Fic: The Importance of Names

[meridian_rose]

Title: The Importance of Names
Fandom: original
Characters: Amy, Kai, Jack
'Verse/Series: Call Me Mistress
Rating: Teen
Beta: dorothydeath
Word Count: 653
Prompt: For the writerverse prompt Ocean
Summary: Kai meets the Mistress for the first time and she's not what he was expecting.
Warnings: None

Kai waited in the hallway, noting details automatically – smoke alarm, telephone, antique ornate mirror, and a picture of a ruined abbey. Kai took a closer look at it – Whitby Abbey, according to the neat card mounted below the print. He adjusted the frame slightly, making sure it was level even though it hadn't really appeared crooked. It was something he did when he was nervous, fiddling with furniture. A bad habit, he knew.

Not that he was nervous, of course.

A woman came out of one of the rooms, a piece of paper clutched in one hand; her nails were neat but unpainted. She was of average height and build with long light brown hair that fell about her shoulders.

"Jack –" she called and hesitated when she saw Kai. He watched her expression flicker to surprise, then suspicion – maybe a moment of fear? – and then she smiled. "Hello."

Before the moment could get any more awkward, Jack was there, as if from out of thin air. He held a leather-bound book in one hand and gestured with his other at the woman. "Kai, this is the Mistress of the House."

He'd been expecting something a little more imposing. Taller. That she'd be wearing leather, despite Jack's insistence that Mistress was not the same as dominatrix, instead of a loose white shirt over faded jeans. Kai knew he was stereotyping but he still couldn't help but think that any sort of Mistress –obligatory capital M - should be bold, self-assured; not this gentle looking creature who was crumpling up the paper in her long, delicate fingers. His eyes were drawn constantly back down to her hands, but he thought that it would be reasonable for Jack and the Mistress to assume it was the movement that was catching his attention.

"Mistress," Jack went on, "this is Kai Summers. He's here about the security position."

Kai held out one hand but the woman looked blankly at the piece of paper in her dominant hand as if not knowing how she'd manage such a difficult prospect as shaking his hand while otherwise engaged. Kai lowered his hand and hoped that didn't count against him. He tried to hide his disappointment. He imagined her hands would be soft and slightly cool. He wondered if she played piano.

"Amy," she supplied. Her free hand went to her hair, flicking one caramel coloured lock behind her ear in a nervous gesture. "You don't have to call me Mistress all the time." She was still scrutinizing Kai, but now Jack was here she'd stopped being afraid. Kai was hopeful she liked what she saw.

"Is it short for Kyle?" Amy asked suddenly.

"Ma'am?" Kai shook his head. "No. Just Kai." Seeing something more was required he spelled it out. "K-a-i."

She stared at him doubtfully. "Kay?" It was a common mistake.

"Mistress," Jack said with just a hint of reproach.

Amy glanced at the floor. "Sorry. Names are important. I didn't mean to be rude."

"No offence taken," Kai assured her quickly. She wasn't beautiful, not really, but there was a certain something about her that drew his attention.

Jack opened the book, running one finger down the page. Amy glanced back at Kai.

"I don't think I've heard the name before. What does it mean?" she asked, genuine curiosity in her tone.

Jack spoke before Kai could muster up a response, never lifting his eyes from his book. "It depends on the language of origin. Strong, ocean, dog, love, pier…"

"It's Hawai'ian," Kai said, interrupting Jack's litany of meanings. "My grandfather came from Oahu or so I'm told."

"Ocean, then," Jack said decisively. He was right, though somehow Kai knew it would have been pointless to object had Jack been wrong.

Amy smiled a true smile then, one that lit up her hazel eyes. "Oh, I love the ocean."

"So do I, Mistress," Kai said. "Very much."