Disclaimer: If Ultimo were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.

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Minimal fluff 09!

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If you really looked at it, it wasn't surprising in the least. Opposites attract, perhaps, and they had enough dissimilarities for them to qualify as opposites. But when you got down to it, they were very much the same – maybe they were meant to meet, to align.

Yamato really shouldn't have been too surprised Rune switched sides. Technically Rune switched sides long ago, ever since the boy gave name to the feelings that constantly awoke whenever Yamato was around. He had resisted change (after all, Yamato pined after Sayama, and what could he do?) but Ultimo had been the catalyst. One rival was enough, but having two was too much.

"You've always been jealous," Jealous had hissed, showing up in a messy disarray of parts. "I've always been Jealous too. We'll make a perfect match."

It was a stupid thing; a stupid little crush on Yamato, maybe it was only a phase he could outgrow but hell, he was in high school, he didn't have time to outgrow temporary phases. He had sort of known all his life, ever since they were children. Just as his glasses helped him see better, he could see the only way Yamato looked at him was with friendship and nothing more. And he would be there to support him; it was what friends were for.

"Friends are the ultimate evil. You can't be who you are in front of friends, or else they won't be your friends anymore." He had always considered himself smart, but Jealous was making some pretty damn strong points.

He wanted to help Yamato, to stand by him during all these dangerous fights with Ultimo, but what was he really doing? He was shredding himself apart watching a bond between his friend and a robot that was nonexistent between themselves. He said he was happy. Wasn't he?

Rune wasn't happy.

And Jealous understood.

Jealous, a whir of blue and silver, knew what it was like. He knew what it was like to want something so badly you could rip yourself apart if you could finally have it. Granted, what Jealous wanted was much different than what Rune wanted – to have his nasty, nasty way with a certain beautiful redhead before ripping him to pieces. But he could only look, not touch: that honor was left for Vice.

"He never liked me," Jealous spat, as Rune sought to fix him. "He'd never throw me a fucking bone." He didn't wince as Rune pressed a socket back in place. "That's alright, though. I didn't care about being liked by that arrogant bastard."

Language, Rune almost found himself chastising, but then again, he'd use any sort of language when he saw Yamato flirting with Sayama alone. Soundless, he listened to Jealous.

"But what really gets me is that he gets the best part of everything. Why should he be the only one able to deal with Ultimo? We should have a chance to destroy that stupid fairy. It should be me." Jealous shook, the loose parts rattling. "I'm newer. I'm better. Why can't Ultimo consider me an enemy like Vice? Why won't he ever pay attention to me? I want him to see me when I rip him to bits. Why can't it be me!" Jealous had flung Rune across the room, emotionless as the smaller boy had the wind knocked out of him.

Why can't it be me?

Evil was relative. One may kill another, and it would be considered evil in part of the world. But what about the other part, who saw it as necessary, as a way to ensure justice? Why couldn't anyone see both sides of the picture? Why could Yamato see him for once?

"I need you," Jealous said finally, the anger in his voice edging into clear apathy. "I need you to teach me your evil. I want to know how it feels to be so envious it hurts. So envious you would kill for it. I don't understand it fully. I need you to teach me."

Rune could never kill, could he?

"I'll help you," Jealous whispered, a strange glint in his voice. "I'll kill everyone in your way. So you get what you want. It'll be all about you. Isn't that nice?"

Life was too tangled for him to make sense of it all. He couldn't stand Yamato's look, that expression of disgusting pity and shock. So he had Jealous with me. Yamato had Ultimo. Why was he expected to be a little sidekick to be around for the boring parts? He wanted a lead role too. He'd always wanted a lead role, but he'd always been around Yamato, who he shadowed both literally and figuratively.

Jealousy worked in more ways than one. It kept you company on lost, lonely nights as you simmered in self pity and longing guilt. He hadn't been sure, it just happened…but now he was on his bed with his pants down and Jealous hovering near his knees.

"I'll make sure they all hurt," Jealous murmured, licking his lips. "They will all hurt and I'll make them pay." Rune wasn't sure who Jealous was referring too but in a moment, his mind was too foggy to form coherent thoughts.

Someone just always had it better. Always had the money, the power. Someone always was above you, sitting teasingly at the edge to remind you you could never in your wildest dreams soar to their level. Someone always had Yamato's attention, everyone except him.

Why couldn't it be him?

Owari

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Note: I'm super busy, but I spent a few moments to write this little ditty. Ever since Jealous was introduced, I itched to write for him. It seemed odd to pair him with Ultimo when they only battled once. But BOOM! He and Rune suddenly became pals and the fog cleared. I support this pairing. Hopefully it will inspire others to too. Thanks for reading, and review!