The next time Grace sang at the Bottom Feeder, Cheshire invited her to their table afterward.

No one would admit to having even told him her name, but he was armed with all kinds of knowledge, and he chatted her up all evening long. She was unrepentantly receptive to his attention. As the night wore on she seemed to nestle deeper and deeper into the sofa next to him, and by the end of it, she was tucked under his arm like she belonged there. Cheshire all but glowed.

By then, Jakub had long since retreated to another table. He tried to concentrate on his drink and his cigarette, but Cheshire’s laughter echoing through the bar made both taste like magic. He should have left; it wasn’t as if Cheshire would have noticed. But Hannah would have.

“He’s no good for her,” said Hannah, watching the pair of light-headed teens giggle at each other. “But they are kind of cute.”

“Don’t you mean the opposite?” Jakub replied, but he immediately regretted it when Hannah’s attention swerved to him. He looked away. “The last thing he needs is someone encouraging him.”

Hannah didn’t respond for a long time; he was too afraid to look. At last she let out a tiny huff that might have been amusement. “Right.”

Jakub cringed, but he didn’t know what he could say that would minimize what was probably a lost cause already. He refused to meet her eyes the rest of the night.

***

“Her name is Grace,” Cheshire said, as animated as ever, as he peeked under another picture frame. “Grace Overgaard. Isn’t that so…so distinguished?”

“I know her name,” Jakub retorted as he pawed through the drawers. “She’s been at the bar every night this week.”

Cheshire moved on to the next portrait, being more careful than seemed necessary, considering Jakub was dumping out the contents of every container the apartment had to offer. Normally Jakub himself would have been the cautious one, but Cheshire hadn’t stopped chattering since they set out for their latest scavenger hunt, and it was putting him on edge. “She’s from Denmark,” Cheshire prattled on. “She came over when she was ten. That means she’s been here longer than you, right? What was it, fifteen?”

Jakub tried to ignore him, but then Cheshire called, “Weren’t you fifteen when you came over?”

Jakub rubbed his face. “Fourteen.”

“By yourself, too! That’s kind of wild. Ooh, found it.”

Jakub glanced over just in time to catch Cheshire face light up with anticipatory glee. It made his heart skip and he quickly looked away again. “Warn me before you blow anything,” he said.

“Anyway, she was ten,” Cheshire continued as he removed a handsome portrait from the wall. He set it down carefully against the master bed. “She was with her parents, but they died on the boat before they could make it here. Isn’t that terrible? Gosh, I just...I feel so bad for her.”

Jakub grimaced uncomfortably at the string of pearls he was shoving into his satchel. “Yeah.”

“Her uncle is paying for her schooling, now. He probably feels guilty, since it was his idea they all come over in the first place. Isn’t that so sad?” Jakub could hear Cheshire spinning the dials of the combination safe. “She’s been singing to help him out a little. She’s really amazing, you know.”

Jakub finished with the vanity and turned back, only to be met with the unusual sight of Cheshire pressing his ear to door of the wall safe. “What are you doing?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m listening.” Cheshire winked. “Maybe I can crack it the quiet way?”

It was such a ridiculous notion that Jakub couldn’t help a snort. “You would have to stop talking for that.”

Cheshire made a face at him, but his good humor was unfazed. “You make it sound so hard,” he said, and he clapped his mouth shut.

Jakub stopped to watch. He expected Cheshire to break at any moment, but sure enough he kept quiet, listening intently to whatever was going on inside the safe as he carefully turned the dial. He can’t really do it, Jakub thought, even though the longer he watched, the more he felt hairs rising on the back of his neck. He doesn’t even know how in principle. But seeing Cheshire so quiet and focused was still a rare occurrence, and it filled him with an indescribable feeling.

“What about your parents?” Jakub asked without really knowing why.

“Huh?” Cheshire’s expression twitched. “Sorry, I’m listening really hard over here. I didn’t catch that”

Sure you didn’t. Jakub itched with curiosity, but he knew that if he pressed for an answer there was a good chance Cheshire would put the question back to him, and he already regretted risking that. “I said, I don’t think you have a devil’s chance of getting that open,” he said as he moved closer.

“‘A chance in Hell,’” Cheshire corrected him, smirking. “Damn, though, you’re probably right.” He leaned back. “Get ready to run.”

Jakub hefted his satchel, ready to move out of the way, but it wasn’t a premature contained explosion that caused him to jump—it was the sound of a key being fit into the front door lock. The bedroom window was already open, and they had plenty of time to reach it. There was no reason to panic.

And then Cheshire’s arm snaked around his waist, all sturdy muscle and urgency. Jakub’s brain went mushy. Without word or warning Cheshire pulled him out of the way, and a moment later the door of the safe exploded off its hinges in a burst of fire and smoke. Whoever had been opening the front door shouted in alarm. Cheshire only took a moment more to grab the contents of the safe and then he was moving again, all but carrying Jakub to the open window.

“You go first,” he said, and Jakub was too dumbfounded to argue. As soon as Cheshire’s arm loosened he clambered out onto the fire escape and headed up. It was a warm, spring night—there were still some people out on the streets, complicating a ground level escape. But once on the roof, all the chattering people and honking cars fell away, and Jakub allowed himself a moment’s reprieve with wind in his hair.

Then Cheshire was with him again, grabbing him by the arm to help him along. It was completely unnecessary and Jakub did nothing to discourage him. 

They ran almost the entire way back to their own building, climbing in through Jakub’s window. With their take strewn on the floor they both collapsed onto the bed to catch their breath. Cheshire was laughing long before he had his back, and Jakub had to admit that on nights like this, it was impossible to hate him at all. Settled on their backs they were close enough to touch, bodies warm and lax from the run, and he was tempted. It would have been so easy to just roll over and…

“That was a close one, huh?” Cheshire said, loosening his necktie.

Jakub startled for no reason at all and turned away, fearful that Cheshire would see his stupid impulse in his face. “Not really. They wouldn’t have reached the bedroom in time.”

Cheshire laughed some more. “I really envy you, Jakub,” he said. “Nothing rattles you.”

“Me?” Jakub sat up, hoping that even that little distance would help clear his head. “You’re the one who laughs at everything.”

“I do not,” Cheshire retorted, laughing.

“You’re doing it right now!”

“It’s not my fault, though.” Cheshire pushed his bangs out of his face, staring up at Jakub with what might have been sincere fondness. “I have so much fun with you.”

Jakub was speechless. He couldn’t even be sure of what that meant let alone how to respond. Was he being mocked? That smile twisted his stomach in knots—even if Cheshire was being earnest, what did it mean? His face felt hot, and he was sure that if nothing else, Cheshire would finally be able to see his mad secret.

“Hey,” said Cheshire after a few moment’s pause. “Wanna see something?”