Hey there,
Not much to say other than this is a lil one-shot I started and slowly developed on a couple of months back, and this is the end result. I've come to really like this adorable pairing, and thought that I may as well try my own hand at writing and adding to the (hopefully growing) number of fanfics within this crossover.
I'd like to thank KisaragiKei for taking time to proofread this, I really, really appreciate it.
I'd also like to thank How-not-to-do-something for encouraging me to develop on this lil project in the first place. You da man.
I've nothing else to say other than I hope you all enjoy this lil one-shot of mine, and I thank you for taking time to read it.
Also, maybe grab yerselves a box of tissues. Just saying.
Enjoy!
ʃɪˈnʲéːd̪ˠ xxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
"On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God and He asks me;
Why did I kill one of his true miracles,
What am I gonna say?
That it was my job?"
As the rain poured down in sheets around him, cruel wind bit into his exposed, tan skin and tore through his soaked hair; His heart ultimately shattered into a million shards, the last year flashed in front of his eyes; Twelve months.
Twelve whole months.
Twelve months of joy...
Twelve months of tears…
Twelve months of wheezing laughter…
Twelve months of fear…
Twelve months of occasional cold jealously and hate, the same jealousy that made him realize his love for her, when the eyes of another greedy male were laid on her…
Twelve months of awkwardness…
Twelve months of adrenaline…
Twelve months of bliss…
Twelve months of pure love.
He had only been doing his job. His only job; to protect Koko.
He didn't know that... that SHE would do that. He didn't know that his instinct to protect their boss would kick in exactly at that time. The worst, worst time when her mind snapped.
It happened, just like that.
He never felt such pain before. Sure, he'd been shot when he made a silly mistake, stabbed when he got too close. Not even the death of poor Malka came close to this. God, he thought that nothing could ever hurt him as much as that did; Because this was something he never thought he would ever have to prepare for.
He never thought this would happen to them. He thought they were forever.
Oh how naive he was.
So as hot stingy tears rolled down his cheeks, and his legs trembled with the crushing weight of despair, he remembered;
He remembered the day she arrived...
Jonah's body shielded his boss, a habit he learned to do in his time serving Koko in times of danger. He cursed himself for not agreeing to take Valmet along, even Lehm or R on their little walk; A walk that was supposed to be one of relaxation.
He refused Valmet to avoid listening to her attempts to flirt with Koko, refused Lehm so he could avoid inhaling a lungful of smoke every five seconds, and R... he just didn't bother to ask. He was on his own in the job of protecting her. Koko's normally calm and observant cerulean eyes were wide in disbelief, one hand gripping his arm with enough strength to snap it, but he didn't notice it, and neither did she. They were much too fixated on the unbelievable sight in front of them.
She stood no more than ten meters away from them, if that. He was so close to her that he could see the blue that tinted her raven hair, hair that seemed to float around her much too thin body like a halo, the two scars that lined just above her tiny hip, and the other across a slightly protruding rib, her small chest rising and falling with strained breath, the details in her leather gloves (at least he thought they were leather), how the fine lines that developed from laughter were absent around her pale lips; and most of all, the strange, undoubtedly inhuman but enticing blue eyes with a gear pattern to serve as an pupil within those glowing irises.
All round her was a faint blue glow, and a slight breeze. Jonah could smell what he could only describe as smoldering ash and decay radiating coming from it. There was no portal, no hole in the ground, no sign of anything that indicated how she appeared before them. But that was just it; she simply appeared before them. A blue flash, and there she was.
'An alien...',he thought.
Jonah could tell she was about the same age as him, but what struck him most was her expression; it was cold, hard and unfeeling. No ounce of emotion, no ounce of care. A pure shield to guard the quiet thoughts within.
He felt like he was looking at himself.
The girl blinked her glowing orbs, lashes fluttering as they did so; moved to take a step forward, an arm balling into a fist as light seemed to dance around her arm. Stunned as he was, Jonah's usually sharp mind was slower, and he didn't know what to do. It didn't register to him that she was about to attack until it was too late.
She lunged, a long black blade that seemed to appear out of nowhere in her hand. It was only out of pure luck that Jonah snapped back to his senses, diving out of the way with Koko wrapped in his arms, making sure to keep his body in front of hers. They landed with a painful thud, a hiss escaping Koko, and immediately both of them frantically tried to stand back up again. It was obvious that gawking time was over. They needed to get out of there, Fast.
Leaping up as fast as he could, he pulled out his trusty Browning and aimed it at the girl. He was surprised to find himself feeling hesitant to shoot. The girl made a move to advance forward once more, no snarl, no fraction of hate or anger in her features. Her face was simply cold, hard, her reasons for attacking not betrayed. However, her attack didn't happen. As she moved forward, she suddenly stumbled, clumsily throwing her arms out to steady herself. She seemed to stagger forward a few more paces, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell forward completely.
He dropped his gun and caught her.
Jonah descended slowly to the ground with the girl in his arms, surprised at his own actions. There was no ounce of consciousness about her. Red orbs scanned her face, finding her features relaxed, slightly breaking the cold exterior that had been present only moments before. She looked at peace, oblivious to the world. Shaking his head, he murmured under his breath with a voice he rarely used, "The hell are you?"
He remembered the team's reaction to taking her on board.
"I refuse."
Koko sighed and rolled her eyes, her chin resting in a hand as she smirked at the defensive antics of Valmet. Of course she was going to freak out about what happened to her and Jonah while they were out. God, especially Valmet.
The beautiful Finnish woman was pacing back and forward in the meeting room, one hand placed firmly on her wide hips. She ran the other through her dark hair in frustration as she spoke, "You're telling me, Koko, that you want to keep that… that… thing, that tried to hurt you?- No wait, tried to kill you?" She stopped her pacing and stood in front of her beloved boss and continued, "I'm sorry Koko, but this time I can't agree with you. I refuse."
The rest of the crew watched Valmet's pacing with uncertainty. They knew that she never disagreed with Koko's decisions before, was always the first person to agree and support them. Now that she was out right refusing to, it was an understatement to say that they felt quite baffled. It was understandable though, the Finnish woman's reasons; Koko did come close to being seriously hurt, or worse, killed.
Lehm tapped the end of his dying cigarette into his ash tray. "Didn't you say that she pulled a sword out of nowhere?" he asked with a chuckle, seemingly amused by the thought. Beside him his Japanese workmate, Tojo, shot him a look.
"How's there anything funny about that?", he asked testily, "The thing's not even goddamn human."
Koko swung in her chair, and after a full rotation she stood up, facing them, her forever present smile stretched across her lips and spoke, "Ok, I understand that you're all against this. But of course, you all also weren't there when it happened. However; someone in this room was. Jonah?"
She switched her cerulean gaze to the said ivory haired boy, who had remained quiet, bored and impassive throughout the whole tense debate. Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he reluctantly looked up.
Koko continued, smiling. "You were there. You saw how it all happened. Tell them that she- and yes she Valmet, not it- meant no harm to me. Or you for that matter".
Thirteen eyes, including Valmet's single one, turned his way expectantly. Uncomfortable under the unwanted attention he shifted uneasily in his chair, his red eyes meeting his Boss's expectant ones. "She did try to hurt you…", he started lowly.
Immediately Valmet turned in triumph to Koko, and was about to open her mouth when Jonah continued, "..but I don't think she did it out of malice. More because she was uncertain and saw us as a threat."
Koko flipped her hair over her shoulder, and clapped her hands together. "Right, that settles it. She stays, and you're all going to deal with it." A quiet chorus of uncertain groans rumbled through the group. It went ignored by her.
"Now lets see..Lehm? Come with me?" the small woman turned on her heel to head towards the exit, seemingly not noticing Valmet's deflated look at not being the young woman's first choice. The aging man stood with a smokey grunt and followed closely after his boss. Koko had her hand already twisting the door knob when she stopped and looked back at the quietest and youngest member of her team.
