Twilight

Rock was in the twilight.

He had been for a while, dithering between the two sides ever since Revy had invited him aboard the Lagoon. Revy had always believed that he was eventually going to leave Roanapur, leave her and the rest of the gang to return to Japan and his previous law-abiding life. She didn't think he was cut out for a life of crime- and in a way, she was right. His moral core was strong, and there were some things he just couldn't bear to see. And after all this time, he still refused to carry a gun.

But… he was still in the twilight. After all this time, he was still in Roanapur. He had been given the chance to return to his life in Japan, but hadn't. He knew that it was quite the opposite of what Revy was expecting. He knew she was planning to leave after a certain amount of time that day. He knew her, and knew she didn't particularly want him to be 'sullied'. However, he also knew that she also didn't want him to leave- she was used to him being around. He knew she felt selfish about wanting him around, and because of that she wanted him to leave. It wasn't as if he was some sort of psychic genius or anything, he was just observant, and had spent enough time with Revy to know her thought processes. He could tell she was conflicted.

So, Revy thought he should return to Japan- to the boring life he had come from.

Balalaika thought he would make a good criminal. Yolanda respected his negotiation skills. Eda… well, her feelings about him he wasn't too clear on. He wasn't too sure he wanted to be either.

But he wouldn't feel bad leaving any one of them behind. He wouldn't feel bad leaving anyone behind… except perhaps Revy. He feared he'd miss her too much. Besides, he almost acted as her moral compass- not that she heeded him much in that department.

He wasn't as… corrupt as everyone else in Roanapur, but he wasn't exactly pining for the law abiding, responsible, clean existence he had lived before. Was he messed up, was he so twisted, to enjoy the thrill of breaking the law, to respect the destructive power so many of the people he met held? Or was he simply human...

If he had to choose... One, the quiet, sheltered life of Japan, with competent law enforcement, his family, a secure safe job, normality... although normality was a relative term, really... the sedate life, the no-risks life, with people who had a conscience, and if you upset them the worst that would happen to you was a black eye, maybe a broken bone or two. Where the women were ladies and bore no resemblance to black widow spiders.

Compared to where he was now, that would seem like a dream to many people.

The debauched life of the lawless, if he were to romanticise it.

Roanapur, where corruption was the done thing, where he had no real ties to anyone except Revy, and that was shaky at best, where his job was done on commission, where everything was touch and go, where his job was life threatening, where living was life threatening, where people would put a bullet in your skull as soon as look at you. With Revy purring his name in his ear with a voice roughened by alcohol and cigarettes, where he flirted with danger, slept with a gun. Where the exhilaration flowed fast and free, where the blood pumped in his ears, where he felt alive.

Rock had been in the twilight.

But he'd found the night to be infinitely more beautiful and alluring than the day...

-END-

A/N: Just a little thing I came up with. Pretty much came up with the last line and just had to create a story (if it can be called that) to fit it.

Hope you enjoyed it- it is now approximately 1:50 am, but I just had to stay up to complete it. PLEASE review!!