It was rare for Simone to request anything like this, and Lewis could immediately feel that something was wrong with her. The tone of her voice was similar to that of those who feared for their life. It was small, short of breath, and as if they were clinging on for dear life. At first, Lewis wondered if she had been wounded somehow, but he immediately dismissed the thought. He would have sensed it.

“We can go, then,” Lewis said. He wasn’t sure why he was agreeing with her. This was his outing, and she was just tagging along. Yet, here he was trying to calm her down by acquiescing. The assassin frowned. “I-I have nothing else I need to do anyway. It’s best if we head back now.” He glanced at the brothel, wondering if he should even bother arranging another visit. Simone was being needy, and if that meant he had to watch her, he’d lack the time to do anything other than his jobs.

Why do I even care… Lewis was getting annoyed. He cared because if she got sick, he needed to know if it would affect her death in any way. That was all.

That…was all.

Timeskip: Just after the dream dive

Simone no longer wandered around in a cloak. Lewis wasn’t dragging her about anymore. “Lewis! Look at this!” She was pressed against the glass of a shop. “They have a new bottle for my perfume!” They had become so much closer. It showed in the way Simone was wearing cute tailor-made dresses now. Even the ribbon in her hair was silk. “I think it has orange blossoms painted on it!” Was this the one thing she wanted?

He took hold of her hand though it wasn’t to yank her away. “You’ll get lost in the crowd.”

Simone looked down at his hand and gave him a smile. “I won’t get lost…” After finding out who was after her… It made Lewis nervous. “Oh! Right! We have to go get your daggers right?” She looked up at him now and smiled. “We can always get my perfume another day if we are too busy.” She wasn’t as bratty with him anymore.

Lewis hesitated for a moment, and made a note of the shop. “If we have time, we can stop by on the way back. After I get my daggers,” he said. The weapons were needed for the next job he was going on, and he knew that the smithy would close without a second thought if they were late.

Once more they passed the brothel. Lewis was, as usual, noticed immediately, but no one had a chance to say anything until he left the smithy. With the freshly sharpened daggers returned to his belt, he and Simone walked by the brothel.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a blonde woman jumped Lewis, tackling him to the ground. Normally, Lewis would have blocked any blow that was meant to kill him, but there was no bloodlust when it came to this attack. Instead, he was immediately hugged and nuzzled.

“Oh dearest Lewis! I’ve missed you! It’s been so long since you’ve visited!”

“Sara…” Lewis stated with his usual emotionless tone. “Get off.”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” She immediately got off him and helped him up. “I was just so overcome with my emotions when I saw you! Remember last time!? It was amazing…and that letter you sent.”

Lewis stared blankly at her. “Letter?” He had no recollection of a letter.

“Why yes…the letter that said you want to marry me!” Sara stated, clutching the front of her shirt so sheepishly. “There was no signature, but I just knew it was you who did it.”

“I didn’t send a let-”

“YES! OF COURSE I’LL MARRY YOU, SILLY!” she said excitedly.

“I’m going to have to disappoint you…”

Simone did a little happy dance. “Yes!” She had three bottles of it already but she loved presents from Lewis. She had tried lilac perfume but Lewis didn’t like it as much as the orange blossom. It wasn’t her. She started to associate herself with the perfume too since Lewis did.

They went to get his daggers and Simone held a look on her face as he was tackled down to the ground. She was going to shove the woman off but her words… The Canary… She looked up as she remembered the name from Lewis telling him herself that he went there. Immediately she did a very angry pout face and glared at Lewis.

“Lewis… LEWIS DUSK YOU CHEATING PIECE OF SHIT,” She hauled off and smacked him good before throwing up her arms. “I TRUSTED YOU! You told me you stopped going!” She was crying now as she hauled off and hit him again. “Fuck you.”

She took off running into the crowd disappearing easily enough. Snowball landed on Lewis's shoulder with a look as he tweeted up at Lewis chastising him.

“I DIDN’T GO THOUGH!” Lewis yelled at the bird.

Snowball made a huffing noise, and pecked Lewis’ forehead, chirping angrily.

“HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW!? Have you EVER seen me write letters!?” Lewis threw his hands up. If there was any emotion he was capable of, it was anger.

“Excuse me, honey?” Sara asked. “Are you…arguing with a bird?”

“This doesn’t concern you,” he stated, emotionless again as he glared at her. “And I’m not marrying you. I have zero interest in you.”

“Oh..” Sara looked hurt. “But…if you didn’t write the letter, then who…”

“Sara?” A rather charming looking man walked up to her, taking his hat off. He looked rather innocent. “D-did you get my letter?”

She stared at him, and then at Lewis. “Oh dear…I…I’m sorry, Lewis.” She smiled and turned to the innocent man. “WILLIAM, YES! OH HONEY LET’S GET MARRIED!”