"You come too, Jonah" she said, before sliding out the door, Lehm in tow. Jonah could see him already patting his shirt pocket were his cigarettes lay in wait. Taking one more glance around the room and to find with irritation that everyone was still watching him, he stood and quietly left, his hands shoved into the pockets of his oversized hoodie. He made a mental note to ask Koko to do his own clothes shopping himself, so he could get clothes in his actual size rather than a guessed one made by the woman.
A few minutes later he found himself standing behind the muscular shoulders of Lehm, a trail of smoke visibly rising up above his shoulder indicating that he had lit another cigarette, facing a tightly bolted shut door. Jonah worried for his health. Koko stepped around Lehm, a calm look resting on her features and no amount of unease present. "Ready, Jonah?" she asked, excitement tinting her voice. The boy shrugged impassively.
Koko scoffed and turned back to the door, swiping an ID card through the card reader. A few seconds and a bleep indicating access later, the door swung open. They stepped inside, the boy with less enthusiasm.
The room was already lit with pale light emitting from a single glowing bulb. The room was white, with white tiles, white walls, and a white ceiling. There were no windows.
'Harsh…' the boy thought to himself.
In the center of the room was a chair, it too being white. And on it sat stiffly the inhuman girl. Conscious now, after about two days of unconsciousness.
Her head was raised as high as it was allowed, the neck brace put on her to keep her put restraining her movement. Her wrists were bound tightly by handcuffs, two sets altogether on each. The same went for her strange boot clad feet. Under her choppy fringe that had drooped to one side stared up one visible inhuman eye, staring at the trio coldly, daring them to approach her. Her lips were pressed into a firm line, though Jonah knew they were ready to slip into a snarl should they make the wrong move. Somehow her hair appeared longer than it was when they first saw her. To him, anyway.
They had removed her jacket while she was unconscious, leaving her unbelievably thin arms and shoulder frame exposed clearly to them. Those scars that adorned her hip and rib with the remains of old stitching still present in them stood out painfully against her sickly pale skin. She looked like the walking dead.
Koko stepped forward, brushing off Lehm's warning gaze and ignoring the hostility radiating off the inhuman girl. She smiled brightly.
"Hi there." she said, her blue eyes meeting and never leaving the inhuman girls similar ones. The girl said nothing, but continued to stare coldly. Chuckling, Koko continued. "Kay… mute are we? Or maybe you're just nervous? Let's try again. Hi there, what's your name?"
A tense silence followed Koko's words, the girl's gaze starting waver with uncertainty between this strange white haired woman, the huge man with smoke coming from his mouth, and the silent boy standing in the door. She found herself recognizing him. After another minute of silence she kept her chilled gaze on the white haired woman. She didn't speak.
Koko sighed. This wasn't going well. "Ehm... Okay I'll start then. Name's Koko, nice to meet you. This scary gentleman is Lehm, but I promise he's much nicer than he looks. And lastly this is Jonah, the pretty boy that carried you back here after you so rudely attacked us two days ago." The girl, who had begun to rest her gaze guardedly on the said boy snapped her blue eyes back to the woman, a dark brow raising slightly in question. She still didn't speak. Koko smirked. "Yes, two days. You've been sleeping for a while, you lazy girl." The girls gaze morphed into a scowl. Jonah marveled at how her manicured brows dipped in unison.
Koko stepped forward, closing the distance between her and the hostile girl even further. She crossed her arms, and her smile grew Cheshire like. There was nothing warm about it. "Listen, I don't know what your intentions were the other day, but I'm sure you meant me no harm. Or Jonah. Even if you did, I'm willing to forget about it. I want to offer you a spot on my team. I only got to see a fraction of your abilities, which were you somehow conjuring a sword up out of nowhere, and managing to close a distance of about ten meters quicker than I can blink. I know that you're obviously not human, if your eyes are anything to go by, never mind that sword trick you pulled. And I'm sure that no normal human being can go around with scars that deadly on their hips like they're accessories."
Koko took a breath, watching the girl closely and registering the tiny flickers of guarded interest that flashed across her face as she took in what the woman was saying. "But nonetheless, I want to take you on. So here's the deal. You protect me, an arms dealer, and my sorry ass from those who don't like me and want me gone, or those that decide that they're not happy with a deal and decide to go cold on me. In other words, put a bullet in my head. In return, you get to travel with me and my bodyguards and see the world, get fed and have a place to sleep comfortably every night, as well as each month receive a sum of well earned cash for your hard work. Until we figure out how to get you home, or you finally decide to open up and tell us more about you and where you're from, this is all I can offer you."
A long silence followed after Koko's words, the girl's head lowered as she processed the situation she was in. When after two full minutes and the girl didn't make a move, Koko looked over her shoulder at the older man with a face that betrayed her worry, finally feeling uncertain of her actions. Lehm simply shrugged, a puff of smoke escaping his lips as he shifted his gun more comfortably in his arms. The boy behind him noticed that it was subtly, but without doubt deliberately, pointed at the silent inhuman. Koko turned back to the girl once more, and found that her head was finally raised. Her scowl had slipped from her face and she now simply adorned an expressionless one, her face a blank page. The girl finally nodded.
Koko sighed in relief. "Good. Now, Jonah here will untie those metal things around your wrists- and yeah sorry about that, but they were necessary- and we can introduce you the others. They don't like you now, but they will. You haven't given me a name, so I think I'll just call you Blackie or something, for now." The white haired woman started to make her way towards the door, handing Jonah the key to the said handcuffs. Nodding upon receiving them, he made a move towards the girl, who was still wearily watching them, whilst looking down at the keys to fumble for the right one. And partially to avoid meeting the girl's strange gaze. But then they heard it.
"Black Rock Shooter."
The trio looked up in unison at the girl, unsure whether they actually heard the voice or not. The voice was empty, young and extremely quiet, almost inaudible. The girl's eyes were lowered now, but a moment later she raised them again, her choppy bangs parted properly this time, her two inhuman blue orbs piercing through the three. That same tiny, quiet voice echoed through the room once more.
"My name is Black Rock Shooter."
He remembered the time when he had to spar against her, and how it turned out…
Koko strode into the room, hands clenched tightly into fists that swung by her sides. In front of her in the middle of the sparing room was Valmet, practicing jabs with an imaginary opponent, and along the sides were the rest of the team; Lehm was smoking and observing the Finnish woman, occasionally commenting on her movements, Lutz was yawning, Wiley and R shared a pair of headphones, Mao texted his family, Ugo was out fixing the bumper of his beloved SUV, and standing behind Lehm with a face as sour as two month old milk was Tojo. She knew why he adorned such an expression. Sitting with an impassive, bored expression to the side of Lutz was Jonah, his red eyes staring off into space. His face could've been made of stone, for the amount of emotion he showed was next to nothing.
And in the furthest corner from the group sat the girl.
Koko knew that the group would be slow to open up to her, but now, two weeks later, they still didn't pay her any mind. Sure, they acknowledge her when they had to, but those were the key words; when they had to. If it were up to them, she knew that they would've chucked her out ages ago, at the very least. Tojo's soured features told her more than enough of the current status he had with her, never mind the evil daggers he shot across at her. It was troubling, but today she would fix it.
"Listen up!" she announced, clapping her hands together loudly. Nine pairs of eyes turned her way, including the inhuman orbs of the girl. Koko smirked. She stood in the center of the room beside Valmet, but paid her no mind. Her thoughts were on something else completely. She swung her arms out and held them up as if she were imitating the wings of a plane. She leveled one arm at Jonah, the other at the shunned girl.
"You two," she said, "Come here."
The boy didn't move. "Why?" he asked bluntly.
