[[A LxE request! Full credit to Zillabean for the wonderful prompt.

Disclaimer: I have written a total of 70 fics and still don't own PL.

Set: Anytime during the prequel trilogy?

Spoilers: Noooone.]]

Hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek. Primarily a children's party game, though Emmy was far from deterred when Luke suggested they play it one evening at the professor's flat. In fact, she leapt at the chance.

"Sounds like fun! Okay, Luke. You can count first since you came up with the idea. No peeking!"

The boy beamed and turned his back. "One, two, three..."

"Make sure you count to one hundred!"

Chuckling, Layton followed Emmy as she dashed out of the study with the speed of a ninja and the spirit of child. There honestly weren't that many ideal hiding places in his confined flat, so their game should be fairly short and simple for Luke. But Layton did like to test his apprentice's wits every once in a while...

Next to the kitchen was a cupboard where Rosa kept her cleaning utensils. (Rosa visited the Layton residence on such a regular basis that she argued they may as well remain here.) This cupboard was strictly off limits to anyone except the housekeeper. It was cramped, but tall enough to fit a fully-grown gentleman, even one wearing a top hat.

He could hear Luke had reached the forties by now. He quietly tested the cupboard door and was pleased to find it open. Perhaps Rosa had forgotten to lock it recently...? (Whatever the case, the professor prayed she wouldn't notice her cupboard had been disturbed, lest he suffer the wrath of Rosa.)

"...Forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one..."

No time for changing places now. Layton squeezed inside the dark space fragrant with cleansing products, feeling around for a light switch...

His hand brushed against something round that was definitely not a light switch.

A sharp intake of breath. "Professor, what are you doing?"

"E-emmy!" Actually, Layton was rather grateful for the pitch blackness. His assistant wouldn't see the blood that flooded to his cheeks. "P-please excuse me. I'll go somewhere else immediately..."

"...Eighty-five, eighty-six..."

"It's too late for that!" Emmy hissed, hauling him completely inside and pulling the door shut.

If the proximity had been close before, now it was bordering on claustrophobic. Layton's hat was in danger of falling off his head— he suspected he was underneath a shelf— and the handle of a broom or a mop was digging into his back.

But it was impossible to move, for Emmy was so very tightly pressed up against him.

He swallowed, wishing he could at least wipe his brow. When had it gotten so hot in here?

"Stop fidgeting," Emmy ordered in a whisper as he tried to put some reasonable distance between them. His attempts resulted in quite the opposite, with the two of them ending up nose to nose and chest to chest. The one thing he could make out through the darkness were Emmy's eyes reflected in his own; aflame with amusement and fervour.

His breath warm against her cheek, Layton intoned, "Ah... I-I didn't intend for this to happen—"

"...Ninety-nine... ONE HUNDRED!" There were fast approaching footsteps as Luke abandoned the study.

Emmy gritted her teeth. She would have covered the professor's mouth, but she was unable to lift her hands. Instead, she titled her head up and stifled his ramblings with her lips. That shut him up.

Of course, at that exact moment, the cupboard door flew open. The pair tumbled out, Layton landing on top of Emmy, and they both lay blinking up at Luke.

"Found you!" Luke cheered, too triumphant to question their positions.

"Y-yes...?" Layton answered, too flustered to explain. (If Rosa didn't send him to the grave, then surely Clark would for them corrupting his son...)

Thankfully, Emmy quickly jumped to her feet, offering Layton a hand up. She flashed a grin at Luke. "Nice work, Assistant Number Two. Seen as you found us both as the same time, the professor and I will have to search for you together... and we'll count in the cupboard!"

Luke rushed off to hide as Emmy pushed Layton back inside the cupboard. Lucky him— she was a slow counter.

Rosa nearly resigned when she discovered the state of her cupboard.