“Wrenches? Wheels? Zenon….what is going on?” Sarah didn’t seem to notice Zenon’s hands, but her eyes glazed over when he kissed her again, and she huffed when he pulled away.

Sarah seemed distracted, trying to think of various things that the male could be talking about. It was clear she wasn’t coming to good conclusions, and she licked her lips nervously. They tasted like Zenon, and she blushed brightly again.

“Can’t trade? At all?” Sarah looked slyly at Zenon, and her hands crawled up to his head, tugging it down gently. She pressed her lips against his, not satisfied with the chaste kisses from earlier. Mannik, for once, was forgotten, and she lost herself in Zenon’s lip.

~</3~

Mannik would normally be highly uncomfortable and not know what to do. Holding Adelmar, however, he didn’t feel uncomfortable, just didn’t know what to do. So he did what he could, holding her gently. He rubbed her back, and stroked her hair.

When she finally pulled back, Mannik felt torn. He was happy she had gotten some emotions out, but his arms felt strangely empty. Despite the attempt to hide her face, before she pulled away completely, Mannik lifted his hands, and gently wiped the tears off of her face. He had meant for the action to be kind, but left a smudge on her face from his dirty fingers. “Don’t be sorry.” He muttered, lowering his head, his voice raspy with emotions he tried to bury.
Adelmar beat it from the room, and Mannik glanced down at his hands. The smudge on her face reminded him of their separate places once more. Absently, he ran a finger over his thumb, feeling the rough callouses. That pang returned and settled on his chest, and it seemed a bit sharper than before.
Mannik covered up yet more feelings, and turned from the room. If Adelmar returned, she would have found the body already gone. The humming had been a machine that had stripped the floor, and a few people were on hands and knees, rubbing and polishing more wax under the floor, their faces stoic. Mannik was deep in conversation with one of the men, though their voices were hushed. The dead man had been removed.

The authorities would know he had been moved, but they wouldn’t be able to find any evidence here. And they would have witness who watched the person taking the blame dump the body. Anytime someone from Below committed a crime, there weren’t many questions, really, they were usually charged and convicted quickly. It should go off without a hitch.

There was a matter Adelmar would most likely hate that needed to be discussed, however.