The woman continued to smirk, wagging one index finger at him. "Just come here." she said, her eyes gleaming. After a moment of hesitation, and a glance to the summoned inhuman girl watching from under her lashes in the corner, he obeyed and trudged his way over to Koko. The said woman switched her cerulean gaze from him to the pale girl, and too beckoned with one finger at her.
"You as well. Come on."
Black Rock Shooter - Jonah still found her name absolutely bizarre- stood from her cross legged sitting position and silently walked to the pair. Her steps made not a sound, even despite the large heels that adorned her knee-high boots. Her silence was worrying to Jonah- how would he ever hear her if she sneaked up behind him? He didn't trust her, and this feat made him stray from trusting her even further.
The bizarre girl stopped two and a bit meters away from them. She apparently had her own personal bubble, and if invaded her usually blank features slipped into a snarl. Koko nodded in satisfaction and turned back to face her crew, noticing in annoyance that Valmet had drifted back to the group as soon as the girl was summoned.
Koko let her smirk slip sharply, and relished watching the group suddenly tense up, knowing that they knew that no form of smile present on her face meant she was dead serious.
She folded her arms across her chest. "Now, I watched you all closely for the past two weeks, and not one of you has opened up to this poor, poor girl yet," she stepped over to the said girl and drooped one arm around her shoulder, ignoring the hostility that radiated off her upon her space being invaded.
"Yes, she's different, and yes, she once tried to hurt me, but not because she wanted to. She was uncertain, weren't you?" she glanced at the girl expectantly, and after a few seconds consideration, the girl nodded. Koko smiled briefly before switching her cerulean gaze back to the group. "She means us no harm, and I know that she'll become a valuable asset to our team."
The large sparing room was quiet for a few moments. Lehm breathed out a puff of smoke and stood. He strolled lazily over to the girl and looked her over. After a few tense seconds he addressed her; "Black Rock Shooter, eh? You promise to behave?" he asked her. Silently, the girl nodded. Lehm shrugged. "Then I have no problem with you." He stuck out his hand, "Name's Lehm, nice to meet you. Hopefully we can get along well."
Black Rock Shooter stared at the huge man's open hand. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, she raised her own, looked at it and held it out uncertainly. The aging man clasped it and gave it one hearty shake before letting go. Turning around and walking back the way he came, he shrugged. "She's cool with me." he said simply.
One by one the remaining members of the team looked at each other uncertainly, until Lutz spoke up. "Well if he's cool, I'm cool with her too." Beside him Mao shrugged with a grunt, and R followed by Wiley nodded in agreement. Tojo remained silent, one eye twitching slightly in rage and disbelief.
Valmet sighed testily. "Suppose we should give her a chance. But that's it, one step out of place and she's gone. And I'll be the one to get rid of her." Valmet faced the girl, and the girl to her. "I've got my eye on you" she finished coldly.
Koko sighed, running a hand through her ivory fringe. Well, it was a start.
She turned back to her youngest members, noticing the girl eye the boy curiously with those strange blue eyes. Now it was time for her real plan.
"To prove to you that I trust her with myself but also, most importantly in my eyes, with everyone else," she started whilst walking over to a large box beside the thick glass-swinging doors of the room. She rummaged inside for a moment before straightening up, while continuing, "And to show that I trust her to mean no harm to us," she turned around, a large smirk stretched across her lips, "Jonah and Blackie here are going to have a nice, friendly spar.", as she finished her sentence she held her two arms out, and in her hands she held two rubber training knives.
Valmet gasped. "Koko! Are you mad?!"
Lutz chuckled nervously, "You're... You're joking, right? Right?"
Even Lehm shook his head. "This is a bit too soon, Koko." he finished with a puff of smoke, his own frown working its way into his aged and creased forehead.
The little lady nodded. "I know, I know. But I trust her, and I trust her not to hurt Jonah. I would spar, only I've no clue how to." she chuckled before glancing at the boy. "You don't mind, do you?"
Of course he did; He was being asked to spar with a flimsy rubber knife against a being who could pull out her own blade from seemingly nowhere. Of course he minded. But what choice did he have?
"Whatever." he answered simply.
Koko beamed. "Good! Now.." she handed him one rubber knife. "You take this and you.." she turned to the girl, only to do a double take when she saw that she had somehow materialized her own sword from wherever she seemingly called it from. Koko gulped. "You wont be needing that. Take this instead, for safety means. Please."
Black Rock Shooter looked at the rubber knife and then back at her sword. Jonah took in how the sharpest part was a silver, shiny metal, while the other half was a matte black, and how it didn't adorn any designs apart from the tiny white star engraved on the hilt. The girl then shrugged and dismissed the sword, blue lights flashing as the blade broke apart into tiny pieces and disappeared until she'd call it once more from its alternate dimension.
She reached one gloved hand out and plucked the knife from the white haired woman's outstretched hand, being careful not to graze the pale woman's skin. Stepping back, she twirled it expertly in her hand, before raising her blue gaze and nodding.
Koko smiled. "Well then, off you go." she skipped away from the pair and joined Valmet's side, pausing to give her a cheeky wink. The Finnish woman blushed furiously. Koko turned back and smirked. "Show me that I can trust you Blackie"
Jonah sighed silently and faced the girl. He looked forward to five minutes time, when this would all be over and he'd hopefully be still alive. He twirled his own rubber knife in his hand and nodded at the girl, whom was staring at him observantly. He hated how she looked at him; it was unnerving. He knew it sounded cheesy, but he felt like she could see right through him with those strange, strange eyes. He hated how cold they were, and how he couldn't read them. Though, he was well aware that he himself looked like that. He wished for her to show some sort of emotion, to let him know even a little of what she was thinking about, let him know her first move on him. He hated being the one to make the first move, and now he was especially hesitant to do so.
'Move…' he silently urged in his head.
But the girl remained immobile, her eyes trained on him, never blinking. Her entire body was still, not even her chest moved to show her breathing. The boy was completely unnerved by her stillness.
Along the sidelines, Koko chuckled. "Well? Why so shy? Go on, show me what you can do."
But the girl continued to remain frighteningly still, her gaze never leaving the unnerved boy's red ones, never even blinking.
Another twenty seconds passed. He had enough. He raised his arm, at the same time feeling the muscles in his legs tense up to push him forward into a sprint.
The girl finally blinked. Her head tipped forward.
Black Rock Shooter's eyes glowed.
Jonah gasped. He registered a slight breeze and a blur of black, then he felt his arm holding the knife twisting awkwardly behind him with the strong grip of the inhuman girl, followed by a knee driven into his back. Not roughly, not viciously, but strong enough to knock him to his knees. He was stunned, unable to process her speed, her strength.
However he still found himself with enough time to come back to his senses, and manged to swing his free arm behind him. He felt it connect with something soft yet hard at the same time, and knew he must have hit the girls stomach. He heard a tiny gasp escape her lips, and knew he caught her off guard, just like she did to him.
Using his backward momentum, he swung his body around and jumped to his feet once more. But as he stood up, he only had time to blink before he was met with a right hook upwards to his face, and the uncomfortable feeling of gravity pulling him down to the ground once more.
'Pathetic..' he thought, feeling disgusted with himself.
His back hit the ground and it was all he could do to lie there with the girl straddling his hips and the rubber knife pressed against his throat. Jonah knew there was no point struggling, for in a real fight, his struggling would kill him, if his attacker didn't already.
It was then he realized that this was the closest he'd ever been to her. He was close enough to see that her face was heart shaped, that her cheekbones protruded sharply, that her raven bangs were unbelievably choppy and uneven, that her dark lashes curled at the tips and fluttered when she blinked, and that her unsmiling lips were actually soft and plump.
The spar lasted no more than ten seconds, and the girl received nothing more than a slight punch to the side.
