Ignition
If you would have told James when he started his apprenticeship at MI6 that he would be spearheading his own investigative team five years later he would have one hundred percent have not been surprised. James was the type of person that had an unprecedented amount of belief. He was 100% confident in his capabilities and hopes for his future. So, naturally, this fact would not have surprised him. He also managed to spread this confidence in the people around him, he had so much belief in other people that he could convince the most anxious of people (Remus) that they were the most important person in the world. It’s what made James such a likeable person.
So, he was buzzing with anticipation as he waited at a table in the local coffee shop waiting for Benjy Fenwick to arrive. The coffee shop was small, cosy, but not so much that it was intimate or overcrowded. There were a decent amount of people in there, considering it was lunchtime, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was just loud enough where they could speak comfortably, but not be overheard.
The table he was sitting at was in the far corner of the coffee shop, near the toilets. He was unable to be seen from outside the shop through the windows. The lights were slightly dimmed, and the amount of shelves and hanging plants created the atmosphere that they were concealed in the corner. The tables were sticky, scrubbed raw with the same cleaning spray used in every establishment accross the UK and the mugs were chipped and dented. The chairs were fraying at the seams and a few lonely feathers sat strewn around the sofas.
The bell above the door chimed as a nervous looking man scuttled in, coat dripping from the drizzle outside. He had dark brown hair that sat gelled on his head and ashy skin that had a cold, grey undertone to it - he was clearly stressed. His eyes kept darting frantically around the room, and as James motioned to him to come over to him, it was clear that he had never wanted to do anything less.
He made her way over to him and gave him a faint smile, avoiding all eye contact as he fiddled with his coffee mug in front of him.
“Hey, Mr Fenwick right? I’m James Potter, I work for MI6, I would like to show you my badge but of course, y’know, I need to be discreet. I just want to ask you a few questions about your late wife’s death. I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you must be going through, but I can assure you that we are safe here and we are here to protect you. We can put you in a safe house and get protection for you.” he smiled politely, shaking his hand.
“Thank you.” He said quietly.
“Of course. You don’t mind if I record this interview, we need to be able to review it in case there is any important information I miss while we speak, and it wouldn’t be so discreet if I took out a pad and pen and started writing.”
“No, um of course you can, whatever you need.”
“Great. Can I start by asking you about their gender? Or at least stereotypically what they looked like.”
“Yeah um, I think he was male. As far as gender goes. Of course it’s a spectrum and all, but that’s what I could make out.”
“How old would you say this man looked?”
“I would say not much older than 20, maybe 25. Quite young.”
“That’s wonderful, thank you so much, Mr Fenwick. Did you manage to catch where he was headed, maybe a name, anything he said?”
“No. I was only paying attention to my wife. I just know that he disappeared straight away.” he said, tone clipped.
“Of course. I‘m sorry.” James apologised, embarrassed. Of course he wasn’t going to be paying attention to him when his wife was bleeding out in front of him. He became more fidgety, his leg bounced, he was picking at her fingernails. He wasn’t sure what to do, he didn’t want to scare away his first ever witness. “Can I ask you something?” James said after a minute.
“Isn’t that what this is supposed to be all about?” Benjy raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “You’ve never done this before, have you?” he quickly whispered to him.
“That obvious? Look, I can assure you that you are safe. There’s no one watching us. I have my colleague outside, guarding the entrance. He has been listening in. He is not here I promise you.” James smiled, hoping it showed in his eyes.
“Okay. I know. It’s just- I always feel like he’s around.” he darted her eyes around again.
“I know, I know but there is no need to worry anymore. You are going to be protected by the most secure establishment in Europe.”
“Right. Of course.” he murmured. “What was your question?”
“Oh, yeah. Why didn’t-”
“-I do anything? Well to be honest with you, I wasn’t sure what was going on when it happened, to be honest I don’t know how much help I can be right now, I still don’t really know what happened. It was all too fast.”
He continued asking questions, most of which amounted to nothing or that he knew already, just that the murderer had three gold rings on his hands, but he didn’t know what they looked like, just that one was engraved with stars. He remained jittery and on edge the entire time, but what could you expect. They engaged in some small talk, especially as people passed them, and James learned that he enjoyed art in his spare time.
“That’s perfect. Is there any way that you can draw what this man looked like? We’ve covered everything else and this is all that we really need now. Anything will do, just so we can get a rough idea for a sketch artist to create a more accurate drawing. It would really help us a lot to be able to establish who this man is?” James pleaded.
“Um, yeah I think I can do that.”
“Brilliant. I’m going to pop to the loo for a moment. Don’t worry about any more drinks. Got a bit of a stomach ache.” James announced loudly as he got up and nodded to Benjy, before going into the bathroom.
The bathroom was empty when he got in there and he decided to just lean against the bathroom wall, contemplating what he had said.
The man was fast, agile, strong, lean. James didn’t know what he looked like exactly, yet. In reality he really should’ve started with that. But his mind was a rush of all this information. He was engrossed in this world, of the killer, of the kills, the way he did it, the art he created, the beauty, the colours, the way he thought. James was sure that not everyone thought this was, passionately, obsessively, but he didn't care, he just wanted to know everything, to take it all in. He was infatuated with the world he created. But he would, of course, deny this to anyone who asked.
