them together. They were sweaty…? That's new. 

"Alright, alright… I'll do it." 

He stood up and headed straight for where he knew Lulu would be. He went through the backstage area without being stopped by anyone. He slithered through straight to the door with the name of the man he wanted to have a chat with. He raised his hand and turned his knuckle to the door. Nothing. He couldn't knock. 

Take a deep breath. 

Mundy shook his head. He heard L's voice in his head. And in his great anxiety, it soothed him. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and on his shut eyelids, he saw the masked man he shared pancakes with. 

His fingers worked faster than his head and he knocked at the door. He heard nothing for a few seconds that felt much longer. 

"Who is it?"

"Uh… I don't know if you remember me… I'm uh, I'm M." 

The door opened in a flash. Lulu was livid. 

"Uh, a-are you alright? You look pale." Mundy said. 

The Frenchman stayed frozen for a minute or so. 

"Uh, can we come in maybe?" 

Lulu took a deep breath, and let his guest in. He closed the door after him. 

"What brings you back here?" Lulu gulped down some water and Mundy noticed the shirt whose first button was open and the absence of bowtie.

"I uh… I wanted to ask something." 

"When do you not?" 

Mundy lowered his head. 

"I uh… Sorry, look, you don't have to listen to me ramblin', I can just go away." He answered. 

"Non. Tell me what you wish to know." Lulu motioned him to sit down on his sofa.

"What you sang today," Mundy took a seat. "Did you just say that-"

"Ah, so you understood?" Lulu interrupted and asked as he sat down. His eyes were everywhere but on the Aussie's face. 

"I-I think I did. But how could you-?"

"What is this suit…?" Lulu's gloved hand hovered to Mundy's jacket, on his chest.

"Oh, that? To be honest, I never asked for it but uh… I just got it." 

"It suits you." 

"Really?" 

"Oh absolutely, please stand up for a second." 

Mundy did so, not questioning anything. 

"Yeah?" 

"Mon Dieu…" Lulu covered his face with his hands. He was breathing heavily and lowered his head.

"A-are you alright? You seem a bit sick or something?" Mundy said, sitting back down. 

"Oui, non, it's fine. This evening and the past few days were tiring. A lot of work has decided to suddenly weigh on my shoulders."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Mundy answered. 

"Well, it's not your fault, not entirely." 

"Not entirely?" 

"Well, I did have to prepare this show. Who do you think I do all this for?" Lulu motioned his hands around his face, his suit and everything around him.

"Ah, yeah, for folks who come to hear you, eh." 

"Oui and non."

Silence fell and Mundy didn't ask the singer to explain himself. 

"Can I say something else?" Mundy asked. 

"May I say something else? Your grammar, unlike your style tonight, leaves a great deal to be desired." Lulu said, removing his hands from his face. He was smiling softly. 

Mundy grinned back. 

"Well… I'm bad with words, sorry." 

"Go ahead, ask me." 

"It's not really a question. I wanted to say thanks." Mundy said. 

"What for?" 

"For giving your tickets to the party to L." 

"Ah." Lulu leaned back on his sofa. "You are welcome. So he is taking you?"

"Yeah, well," Mundy blushed. "It's for work." 

"Still," Lulu answered. "I would have given actual money to see him ask you." 

Mundy cleared his throat to make the embarrassment pass. 

"Anyway, it is a coincidence that we know the same man." 

"Yeah. A bit wild, eh?" 

Lulu chuckled. 

"Indeed. He talked to me about you." 

"Whatever he said to you," Mundy said. "Chances are it's all wrong."

"Why?" Lulu asked. 

"We uh… We came into contact a bit by chance, for business really."

"Don't you get along?" Lulu asked. 

"I don't know. I think we're uh, we're doing what we need to." 

"That is not his version." Lulu added. 

"Yeah, well, no surprise. The bloke's arrogant and so posh."

Lulu chuckled again. 

"You misunderstood me. He feels that you get along well." 

"We bicker and fight all the time!" Mundy said and Lulu shrugged. 

"It suits him, the way you two work." The singer said. "What about you?" 

Mundy looked away and frowned. 

"Hm." 

"You do not wish to share?" Lulu asked. 

"Don't know." 

"Or maybe you do wish to share too much." 

Mundy pulled the hat deeper down on his head to hide his blush. 

"Yeah, well… He's uh… He's ok. We make it work." He finally said. 

"Let me tell you that it is a first for him since, hm, two, three decades maybe." 

"What d'you mean?" 

"He always has worked solo. He hates having to rely on others because others have failed him a lot. Non, he likes to have control."

"What is his job anyway…?" Mundy asked.

"If he told you, he would have to kill you." Lulu gave him one of those mysterious smiles that punched Mundy in his guts. 

"Gosh, you really sound like one another." Mundy shook his head.

"You mean the accent?" 

"Not only the accent, also the way you both talk. It's the same."

"We also look alike quite a bit." Lulu added. 

"Yeah, you have the same eyes and very similar overall face shape. You're about as tall as each other. L might be a bit taller." 

"Non, that is his ego." Lulu smirked mockingly.

Both chuckled. 

"He said you were the arrogant one." Mundy said. 

"Of course he would. But non, don't believe what that man says, he is definitely more disdainful than me." 

"Pfff…" 

They took a second to laugh it off. 

"He likes your company." The French accent sung and Mundy's ears pricked up. His head spun to Lulu in a flash.

"You have your way with people, M." Lulu continued. "You say you are bad with words but it is with your words on the letter that we met. Your words did intrigue me. And straight away, we shared some quite intimate things about each other. Non, you might be bad with words but you have some great emotional intelligence." Lulu said. 

"Hm." Mundy looked away. 

"And it even got to a man as cold as L. Quite the feat, really."

Mundy looked at Lulu again. 

"I haven't seen that man like someone's company for… Last time it happened, he was a completely different man."Mundy and Lulu's eyes locked.