Jonah let his knife slide from his hand in defeat, and the girl nodded before rising from him. From where he was he could hear Lehm whistle in awe along the sidelines, and Koko clapping. "Excellent. I knew she would be brilliant. She's what we need. Quick, ruthless. She's perfect."
Jonah sighed and sat up, feeling ashamed with himself and stunned at the girls speed; he blinked and she was suddenly behind him. It was unbelievable. But of course, she wasn't human. What did he expect?
He was about to bring himself to his feet, when a gloved hand was held out to him.
He blinked and looked up. Black Rock Shooter was staring at him once again, blue eyes guarded but softer this time, her chest not even breathing hard from the exertion. He debated taking the offered hand, but decided that his pride was hurt enough. He stood up on his own, brushing himself down without meeting her gaze. He waited for her to move away from him, to go hide in a corner like she always did and how he preferred her to do. But she didn't.
Jonah at last looked at the girl, irritated. "What?" he snapped.
Black Rock Shooter blinked, her lashes fluttering. She gazed at him a moment longer before giving a tiny shrug with her tiny shoulders. Jonah only noticed at that moment her jacket was absent. She had almost walked passed him when she stopped once more, her body directly in line with his, side by side. Turning her head slightly to the left, she murmured with the quietest voice three words, "Your zipper's down..."
Jonah's face went red.
He remembered when they discovered that her inhuman body could adapt to their own human needs..
It was a big day. An important day.
It was a day that they would make the greatest discovery of all time. Nothing else could possibly come compare to this (obvs slightly exaggerated).
They all stood around her. She sat in a chair at the table, twitching with irritation at the closeness of the bodies around her that invaded her space. She didn't understand why she was there, what was going to happen, and why all these humans were surrounding her. All she knew was that she wanted out. Now.
But, she refrained from standing up and pushing them out of the way, for she knew they trusted her little already. Shoving them over wasn't going to be taken lightly. So, she miserably sat in her place, and waited.
Lehm didn't show it, but he was curious. He wanted to see what would happen, wanted to know if the alien's body could adapt, or maybe was already adapted, to the conditions that humans needed to survive. He hid this curiosity well behind puffs of smoke though. Even Valmet was standing at the girl's shoulder, ready to peer over her to see the her reaction.
The boy stood a slight bit further away from her, but was still close enough to see the show that was about to take place. He knew he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at all interested.
Standing the furthest away from them all though, sullenly sipping from a mug of coffee was Tojo. He simply hoped she choked.
The door of the room burst open, the leg that kicked it ajar hovering in the air for a moment. Ten pairs of eyes immediately focused on the entering person, including a miserable, blue, inhuman pair. The leg lowered and in walked the white lady, her hair vibrant and steps springy with excitement. Her cerulean eyes were fixed on the subjected girl, sitting uncomfortably under her boss's gaze, and the expectant stare of the others.
Koko grinned and paused at the side of the table, to the left of the girl. Black Rock Shooter lifted her annoyed blue gaze to the woman, brows furrowed, the universal message for 'Get on with it, now'. In the hands of Koko was a wrapped item, the wrapping held in place with a blue ribbon tied into a small bow. The object was rectangular in shape, and rather flat, only about the width of a fingernail. To the human members of the team, it was rather obvious what the wrapped object was. To the inhuman girl, it was a complete mystery.
The white haired woman thrust her hands out into the reach of the girl, silently urging her to take the object. Black Rock Shooter eyed it wearily, her gear patterned eyes narrowed in suspicion. After a full minute and two unsure glances at the woman holding this strange, unknown item, the girl slowly raised one hand, extending it with uncertainty and finally, quickly, plucked it from the woman's grip, being careful not to let her gloved fingers make brush against hers. Koko smiled knowingly. The girl despised contact.
With her new prize in her grip, the girl examined it from every angle, taking in the pale blue wrapping and gently feeling the softness of the darker blue, satin ribbon. She found that the ribbon had two, slack, longer pieces extending from the bow, and with uncertainty she tugged at one of them, unsure of what would happen. The result was the ribbon collapsing in on itself and the wrapping contained by it slipping from its folded form around the unknown, triangular object all in one motion, slowly drifting down to the table with nothing to hold it in place and revealing what her prize was.
A bar of chocolate.
Black Rock Shooter scrunched up her face in confusion at the brown triangle, with its strange square line cuttings and unusual sweet smell. She raised a naturally arched brow at the her boss, confusion and zero impression knitted into her features. Koko simply giggled. "Break a piece off. Go on."
With pure uncertainty the human girl obeyed, one of the square engravings of the brown stuff braking off easily in her gloved hold. She set the remainder of the broken rectangle onto the table, and once more raised her confused, clouded gaze at the white haired woman, all the while noting the bodies of her 'co-workers' gathering closer around her with expectance. Expectance at what, she wasn't sure.
Koko's grin never wavered, and her excitement only grew in her cerulean gaze. "Now, Black Rock Shooter, is the moment we've all been waiting for, all day, since our eyes first opened this morning. Today, we shall discover and see for ourselves, your body's reaction to food, as the first people to ever witness an inhuman being doing so. But not just any food. No.." a dark gleam seemed to be in her icy eyes, and the inhuman girl felt more confused than ever before, and even slightly unnerved by the woman. ".. the most delicious, beautiful, most amazing creation of man-kind; chocolate!"
She looked expectantly at the petite girl, but received only silence at her dramatic explanation. Not faltered however, she leaned forward, letting her hands rest on the table to support her weight. "Now, Black Rock Shooter. Eat it."
Black Rock Shooter stared blankly at the bizarre woman. Eat it? If she was sure she did her research right from the English dictionary she found lying on the coffee table one day, the verb 'eat' meant to 'consume and digest a digestible product'. If she did this, would this get rid of the annoying empty feeling in her abdomen that everything she tried, from sleeping to running and punching, failed to do? She concluded that yes, maybe it would. However, she realized that she had a problem.
She had no idea how to do this verb, this action, 'eat'.
She could only shrug her shoulders at the woman, gesturing with uncertainty at the brown stuff in her hand. She hoped her boss would understand her problem, but it appeared that no, she did not.
Koko frowned. "What's wrong? Don't worry, it wont kill you-eh, well at least I don't think it will. It's a food; it's harmless."
The girl shook her head vigorously, frustrated how the woman didn't understand what she was implying. However, someone else in the room, did.
The boy was suddenly at her side, and she jumped ever so slightly at his sudden appearance. She watched as he reached out and plucked the broken rectangle from in front of her, she watched as he, like she did earlier, broke a small square from it. She watched as he sat down across from her, his ruby irises locked onto hers, and parted his lips. She watched as he raised the small brown square..
And popped it into his mouth. Shocked, she continued to watch as mouth closed and his jaw began to work. She flinched slightly when she heard a *crunch* sound, muffled from inside his mouth. Jonah continued to repeat the action, over and over until the sound disappeared into nothing. And then, she watched, absolutely perplexed, as his throat bulged, his Adam's Apple bobbing as his swallowed the stuff.
It was gone. It was 'eaten'. Meaning; 'consumed'.
She sat completely still in her seat, her gaze still locked onto his. But now educated, she raised her own softening piece of 'chocolate' to her lips, taking a quick sniff from it as she did so. She noted how its scent was oddly... soothing. Uncertainly, she creaked her jaw open, just like the boy did, and placed the square on her tongue. Then, with a shrug of her tiny shoulders, she shifted the piece between her sharp teeth, and bit into it.
She froze.
At that moment, Valmet and Lehm, who had been patiently observing the whole episode, peered eagerly over the girl's shoulder, followed suit by the rest of the team (still of course not including Tojo). They waited, waited for the reaction of the girl, the reaction of her body, to the food and the girl's final verdict. But after a good half minute of not moving, and her eyes bulging nearly out of their sockets, the team looked worriedly at Koko, who too was adorning an expression of concern of her own at the girl's silence. She cleared her throat unsurely. "Are you.. are you okay?"