He heard the door to the bathroom open, confident footsteps walked over to the sink and turned the tap on. James busied himself with his hair, looking at himself in the mirror. He didn't want whoever came in to think he was some strange man lurking in the bathroom. He turned to look over at the man who had just come in.
Standing at the sink, washing his hands, was probably the most attractive man James had ever seen in his entire life. He had dark brown, almost black, curls that hung down past his ears, the most piercing grey eyes, ones that felt as though they could see straight into you. His cheekbones sat high and proud, it was reminiscent of someone James couldn’t quite pinpoint at the back of his mind. His lips were thin, but all James wanted to do was change the faint blush colour of them to a bruised purple and red. It was obvious that James was staring at him, and of course, James being the attractive man that he is, the man was staring right back at him. A smirk formed at the corner of the man’s mouth and James reciprocated it. It was clear that he was an employee, he had a grey polo with ‘The Three Broomsticks’ embroidered on it and an apron tied around his waist.
The man turned to face him, leaning on the sink. He walked over to James and reached for his hair.
“May I?” he asked with a sly grin. The man's voice was posh, extremely, it was like silk, a pleasure for James's ears that he never thought he would need. The scent of lavender infiltrated James's nose, emanating off of the man. It enticed James, the scent infuriating him, that someone could smell so good.
“Go ahead.” James stared straight into his eyes.
He fiddled around with James’s hair for a moment before he let out a small “mm”
“Better?” James smirked
“Much.” he replied, gaze fluttering down to James’s lips. From this close James could see the dainty lashes framing the man’s eyes. It was strange, that such long and elegant lashes could conceal such cold and strong eyes, ones that made James's hair on his arms stand on end.
A moment passed between them where they did nothing, just stared at each other, eyes switching between each other’s eyes, then their lips.
Their lips joined together, soft and slow before James reached for the man’s hair and pulled, forcing them closer together, the man’s lips parting in a moan that was like an angel song to James’s ears. The sound replayed in James’s mind, he knew that he would die an unsatisfied man if he never got to hear such beauty ever again.
They stayed like that for a while, a fierce battle, a war that had never felt so little like one, a fight that he knew he would never win. They broke apart when a crash was heard from outside, and The man ran a hand through his hair, wiping his thumb across the side of lips. James breathed heavily.
The man only smirked before turning and heading into a cubicle, leaving James to stand alone. He decided to head back out to Benjy, who he was sure would be done by now.
“Hey, sorry I took so long, stomach issues.” James grimaced, hoping to sound casual.
“Of course. I’ve finished up the drawing. Here.”
He handed the folded piece of paper to James and James stowed it in his bag.
“Thank you so much. We appreciate it so much. Really, you've been so much help.”
“Of course. I'll just pop to the toilet.”
“That’s fine. I’ll wait for you and we can walk out together yeah?”
“Okay, thanks.” And he wandered off into the loo.
James wasn't going to look at the drawing. it would be much to suspicious looking, he didn't want anyone to see what the man looked like. He would save it until later, when he was with the rest of the team. All that was running through his mind was that kiss, that man. He snuck glanes up at the toilet doors, waiting to see the man come out, but he never did. He must have missed him. A faint feeling of dissapointment swept over James, but not enough to conceal the memory of soft lips, hands in his hair, and lavender.
After waiting for a solid ten minutes, James was concerned. He hadn’t seen Benjy come out of the loos, and he knew that he probably wouldn't have left by himself.
After fifteen minutes had passed, he decided to go and check on him.
He opened the bathroom door and screamed.
The floor was covered, a pool of blood coating the linoleum flooring, there was clearly a struggle, bloody handprints and trails of red were marked all over the walls and cubicles.
The body of Benjy Fenwick lied lifeless on the floor, blood oozing out of him, a river of crimson pouring out of his eyes - that were now missing.
James jumped forward and checked for a pulse, to no avail.
“Ambulance, somebody call an ambulance please!” He yelled, tears threatening to spill. “NOW!”
There was movement behind him, screams, yells, muttering, crying but James heard none of it. His ears were ringing, buzzing as he stared down into the empty sockets in Benjy’s skull. It was clear that there was no coming back. James’s promises of safety and security meant nothing now.
How hadn’t he realised? How hadn’t they noticed? He sobbed.
An unknown amount of time later he was dragged away from the body,out of the coffee shop, into a car, eyes torn away from the body.
He was numb, confused. Nothing was getting through to him. His mind was full of those empty sockets and the pool of blood surrounding it, the same blood now crusting under his fingernails, he would never be able to wash away.
But most importantly, his mind wasn’t on the body at all. Wasn't on the death. Wasn’t on the pool of blood. Wasn’t on those cold empty sockets. All James could think about was dark curls, grey eyes, soft lips, sly grins, the scent of lavender and the song of angels echoing in his ears.
Oh god, what had he done.