Beautiful Day

It was such a nice day.

A man with light auburn hair that was almost colorless strolled down the street quietly, enjoying the day that God had laid out before him. A soft sigh escaped his lips as his eyes gazed at the amazing sky.

I doubt, he thought with a soft laugh, that Earth ever had skies this blue.

He smiled, glad to be on Mars. He smiled a smile that could make or break you.

He had always been proud of his smile... And today was no exception.

It was a day he was glad to be alive. Nothing could ruin his day.

It was such a nice day.

Vicious's hands found his coat pockets, and leaned back, stretching, with his face upturned, facing the blue, blue sky.

He breathed deeply though his teeth, a soft hiss being emitted. It reminded him of the winter days on Mars as a child.

His shoes made a soft tapping on the sidewalk. He had always associated tapping dress shoes with authority for some reason. Maybe because his father always wore them.

It was such a nice day.

His blue eyes flittered past the shops one by one.

He laughed as he saw a tall man, probably with his girlfriend, being pushed into buying a large purple suit that didn't fit his bulk or size at all by a salesman that looked surprisingly like a moth.

He would be good looking, Vicious thought ironically, but in THAT outfit?!

He snickered once again.

He's either colorblind, or he's really trying to tick someone off!

He shook his head in amused disbelief, his pale hair softly flying past his smooth cheeks.

It was such a nice day.

He was lost in his own world of happiness, when he almost tripped past a small rushing blur of red that was dragging it's mother towards the pet store where mewing kittens were pawing at the painted window.

He smiled. He had never been allowed to have pets as a child. He was allergic. He was glad to see the mother, though, following the small child into the tiny pet shop.

Maybe that child will get lucky today and get a kitten...

The grin returned, bigger than ever.

He turned towards the window and looked in.

He was always sad he could never have a dog or a cat or something like that, but recently he had been thinking about getting a bird.

I'm not allergic to birds, he pondered.

In fact, he laughed, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being allergic to birds!

He sighed again in bliss. His face stared at the concrete ground, thinking about how this was the happiest he'd been in a long time.

He and Spike were closer than they had ever been before and he and Julia...

He paused at that thought...

Him and Julia...

They went together like...

Like...

A saying his mother used to say flashed through his mind.

We go together like apples and oranges, he thought strongly.

As this thought glinted in his mind, a small object in the store next to him did the same in his eye.

He wandered over casually, observing that it was a jewelry store.

A fine one at that.

His eyes scanned the jewels, necklaces, and rings. Trinkets that only the rich could afford.

Hmm, he reflected, maybe Julia would like something... I have a little pocket change on me.

He beamed. Pocket change to him was usually a couple hundred.

As he pushed the glass plated door open, the signature ring of a small bell echoed softly through out the small room. A young man, probably not over 25 looked up at him sleepily, obviously being interrupted in a good book, and asked him automatically, "Can I help you with something, Sir?"

Vicious responded quickly with a flash of teeth, "No, I'm just looking, thank you."

His feet led him to the window in which he had been looking at moments ago. The ring that had caught his eye earlier was the main display.

It was beautiful.

No.

Beautiful wasn't the right word...

Perfect...In everyway.

It was carved in a way no person thought a diamond could be carved and it reflected rainbows off the walls it almost seemed.

Maybe... he thought, maybe I should buy it for her. Maybe I should...

He turned away.

No, it's not time...

He faced the diamond ring again.

Maybe I should buy it. Maybe it is time.

He smiled nervously.

Maybe I should ask her...

His train of thought was interrupted by a loud shout of laughter coming from near the front of the store. There was a small wall in front of him blocking his view. Out of habit he leaned carefully around to see whom it was.

It was Spike and Julia!

"Sp!..."

He cut him self off suddenly when he saw Spike's hand shoved in his coat pocket and the other one wrapped around Julia's waist, sliding down slowly.

It was like the world flew at him as a brick would, and hit him smartly in the face. He threw himself around the wall so they wouldn't see him if they choose to walk past the window.

He had to know. He had to!

The stood laughing so innocently in front of the window. Staring at the jewelry. His face buried in her neck. Her blond hair falling into his face. His lips kissing hers. Acting like...

Acting like it's all all right! He thought angrily.

He subconsciously wiped the forming wetness at his blue eyes. He fought it brutally. He hadn't cried since he was a little boy, and he wasn't about to start now.

But as Spike pointed to the very ring Vicious had been looking at and Julia laughed and turned up her nose, a pang of lightning flashed through his heart, breaking it into a thousand pieces.

"Sir?" He asked desperately. "Sir? Do you have a restroom I can use?"

The man absent-mindly pointed to a door in the corner, still glued to his book.

Vicious made what must have seemed like a mad dash for the door. When he was inside the single person restroom, the door was slammed shut, and he fell to the tiled floor on his knees, holding on to the porcelain sink for support.

His hands reached for his face, and under the badly flickering light, he cried.

His back heaved in almost silent whispers, and small droplets fell to the floor. Soon the shudders that racked his body slowed and Vicious pulled himself up to see himself in the dusty mirror.

He felt ashamed, like he had done something dirty. He looked down on these tears, vowed never to cry again. He never would, either.

He stared into the mirror, and smiled.

At that moment, something inside of him died. The pieces of his heart that had shattered with that single moment were frozen together with something much colder than ice.

Oh Spike, he thought maliciously, his now white knuckles gripping the sink in what was pure anger.

His sadness was now the anger of a thousand gods. A god not to be reckoned with.

Oh Spike, he thought, enjoy what time you have left with Julia.

I will hunt you down until I kill you, he vowed.

The tears wiped from his face, Vicious walked out a changed man into the annoying sunlight.

It was such a beautiful day...