After another ten tense seconds, the girl finally made some movement; her jaw worked again, and like the boy, her jaw worked until the muffled crunching sound faded to nothing. Slowly she, perhaps experimentally, tilted her head back, and swallowed.
She had eaten it. Her inhuman body had just consumed human food.
A silent minute passed, and when the girl didn't double over in pain, or didn't appear to be poisoned, Koko slammed her hand on the table, triumphant. "Well I'll be damned. Our little Blackie isn't so inhuman after all. Whatcha think of it? Nice, ey?"
She expected the girl to turned to her with that strange blue gaze to be filled with stars of wonder, expected her head to nod in 'yes', and thank her for giving her this wonderful opportunity to test what her body could take, to test the beautiful creation, 'chocolate'.
None of this happened however, as the girl quickly stood up, snatched up the remainder of her chocolatey prize, and trotted away from the group, out the door and down the hall to her own bedroom quarters, where she could finish her sacred prize in peace. All in pure ignorance, leaving the white haired woman fuming, the team laughing, and Jonah faintly smiling behind a hand covering his lips.
He remembered how he was the first one to find out what she really was..
The sun-kissed boy walked to his room, a large yawn escaped his lips that he didn't bother to contain. He had worked hard today; Koko's deal was a success with no major difficulties or problems. The only problem with the deal was how far they had to travel to get to it. But no matter; everything turned out right in the end, and he could now finally rest.
Turning the corner to his bedroom, he pondered over something. Or someone for that matter.
The girl had caused them no trouble so far. She did what she was told, carried out the command carefully, and once finished, waited for the next order she was given. She did all with silence, never uttering a word, and did all with a face of glass. Jonah used to call her face one of stone, but decided that glass was more fitting, because her features often shattered into an expression of some sort, though only briefly, like sharp scowl or a face of deep confusion. 'Glass' also seemed a fitting word for her, because although he knew she was unbelievably strong (if their ridiculously quick spar Koko had ordered between them that ended up with him on the floor and his pride bruised, all within ten seconds, was anything to go by), she seemed delicate to him.
Jonah stopped in his tracks and thought that last bit over. He thought of her like that?
He frowned, shook his head, and continued. He was at his room now. Reaching one hand out and not bothering to stifle another yawn, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He stepped inside, letting his hand feel the wall for the light switch. Finding it after a moment, he flicked it upwards.
And was absolutely stunned to find the girl of his thoughts lying curled up on his bed.
Her knees were brought up to her chest and her arms were curled around them in a fetal position, her long cape-like coat that adorned her tiny figure draped over her like a blanket. Her raven bangs hung messily over her closed eyes, and her expression was one of pure peace.
This scene of pure peace didn't stop him from shouting out in stunned surprise, "The hell are you doing here?"
And just like that Black Rock Shooter was wide awake. Her inhuman eyes shot open, her peaceful expression instantly shattering into one of alarm. She jumped from the bed and landed a good two meters away from it, one hand already curled into a fist to summon her blade, blue lights flashing around her gloved hand. But her face then immediately softened into one of surprise once she realized who disturbed her slumber.
She straightened up and let her fist fall to her side, the blue lights fading… And stood staring at him.
God he hated when she did that.
Frowning and stepping closer to the girl, her asked her again, quieter this time, "What are you doing here?"
The girl tilted her head, and Jonah watched as her eyes trailed to the side as she took a look at the bed. It was then that the boy realized that she obviously didn't know that this was his room. One manicured brow raised and her lips parted slightly as she spoke. "Sleeping."
Jonah's frown deepened. "This isn't your room."
There was a brief silence before the girl switched her gaze back to the boy.
"Don't like mine."
"You don't like yours?"
"...Yes."
"Why?"
Silence.
Jonah found himself running a frustrated hand through his hair. He knew he wasn't one of words, but her lack of them was ridiculous.
"Well?" he said sharply, his tiredness wearing out his patience.
Black Rock Shooter blinked and lowered her gaze. "..Bed's uncomfortable. Something's sticking out of it. Came here to sleep instead."
The boys raised his a thick brow. "Why didn't you get tell Koko?"
The girl suddenly frowned, and her gaze shot back to him. "Why do you care?"
"Eh?"
"Why do you care where I sleep?"
Jonah stared at her in disbelief. Could she not see that this was obviously his room? He glanced around it to look for signs that would clearly indicate the room was his. But after scanning it, he found none, and understood why she would mistake it for a spare room. He had no possessions to adorn his walls or put on his bedside table, apart from a blinking alarm clock and a spare gun in the side drawer. He sighed. "This is my room."
The girl blinked and too looked around the room, and he knew with sourness that she was thinking the same thing. She looked back at him, those strange blue eyes blinking and her face wearing a soft "Ah" expression.
"..Sorry."
He shook his head and walked to his bed, absentmindedly straightening out the creases in the duvet, aware of the inhuman stare that followed him. "Have you been sleeping here long?" he asked without looking up.
He heard her shift her stance. "Few days." she quietly replied.
Jonah sighed. How did he never know that someone had been in his room? He had to give it to her; she covered up her tracks well.
He suddenly froze as a master plan formed in his head. The girl had invaded his privacy, not once but apparently more than twice; for a few days now. His ruby gaze looked back to the girl, who continued to watch him intently.
She invaded his. So NOW, he was going to invade hers, and finally get some answers.
"You can make it up to me by telling me exactly what you are."
Black Rock Shooter's face slipped into a scowl. "None of your business."
"Same way as it was none of your business coming into my room." the boy countered.
"Didn't know who owned it."
"Doesn't matter, you still would've invaded someone's privacy."
Her scowl deepened."Thought it was a spare room…"
"Well, it isn't."
Jonah straightened up and carefully watched the girl, finding her gaze now averted from his and eying the door. He knew she was thinking of escaping.
In two quick strides he covered the distance between him and the space between her and the door. He stood in front of her and crossed his arms, his ruby eyes hard, all the while wondering what had him feeling so brave to confront the inhuman being, who he knew could break his arm with one flick of her wrist, his neck with two, so boldly. "You tell me what you are, and I won't tell Koko about this. I won't tell her what you told me either."
The girl stared at him with narrow eyes, hostility radiating off her. A few heavily tense seconds passed, and finally an irritated sigh escaped her lips. "Ok" she murmured, almost inaudible.
The boy nodded, walking back to his bed and sitting down, gesturing for the girl to do so too. She obeyed but sat at the corner, her annoyance obvious as she even sat at a slight angle away from him.
Black Rock Shooter threw a quick glance at him, her strange blue eyes empty. "I don't know what I am. I'm me."
Immediately the boy frowned. "Don't try to wriggle your way out of this. Tell me what you-"
"-I'm not lying." the girl cut across him sharply, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I'm not lying. I don't know what I am, I just know that I'm me. Before I came here, I considered myself, and the others like me, to be the norm, didn't know that you people existed…" she trailed off, her eyes now resting on her gloved hands folded in her lap. Jonah decided to give her time to think, and waited patiently for her to continue.
After a few seconds, the girl's unsmiling lips parted and she continued. "Where I come from is a place of ruins and Grey. Used to be colourful and separated, but still had its same purpose as it does now. Don't know what we were called, but someone there,"- Jonah didn't miss the disgust and pure hatred that flashed across her face in that moment as she thought about the person she was referring to- "called us Others. Don't know why, don't care why. I'll care when my blade is rammed through her throat." she sighed quietly, her breath quivering slightly.
