No One Can Know || Victor Zsasz

nine

The walk back to Novella's apartment was quiet, but quiet was something the two had gotten comfortable with. Sometimes silence was more intimate than a deep conversation, it let you know more in way. However, when they got into the apartment Novella launched into questioning mode.

"What'd he say when I left? D'ya think he liked me? I mean I don't care but still-" she was cut off by Victor laughing and pulling her into a hug.

"He didn't say anything to terribly important when you left and I'm sure he liked you." She wrapped her arms around his waist and allowed him to run his fingers through her hair. It was something he did often, but she didn't mind.

"Although your attitude in there was surprising." He pulled away from her to look down into her blue eyes.

"Well, when you grow up in a household like what I grew up in you learn how to use words. The way you phrase something could sound like an insult to one person but a compliment to another." She walked to the couch and sat down, pulling Victor with her.

"Interesting." He began to look around the apartment in a wandering way.

"Yeah I bet. Hey," she grabbed his attention again, "how come you never wear short sleeves? I mean that suit has got to be hotter than hell." She played with the hem of his sleeve as he thought about her question.

"It's better for business. Gives me more of an edge." He looked down at the sleeve she was playing with, "Why do you ask? You have a problem with how much clothing I wear?" She grabbed his hand up and then threw it at him.

"Oh shut up it was just a wondering. I can't help where my brain goes." He laughed at her word choice and the oddness that leaked into her phrasing.

"Of course, but just so you know, if you wanted me to take something off you could've just asked." He slipped off the suit jacket, leaving him in a dark plaid shirt, gun holsters, and waistcoat. The comfort level of his entire ensemble couldn't have been very high, but he seemed fine.

"Wow they need to offer you a strip job. I mean look at the way you take off that jacket. Damn son," Novella laughed out causing Victor to throw his jacket at her.

"You like that huh? Well watch this." He then preceded to remove the holsters, waist coat, and undershirt leaving him in a black t-shirt that clung to him. She laughed at his performance but halted when she looked at his arms. Every little tally mark scar on him was visible, twenty eight of them the last time she'd thought of it, but now there were a few more.

He caught her staring at the tally marks, but didn't comment about it. He didn't feel the need to explain anything about it, because she already knew what he did. By the time she tore her eyes away she didn't feel like questioning him. Instead she just made a sarcastic remark.

"Well if you were expecting me to follow suit you're gonna be sorely disappointed." She folded her arms over her chest as he fell back onto the couch.

"Of course, make me do that then you just sit here all gorgeous." He looked over to her in fake anger, "tease."

"Oh I'm the tease? I didn't start stripping and then just stop. If anyone here's a tease it's you." She pointed a finger into his chest and quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah whatever." He waved a hand in front of her face as if to brush her off, but she just grabbed the hand and started playing with his fingers.

"Hey Zsaszels," he let out a laugh before making eye contact, "you're not too bad."

"Well you're not too bad either." He pulled his hand back from her and let her lay in the curve of his body. As soon as she was settled again she grabbed the hand and resumed her fiddling.