Born in Black and White

Chapter 16

Upon further inspection, Kairi was left breathless. It was a very simple Zippo shaped lighter with a top that flipped open and a wheeled flint with a wick that disappeared into a refillable canister on the bottom. It fit into her palm perfectly and the sides were slightly more rounded than a normal zippo - it was rather oblong. However, the shape didn't just make it unique, but the entire encasing. The lighter itself was made from some sort of luminescent stone, almost like an opal, with ornate carvings shaped like classic looking locks with old fashioned key holes. Surrounding the opal, along the lines of the lighter, like its curved edges and where it opened and closed, was a border in a sort of bronze looking metal that had very delicate curved and twirled accents. It was probably the most beautiful thing she would ever own.

"Jesus Sherlock, this is gorgeous!" She said excitedly as the cigarette fell from her lips. She tried to trap it against her chest awkwardly since she refused to let go of the lighter. "You found this and you thought of me?"

Sherlock cleared his throat, "I was investigating in an antique shop in London and it, eh," He glanced at her, almost looking nervous, but trying to look bored, "Yes, it caught my eye." He shifted a bit and hardened his eyes, "I've noticed your affection towards antiquated and venerable looking items."

Kairi threw her arms around him in a flash which shocked Sherlock so greatly he actually faltered a little bit, "Quit trying to ruin it you prick." She muttered into his neck.

Sherlock felt his lip twitch slightly and his heart seemed to beat a little faster than before as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her, "Well it sounds as if you've become accustomed to American vernacular once again." He murmured into her ear, inhaling gently to take in the scent of her neck and hair - vanilla, cigarettes, and a bit of citrus - and yet not alert her to his actions, "I thought it could be a token of my sincerest apologies for how I acted the last time we had seen each other." He hazarded to hold her just a little tighter, resting his head against hers gently.

Kairi breathed him in deeply and then sighed. She pulled back from him, taking a slow step back and gave him a tilted smile, "Well it's a start."

Sherlock rose an eyebrow as Kairi handed him her old cigarette case and old lighter, "A start?" He pulled a cigarette out and lit it up ceremoniously, inhaling the vile smog into his lungs.

Kairi smiled, "Well my entire home was ruined by spiders."

Sherlock chuckled at that, "Yes, and if I recall, I saved you from that."

Kairi scrunched up her face in distaste, "Yea and you got a kiss out of it! Don't pretend to be this big martyr." She said with grandiose sarcasm and then smiled at him.

"Right. I shall not let myself get a big head from it." He nodded to her and she stared at him in disbelief.

"You!? Big headed!?" She sounded shocked, actually appalled, "NEVER!"

She took a long drag from her cigarette and Sherlock stared at her from narrowed, untrusting eyes, "You are attempting to be sarcastic."

"No shit Sherlock." She chuckled.

He tried to lace his voice with venom, but Kairi could see the small smile and a bit of a twinkle in his eye, "That is most unbecoming." Kairi rolled her eyes at him and made a rude gesture with her hand.

Kairi glanced around the large back yard, manicured to perfection in the perfect suburbia. There was an awning, a barbeque, a large section of concrete complemented by a very expansive plot of grass that had a trampoline in the corner, netted in to ensure no small limbs of adolescents went flying in dangerous directions. It was lined by small shrubs and different sorts of bushes with various flowers. She knew Heather and Adam both enjoyed the sort of mundane housekeeping required to keep an area like this. It required a lot of dedication to mow lawns and trim shrubs and water plants. Kairi had her hands full with Appa and even then, she was pretty sure if she stopped feeding him he'd go an hunt his own food. Which would be terrifying for London.