"That's the name we go by, 'Others'. We all look different, but we all have the same eyes, and the same basic abilities, with some of us being stronger than the other. We used to live… if you could call it living… in our own domains, until the world... changed. But as I said before, it's purpose is the same now as it was before. We all did they same thing. We all had the same purpose there. That's all I can say about what I am, where I'm from."
There was a moment silence, and the boy dared ask; "What was it's purpose? What's.. what's your purpose?" he murmured lowly.
A heartbeat passed and the girl turned her head slowly to the boy, her blue eyes hard and unblinking, and her face made of stone, not glass this time; "Kill to stay alive."
Silence hung in the room, with Jonah facing the girl, and the girl to him, not speaking, the boy barely breathing. Her words sunk into him, and he began to understand her hesitance to tell him what she was. He could tell she had only scraped the surface in explaining, but even that was enough for Jonah to paint the picture in his head; Her life was one of fighting, of constantly watching her back.
He finally let out a sigh, noticing that it was shaky. "... I see..."
The girl finally broke her gaze from his and looked forward, eyes unfocused, and nodded, "...mhm".
Jonah looked down at his knees. "Thanks. For telling me."
"..mhm.."
A minute silence passed between the pair, and tiredness caught up with Jonah. His eyes trailed to the clock, reading it to be half eleven, and realised that he should be asleep. He sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "You should get to bed, it's late."
She nodded and rose silently from the bed, rolling her shoulders back and dusted down her jacket. "…night.." she murmured, and began to make her way towards the door, her long pigtails swaying slightly with each step.
It was in that moment that Jonah remembered why she was there in the first place,and it was in that moment that his heart soften, just ever so slightly. It was in that moment that he sighed and called out for her stop. "Hey wait a sec…"
The petite girl paused, glancing one over her shoulder, blue orbs guardedly curious. He sighed, "You can stay here tonight... if you want. I don't mind."
She turned around to face him fully, one brow raised. Jonah continued, "If your bed is uncomfortable there's no point you sleeping in it." He shrugged. "It's your call."
As the girl took into into his consideration his offer, it was then, so quickly that he almost missed it, just for the tiniest moment, with the tiniest of movements, the corners of her lips twitched into a smile, just for a heartbeat. She nodded, her features guardedly grateful. "..Sure.."
The boy nodded back impassively and rose from the bed, shrugging off his shirt once on his feet. It was hot outside and his room was humid, even with the air conditioning on, and with two in a bed he knew it would be even hotter. After roughly folding up the garment and throwing it to one side he pulled the light duvet back, not meeting the girls gaze, and got in.
From the corner of his eye he could see the girl shrugging off her own jacket. Upon sitting down on her side of the bed he noticed that the mattress barely dipped, and worriedly wondered what weight the petite girl actually was. She kicked off her boots and seemed to hesitate for a moment before lying back, the muscles in her tiny shoulders relaxing upon touching the cool sheets and soft pillows. Gently, she pulled the duvet up to her shoulders. Her pale eyelids drooped slowly, and soon enough her dark lashes fanned out across her cheekbones, her breathing steady.
The only thing left for the boy to do was turn off the switch of his overhead light, and felt grateful that a master switch was built beside his bed. He reached over and flicked it downwards before settling down himself, too pulling the sheets up to his shoulders. He lay on his side so his back faced the girl, and let his own eyes drift closed.
Just before he lost consciousness as the inky blackness of sleep claimed him, he heard the inhuman girl beside him whisper with the softest of voices.
"Thank you, Jonah.."
He remembered those three words that were to become their own secret little saying…
(Four months)
"What does it mean?"
He stopped to look behind him with a raised brow. She was looking at a sign on the right glass swinging door of the supermarket exit - Koko had sent them out to buy a long shopping-list of goods, including alcohol (she even gave him a false ID, for she was too drunk herself to go out and get them, and refused to buy the hotel's wine; Claiming in a slurred voice it to be too expensive, with Valmet agreeing (tipsy herself) with her.
It suggested only one thing, and he didn't want to pry into it.)- and they were just about to leave. It was nine o'clock in Dublin City Center, and he wanted to get back to the hotel. The day had been long, the night air had become chilly and breezy, and all he wanted to do was to crawl under the covers of his fancy-ass bed with its soft white sheets back in his room.
He didn't understand why Koko had never brought them to this country, 'Ireland'. After so many times of flying to the UK, making deals in mostly England, he never noticed the smaller island some hundred miles off the western coast of Great Britain. He never took the time to look at the world map, and never bothered to ask for a Geography lesson from any of the others. Now he realized that the partitioned country was actually rather close to the larger UK, and just as cold and wet. He was stunned when he saw the rolling green hills of fields below him as he flew into Dublin Airport, deciding that there was more green than the Grey colour of urbanization. He had to give it credit for it's prettiness.
Jonah doubled back and stood beside the girl. The sign read three words in Irish, (the language still sounded so strange to his ears, even after a full day of hearing the people of the city speak it), 'Slán Go Fóill' . He could only decide that the sign meant something along the lines of 'thank you', for it was on the inside of the market and large enough for those customers leaving it to see it. He was puzzled how there was no English underneath it to translate it for tourists, but decided to dismiss the whole matter. The bed in his hotel room was calling out to him.
"Probably means 'thank you' or something. It doesn't matter."
He started walking forward once more, but noticed that the girl wasn't following him. Her head was tilted to the side, her choppy bangs flopped over one eye.
"How do you say it?" Black Rock Shooter asked.
Jonah frowned. "Does it matter? It's just a sign in Gaelic."
She acted like she didn't hear him, and continued to stare at the sign, her inhuman orbs squinted in concentration, and her brows furrowed. He couldn't understand her interest in the sign, couldn't understand why it had her so intrigued after five months of traveling around the world, seeing different nationalities and hearing different languages.
Jonah noticed a young couple walking towards them; a fine, tall boy and a smaller, pretty girl, talking in the strange language of the city, and he stood to one side, letting them pass. The walked out the left swinging door of the double doors and stopped two paces away from him, chatting for another few moments and laughing before parting. He managed to hear the last three of their parting words, something that sounded along the lines of 'slawn-go-foal'. Beside him, he knew the girl was watching them as well, and too heard the words. He watched as she turned her attention back to the sign, and after a moment she tugged on his sleeve, pointing with one gloved finger at each word in turn.
"Look; 'Slawn- go- foal'. Means something like goodbye?"
"Probably. Just look it up when we get back to the hotel-"
"Have you got your phone with you?"
"..Yes?"
"Give it to me."
He sighed testily and debated on refusing her demand, but knew it would end up with him receiving a blow to the gut from her powerful fists, and a sore stomach the next day. He wasn't happy for her to be chewing up his small 1G data allowance, but reluctantly fished out his phone and handed it to her anyway, silently cursing Koko for teaching her how to use the device, one of the things taught to her to adapt to the ways of the world.
She snatched it from his grasp quickly, but her fingers for once brushing his, he noticed with surprise, and quickly activated the phone. She brought up the google page, typing in 'google translate' (he noticed she spelled 'translate' wrong, but didn't bother to correct her), and typed in the words that had quirked her interest so much. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for results, impatient at the slowness of the search. At last she got her answer.
"'Goodbye for now'. Ah."
She stared at the screen for a few moments longer, absorbing her new find, before handing the device back with satisfaction, mumbling her thanks as she did so and pondering over her discovery. Jonah pocketed the phone and began for the third time to walk out the supermarket's door, whilst glancing at the girl.
"Happy now?"
Black Rock Shooter nodded. "It's a nice phrase."
Jonah thought it over, before deciding "Yeah, I guess it is."
Five minutes and a delivery to a drunken Koko later they stood outside the doors of their hotel rooms, separated but side by side. Jonah looked down at the girl, and the girl up to him. He sighed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "..Night.." he said softly.
