Very few people have seen James laugh, much less laugh as much as he did when she unintentionally tickled him. His eyes scanned her face as she walked down to him saying he was stiff. Blinking a few times up at her he allowed his body to straighten out on the carpet covered floor and rolled his head to look at her when she lay next to him. It wasn’t until she stated that she had never seen him laugh that he realized just how expressionless he had while he was around. Upon hearing that she wouldn’t tell anyone he was ticklish he shot her a playful dirty look before turning his gaze back to the ceiling.

[i]James my friend instead of James my butler[/i], the words echoed in his mind as he stared up at her ceiling. The debate went through his mind and upon his face laid a large amount of confliction. The idea of being friends with someone out of his sister would be nice but she was his temporary employer. “I’m not a good person…” He said softly not daring to look in her direction. Taking in a deep breath and continued, “I shouldn’t even have a job as a butler, but your dad and Adrian gave me a chance… a chance to redeem myself and I never want to break that trust by doing --- something I’m not supposed to.”

A deep sigh left him before he continued, “If you want me to tell you I will…” His head rolled and his gaze landed on her. “But I don’t know about being ‘friends’, I’m unsure if the friendship can be two ways between a butler and their Master. You can confine in me, tell me anything and I will not breathe a word to anyone else --- but I don’t know if it can be done the other way around; nor do I know if I deserve it.” Reaching out he gently patted her hand with his white gloved covered hand and shot her a gentle smile. “But you deserve to have someone you can trust unconditionally, and if that person is me I will do everything in my power to keep that trust and faith you have in me alive and well.” Pulling his hand back he placed it on the his jacket after checking to make sure it was still buttoned due to his collapse on the floor, folded his hands on his flat stomach and looked back up at the ceiling.