Lewis stared at Sara and William as they wandered off hand in hand. “What…the fuck…”

The red haired woman from the window peeked out. “Oh there’s that wily Sara again. She does this every week, and gets cold feet at the altar. Poor sap…”

Lewis shook his head, “That doesn’t….that doesn’t matter.” He looked at Snowball. “Track her down. Now.”

Snowball, suddenly changing teams, made a confident chirp, and flew high into the sky. It was almost immediate that he saw where she was, and he pointed like a faithful hound.

“Great!’ Lewis took off running. This wasn’t exactly the safest town in the world…

Simone was hyperventilating as she looked around. “The way back to the tower has to be here somewhere,” she said as she wanted to go home. Why though? Her fists clenched. “Why?” She pouted. Lewis obviously didn’t want her. Why did… She want to go back? “STUPID LEWIS!”

“Hey, pretty little thing why are you crying?” An older man grabbed her by the shoulders and she froze up. “I can bring you back with me.” She could feel the man’s breath and smell the alcohol.

“No thank you… I’m just lost.” She cleared her eyes and tried to get away from him.

“I didn’t say you could leave.”

“Let me go!” Simone yelled as the man attempted to take her with him.

“I said! LET! ME! GO!” She grabbed a random board and swung herself as hard as she could knocking the man against his head as she got herself free. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” She shouted. What was this feeling? This feeling that she didn’t want to be the victim again?

The man reached for her again, thrusting his hand out to grab her. There was malic in his voice, but when he tried to grab her, he found that he couldn’t. Something was wrong. He looked at his hand. It felt…very weird looking at it for some reason. It finally dawned on him why. His hand was lying in a pool of blood at Simone’s feet.

Odd. That wasn’t where it should be.

“I suggest you walk away why you still have limbs intact,” Lewis said as he stepped out of the shadows. Simone almost screamed, but managed to slap her hands over her mouth before she could.

The man looked at what was now a bleeding stump of a wrist, and nodded slowly. Shock had set in. He carefully picked up his hand, and did a half, apologetic sort of bow before he wandered off.

“Probably won’t even make it two streets,” Lewis said as he turned to Simone.

Simone dropped the board as soon as she cuffed her mouth shut. She was watching Lewis. This was his job but why was he here. “Why aren’t you going to get married?” She cuffed her mouth again. “Oh! OH NO!”

She backed herself against the way. “I’m a loose end now aren’t I?! You are going to get rid of me now!” Her poor little heart was a lot like a rabbit’s.

Snowball was now tweeting angrily at him. Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!

"Your wife to be wants me dead doesn't she?!"

“SIMONE I DIDN’T WRITE THE LETTER!” Lewis yelled. His voice echoed down the alleyway. “I’m not getting married.”

Simone stared at him for a moment with wide eyes. “Ohh…”

The assassin closed his eyes. “Thank Lord Raith that you finally listen to reason. It was a stupid letter sent by a stupid man. She’s off to marry him now.” Thankfully, Lewis had nothing else to do with either of them. That was an entire mess that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

“But…she is much prettier than me. You could marry her…or someone else. Or anyone else…”

Snowball seemed to roll his eyes, and huffed, flying away. It was as if he were saying, “Well at least she’s not trying to run off. Your problem now…”

“I don’t…” Lewis sighed. This damned woman was too complicated and annoying. “Why the hell would I want anyone else?”

“Because her body is better. And prettier. I’m just boring.” Simone truly believed that in her soul.” She seemed as though she were about to cry. “Why did you even bother coming to save me? I’m-”

Lewis looked around. “Because…you belong to me?” He seemed to be questioning what he had just said.

“W-what?” She wiped away a tear. “Is…is that all it is?” She seemed almost disappointed.

“Isn’t…that what this is?” Lewis motioned between them. “This stupid feeling I have to chase after you when you run away. This ridiculous feeling that I need to protect you? To hunt you down the moment you disappear? To keep you for myself and no one else? Isn’t that what that is? You belong to me. You’re mine. I own you…”

She realized that Lewis was saying what she wanted to hear in his own Lewis way. She cleared her eyes a bit and jumped on him. “I’m sorry I’m such a pain!” She buried her head into his neck. “I… am just scared you’ll leave me all by myself…”

“Why the hell would I leave you alone?” She could feel Lewis hugging her now. It was different from when that woman had jumped on him and he was trying to push her off.

“Because… I drive you crazy?”

There was a sigh from Lewis and he shook his head, “That’s an understatement.”

She gave a pout and pulled away from him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He was quiet and she gave him more of a face, “That’s the silence you do when you don’t want to answer an embarrassing question.”