She passed the card key through the card reader of her door and began to press the handle downwards. She paused, looking up through her thick lashes at him. A ghost of a smile graced her own lips.
"Slán go fóill, Jonah." Black Rock Shooter whispered, before stepping inside her room, closing the door softly with a click. Jonah stood staring at her door a moment longer before he too murmured;
"Slán go fóill."
He remembered when she came to him, and only him, to confide in him her troubled mind...
(Eight months)
"Jonah.."
His eyes slowly opened, heavy with the inky blackness of sleep. After blinking a few times, he registered the slim body of a person kneeling at his bedside, and then he was wide awake.
He hurriedly pushed himself onto his elbow, one arm reaching behind him and delving under the duvet to grab his hidden gun (he never slept without it near him), and upon he feeling it he was ready to draw it out when a hand was placed on his shoulder, gently. He paused in surprise, blinking away the remains of sleep from his eyes, and registered who the body belonged to.
Black Rock Shooter was kneeling at his bedside.
Her hair was undone and draped around her shoulder like a curtain. The moon gleamed through his window, casting shadows across her face, making her high cheekbone protrude even more and enhanced all her other delicate, pretty features. Her bangs hung low over her eyes, as messy and choppy as ever.
But it was those glowing eyes that were full emotion, full of pleading and worry that startled him the most.
One hand gripped his shoulder, the other the side of their bed (since the first time he discovered her sleeping in his room, and since he offered her to stay that night, she never went back to her old one). Her face was inches from his, so close that he could feel her warm breath on his lips, so close that he could see the tremble in her jaw as she worked up the words to express and explain the worry in her glowing eyes.
"Jonah.." she whispered again, fearful.
He blinked uncertainly, the rest of his body not moving an inch. "Yes?" he lowly whispered back.
He watched her throat bob as she swallowed nervously, her eyes never looking away from his, never blinking, the worry never fading. The silence between them was intense, heavy, full of unspoken words. Then, her lips parted, and she asked,
"Do you think I'm evil?"
His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in surprise. This explained the worry that wracked her features, the desperation, pleading, in her eyes? The question the circled in her head, that her voice struggled to form, was this?
"W-what?" was all he could stutter in pure surprise.
She shifted herself closer to him on her knees, her face coming closer to his, the grip on his shoulder tightening. "Do you think I'm evil?" she asked again, her voice, a tight whisper.
He blinked. "No I don't. Why…why would I think that?" was all he could manage to ask.
His eyes had watched every movement the muscles in her pretty face made, and now they watched her furrowed, her eyes squeeze tightly together and teeth clench as if she were in pain. She was shaking her head, her thin upper body slightly rocking backwards and forwards. It was a troubling sight. Jonah swallowed, hesitantly letting his fingers brush her glove-less hand on his shoulder, knowing that she hated uninvited contact, and would be even more bristly in her current state. "Rock?" he asked, hesitantly. She didn't reply, only continued to shake her head. He gulped, perplexed and extremely worried.
"Rock why would I think tha-"
"-Because I am!"
She had snapped her head up, and Jonah was astounded to see pearly tears brimming at the corners of her eyes that threatened to spill over, her face one of despair. She shook her head, her grip on his shoulder tightening even more. "I am. I kill. I kill and kill. It's all I've ever done, all I know how to do. Every day was the same back there, back in Otherworld. I'd kill and kill and kill. Their blood would pool around me, stain me, cloud me. I could always taste it- God I can taste it now- and their screams meant nothing to me. They'd plead and plead, their eyes… I could see myself in them. But I never showed mercy, I never once blinked or rethought what I was doing. I always saw it as another battle that I came out on top on."
She closed her eyes, inhaling sharply for a moment, before opening them again and leveling a stare of ice at the boy, one that froze Jonah from the inside, "They fought hard, but I always bettered the instruction."
She dropped her head, teeth clenched together as her memories flooded her mind, her raven hair flopping forward in a sleek curtain. "I killed when I didn't even need to fight. I could've always walked away. But I.. I never did." She raised her head once more, any remains of her cold exterior that she wore day by day so easily shattering completely as a hot tear ran down her face. "I'm so evil, Jonah."
The boy felt his heart ache. Her words, words that she pleaded out to him, were so full of emotion, so full of angst, and so full of pure regret. They touched him, struck a chord in his heart, his heart that she had been slowly over the last few months unknowingly taken for herself, and that he could do nothing but let himself give it to her. For he loved her, something he would never, ever, dare to admit.
It was her raw, emotional words that decided his next actions.
In one quick and gentle motion, he was on his knees with his arms looped under hers, his strong hands gently gripping her tiny rib-cage, and with the smallest of efforts he lifted her clean from the floor onto the bed. She only finally gasped when she felt the soft duvet brushing against her knees, her head now raised and her glowing, tearful eyes surprised.
He embraced her.
Her chest fitted oh so perfectly against his, her hair tickled his bare skin, and his arms looped neatly around her shoulders. He could feel her heart thudding madly against his chest, could feel the tears that fell from her eyes land on his shoulders. She was warm, she was perfect.
"You're the furthest thing from evil." her whispered into her hair, his own breath wavering, his own heart thudding with comfort for the girl, nervousness for his actions. "You lived a life of doing, since the day you opened your eyes in that world, what you knew how to do; fight. Fight to stay alive. Killing doesn't make you evil, showing them no mercy, or no remorse, doesn't make you evil. It shows your determination to come out on top alive, to live, to be strong. To keep fighting to see another day." He pulled away from her slightly, so that her face was mere inches away from his, so that they breathed in each others air, so that he could see the fine details of her beautiful face.
"You, are not evil." he whispered.
The tears flowed freely from her eyes now, but they did not match her expression. She was stunned, her blue orbs wide and her lips parted in shock. His words touched her in ways he'd never know, in ways that she'd never be able to properly express properly by words alone.
It explained why she did so by actions.
It explained why she closed the distance between them and gently brushed his lips with hers.
And it was this action that he responded to by pulling her body closer to his, and gently letting himself fall back onto the sheets with her fitted snugly against him, their lips dancing in sync.
He remembered when he finally confessed to her...
He was terrified.
Why did he ever think, ever decide, that this would be a good idea?
Why did he ever think that it would clearly express his love for her?
Why did he ever think that this would touch her, melt her heart completely, something he had been trying to do (unknowingly succeeding) for the past three months? Since he first saw her, back all those eleven, long months ago?
Why, and how, did this foolish, naive idea, cross his mind anyway? What possessed him to make him think it was a good one?
God, he was stupid.
God, he hated himself for falling.
Mentally, and discretely physically, he was kicking himself. He wanted to, with every fiber of his being, to leave where he was standing, outside at an enticingly beautiful waterfall in the middle of a flower garden, at eleven o clock at night, in Paris. He wanted to abandon this whole foolish situation he was about to get himself into.
He could see it happening. She would stare at him, with those strange blue eyes that he had grown to love so much, and her lips would curl up into a sneer. She would throw his promise back into his face, stomp on his heart, and saunter away coldly, proudly. No human could ever win her protected heart. No human, especially him, deserved to.
He could see it all happening, and he knew it would painful.
"Jonah?"
Whipping around on his heel and almost tripping in the process, he found himself facing the girl of his thoughts, the girl who had his heart in the palm of her hand. Whether or not she chose to ball it into a crushing fist, was at her mercy.
Black Rock Shooter stood two meters away from him, clad in a light, night dress. A deep, navy blue, one that made the enticing blue in her eyes pop. It hung in all the right places, and tugged at all the right ones. She stood with her hands behind her back, glove-less he could tell, and her expression was blank, though soft. It was only around him that she soften her features, only around him that she let her guard down with a smile.
It was only around him that she was human.
Blue eyes blinked, dark lashes fluttered. "You called for me?" she asked, almost timidly.
