Part 1
"Did you see?" said one woman to the other. The young boy darting between them paid them little mind.
"See what?" the other woman asked.
'What indeed?' thought the boy. Now he had a slim purse. He darted away, hiding in the dark street corners. The London mid-afternoon was murky and hot. Any shadow was welcome. He hunted through the purse, finding a handful of copper and a full silver piece.
"Master Barton has arrived in London!" said the first woman in excitement.
"Really? Master Barton. Does he not remain in the country for the summer?" the second woman asked, though she seemed as excited as the first.
What's so interesting about that old man? the boy thought irritably.
"Well, surely interesting things will happen now that he has returned," the first woman said. Both women linked arms, and they bustled down the street, skirts brushing the ground.
The boy was up again, darting through people, using his small size to fit through the small spaces quickly. He was already looking for his next target. Unfortunately, being intent on a target caused him to miss the more pressing presence of the person he proceeded to run into.
He found himself sprawled across someone's chest. Looking up with the feeling of impending dread, he found his eyes locked to a pair of green eyes, greener than anything he'd ever seen.
"Umph," the person noted. The boy scrambled off him hastily and offered him a hand up, then noted how grimy it was. He hastily wiped his hand off and offered it to him again.
The young man smiled slightly at the offered hand and accepted it, and stood. The young man wore a fine waistcoat, now undone and half sliding off because of the collision. His vest was dark grey, over a white shirt with a silken neckerchief. His trousers were brown and he was wearing a pair of lavender silk gloves. He looked around a moment, trying to find his hat.
"Beg ya pardon, guv'nah," the boy said quietly, looking at the ground. Suddenly, he spotted the hat and grabbed for it. Unfortunately, the hat's owner noticed it at the same time, and another collision was imminent.
"Ouch," the hat's owner said. The boy handed him his hat back. He dusted it off and put it on his head. His long brown hair fell to cover one eye.
"Beg yeh pardon, guv'nah, again," the boy said, a flush creeping through his dirty cheeks.
"Oh, no harm done. Are you unharmed?" he asked. The boy shook his head.
The hat-man seemed about to ask another question, but a voice called him.
"Master Barton! Are you injured?" an older man said, rushing up to him.
"No no, I'm fine," hat-man said reassuringly. He turned to the boy. "It was a pleasure to meet you, even if the initial meeting was... somewhat painful." With that, he entered a carriage which drove off.
Master... Barton? Him?! he thought.
"Stop! Thief!" he heard from behind him. Oops, run!
TBC...
Back to the Gundam Wing Fanfiction page
On to Part 2