Jonah nodded, sweating what he felt like were swimming pools of the stuff. It didn't help that the night air of the French city was humid. "Y-yeah I, um, I did." he stuttered out uncontrollably, and mentally slapped himself at his awful ability to speak. Maybe all those times he remained quiet and kept to himself when he was with his workmates, he should've interacted with them, should've spoke more. Perhaps maybe it would've in some way contributed to his speech now.
Maybe.
The boy inhaled deeply, careful watching the flickers of emotions cross the inhuman girl's face. He went for it. There was no turning back now.
"I want to give you something."
Black Rock Shooter tilted her head as she watched with interest the boy pulling something from the pocket of his shorts. What emerged a moment later was a small navy box, textured looking, a material she believed to be 'velvet'. She couldn't help but noticed how the box was heart shaped. Confusion began to weave it's way into her delicate features. "What's that?" she asked softly, her eyes locked on the boy.
She watched as he shuffled closer to her, clutching the mysterious box in his tan hand and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, his gaze not meeting hers. Usually anyone coming this close into her private space she warned off with a deep snarl, or a sharp step backwards. But not him. Not Jonah. She silently invited him closer.
He was two steps away from her when he stopped once more. She watched as his strong chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, before exhaling and finally meeting her gaze. A smile tugged his lips. "This." he answered her. His fingers gingerly gripped the lid of the tiny box, and he pried it open.
Her eyes widened at the delicate beauty that resided within the miniature treasure chest.
A silver band, topped with the most beautiful of stones. A diamond shined up at her, absorbing and reflecting the blue of the inky night sky, her navy dress and her wide, glowing eyes.
Jonah smiled. "An eternity ring."
The girl blinked, shock woven into her features. "An… eternity ring?" she whispered, confused.
The boy gulped, fear flashing in his eyes momentarily. But he kept his gaze on her, and he said,
"I'm not one for expressing my feelings well. I don't really know how to, but I'm gonna try my best. You see, I don't really know how you've managed to do this to me, but you've stolen me. You did when you first arrived here and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing that I want to do about it either. I… I've never let myself, well my guard, I suppose, down. Because I don't want to be hurt. But over these last few months, I have; I've let it down, and God I love being able to do it." he paused, swallowing nervously before he continued.
"Rock, basically what I'm saying- what I'm trying to say- is.."
He reached forward, gently clasping her left hand with his right, his ruby gaze never leaving her stunned blue one. "That I..", he took the ring from the box, it's diamond twinkling. He gently slid into onto her pale, slim ring-finger, hands trembling slightly. It fitted perfectly.
"I love you."
The pair stood together, the boy with the inhuman girl's hand clasped tenderly in his own, their gaze never breaking. He was terrified. She was fluttering.
Jonah smiled, sheepishly. "I love you, Black Rock Shooter."
He did it as best he could. It was hard, it was terrifying, but he did it. He could only hope, with bated breath, that she returned what he felt for her.
A lifetime seemed to pass, and suddenly, they started appearing. As shiny and precious like the diamond on his promise band, tears started forming in her eyes.
She flung her arms around him, kissing his neck. "I love you. Jonah I love you."
And just like that, he felt complete. Relief washed over him, and overcome with pure joy he laughed, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her into his chest.
"You've no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say that." he whispered into her hair.
They stood like that for hours, neither wanting to let go, neither feeling the need to let go. They could have stood there for all of eternity.
Little did they know that the diamond faded at an eternity that couldn't last.
Trackplay; (Mashup) 'Faded Centuries' - (Alan Walker/Evanescence/My Chemical Romance/Fall Out Boy)
His memories faded into nothing, and he came back to his painful senses of the present, with the rain dripping off him into puddles, his chest shuddering with despair. But his lungs were barely moving, for his breath was caught in his throat.
He was choking, but it wasn't something that any amount of coughing could clear.
He was dying. God he was dying.
He blinked, and his faced contorted into one of angst as coughed blood spattered against his face.
Blood from her.
His arm trembled, but not from pressure he applied to it. He wasn't applying any. He was barely gripping the hilt of the sword.
If one where to look at the blade, starting from where the hilt began and his trembling hand gripped, if they were to follow blade upwards, and take in how it lacked in shine, how it was scarred, and how as it got closer to the top, the bloodier it became, they would come to it's end, where it's tip was embedded.
In the chest of a quivering girl.
In the chest of his love.
Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he shook his head side to side, denying, denying, denying.
His hand wasn't the one holding the hilt.
His hand wasn't holding the sword impaling her chest, and her dying lungs.
Her spattered blue blood, blood that stained her tiny pale chest and his soaked white shirt, wasn't a result of him.
It wasn't.
It wasn't.
It wasn't.
No, no, no.
He sobbed, one that heaved from chest. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening.
He wasn't the one killing her.
He cried her out her name, but the wind that blew against his despaired body silenced him and carried his cry away. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, his sobs coming out in silent screams.
But everything stopped, everything went white, everything went silent, when a hand trembling with pain and stained with blood, caressed his cheek.
His eyes opened with a gasp, his screams subsiding. He could see her, and only her, smiling now, no amount of pain that she was feeling from the sharp blade shoved through her lungs betrayed by her face, no hate for what he did to her showed on her delicate features.
Only her lips, with blood that dribbled from the left corner, were curled up in the most gentlest of smiles, the most loving of smiles.
And those lips parted, as her voice, cracking, whispered, "It's Okay."
His voice trembled as choked. "R-Rock"
He shook his head. "No. No, no, no. God no t-this isn't- this isn't happening. God please no-"
His despair was silenced by her lips on his, cold now, not warm like should be, not warm like he knew them to be, and bloody. The rain dripped from her soaked fringe and mixed with his tears, and he could taste it off her bloody lips. He could taste her life fading, he could taste death.
She broke away, her chest quivering much more than it was before. Her eyes, the insane, wild purple completely faded from them now and the calm beautiful blue he knew so well, that he loved so much, had returned, brimmed with tears. "I love you, Jonah."
And then the lights started to appear.
One by one, blue and bright like her eyes. They began at her boot clad feet, and within seconds they had engulfed her tiny body up to her thighs. It was only when they were at her waist that he, with stomach dropping despair, understood what was happening.
She was fading away.
He shook his head with angst, whispering "No, no, no" over and over, his breathing coming out ragged. His hands shook violently, still clasped around the hilt of the sword. He didn't yank it away, in fear that the motion would cause her more pain than she was already feeling, more pain to the pain he inflicted upon her. But in seconds the blue lights had engulfed her up to her chest, and his despair filled ruby eyes watched as the sword diminished into dusty particles and faded.
His hands were free now, trembling violently. But not for long, for he placed them on the sides of her scarred, bloody but beautiful face, bringing his forehead against hers and squeezed his eyes shut, still whispering with pained breath his denial at what was happening.
"Look at me.."
He sobbed as he pried his eyes opened, staring into her beautiful dying ones. They smiled back at him.
"Let me hear you say it."
He inhaled painfully, gripping the sides of her face and pressing his lips against hers, again and again, crying "I love you." between each sorrowful kiss.
He kissed her, one long last time, and then the lights were at her jaw. He broke away from her, staring with despair into her eyes as she caressed the sides of his cheeks with her glove-less fingers.
She stepped away from him, her legs, torso and chest nothing but blinding blue lights.
And then, a second before the lights engulfed her body and she faded away to nothing, for the last time with the widest and loving smile, one that reached her eyes, one that would be engraved in his mind forever, and with a single tear that rolled down her cheek, she whispered the words, their secret little phrase, one last time;
"Slán go fóill, Jonah."
Slán go fóill,
Go dtí go gcasfar lena cheile sin arís,
Os cionn na scamaill.
Goodbye for now,
Until we meet again,
Above the clouds.