A/N: I'm hoping here to make up for the first chapter. It just seemed really fast paced, and it wasn't intentional. I also forgot to mention that only the plot is mine. However much I might wish I owned the characters, I don't. oh, and there might be a bit of OOC-ness throughout.
Dawn had just barely passed by the time Glitch woke. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head and wondering why he felt so sore and sick in his head and the pit of his stomach. He usually wrote important things down the night before, on the off chance he glitched, but the previous night he hadn't. And now here he was in a room that wasn't his, in bed that wasn't his, and he was naked. Very naked. Why?
Fighting off the first stirrings of panic, Glitch looked around, straining to remember. He didn't even know where his clothes were, though that looked like one of his shoes over by the door.
A soft sleepy mumble caught his attention. There, nestled under the blankets, one arm under the pillow was Wyatt Cain. His sandy hair was rumpled, and he seemed content. He also seemed very naked.
The memories of the night previous crashed in on Glitch at an alarming rate, and with perfect clarity. "Oh. Oh no," he moaned, clasping a hand to his head. He could remember everything now. Cain being depressed, DG, Cain and himself getting drunk and then…oh sweet Gayle, they'd had sex! Not that it hadn't been good but still…Cain was pretty much his best friend, next to DG.
As the sun leisurely made it's way into the sky, Glitch sat thinking it all over. It seemed odd to him that Cain would just make his offer for a night of 'fun', as he'd put it, just after confessing how he had thought himself better than Blake. It couldn't be pure coincidence. The odds were…well, he wasn't certain, but he was sure they were astronomical. Cain had never picked up on his subtle hints, or anything. Thus he came to his conclusion as only a man with half a brain can. In some bizarre way, Cain had used him.
Wyatt Cain drowsily came to, stretching, his muscles popping in protest. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus. Sitting up and straightening his hair slightly, he looked over and saw Glitch, haphazardly dressed, pulling on and not even lacing his shoes.
"Morning head case," he said by way of greeting. Cain got only an angry sounding grunt in response. "You alright Glitch?" This time a curt nod in response. Cain was starting to get vaguely concerned. Glitch never stopped talking. "Glitch, it wasn't that bad was it? We had a night of sport, nothing more, right?" Cain rolled onto his back, stretching his arms above his head.
Glitch paused by the door. "Is that all?" He looked at Cain, dark eyes troubled, showing every emotion like a cup of water. Cain looked up, "What do you mean?" So Glitch answered, speaking exactly what was on his half a mind.
"Damn it Cain! I'm not looking for a full time commitment here. But did…did you actually want to be with me last night, or was it all some weird thing to spite DG?" With that, Glitch left to his own room down the hall.
Cain looked puzzled at the door. He knew the head case to be emotional, but that seemed a bit much. So why had what he said struck a sour note with him? But Cain being Cain, just waved it off as the alcohol, and it being the first sex he'd had in a very, very long time. He silenced the little voice in his head that told him he felt guilty about hurting Glitch somehow. Reluctantly the little voice retreated, waiting in the back of his head for the opportunity to pop up again.
In his room, Glitch had drawn up a hot bath and lay submerged nearly all the way in the water, smacking his head repeatedly against the lip of the tub. "Stupid. Stupid. I was so stupid letting that happen. He used me. Stupid Cain. Stupid Glitch." He sighed dejectedly and sunk further into the hot water, until his nose was almost under.
It would have been great to sit there all day, but unfortunately he had to pack before they left for the palace. Which meant oodles more time with Cain, which once might have thrilled him, but now, well, he wasn't as thrilled. He toweled off and pulled on his striped shirt, his over shirt, jacket, pants and shoes, and left his room.
As could be expected, Glitch wasn't paying much attention as he walked down the hall toward the kitchen, and nearly walked into DG, who was wrapped in a robe with sleep tousled hair.
"Morning Glitch," she said cheerfully. "Morning Princess. Morning Princess. Morning- sorry," he said apologetically. "Are you ok?" she looked at him curiously. "I'm fine. Do I not look fine?" "You look upset," she said, worry written across her face. "What happened to you last night? You disappeared. So did Cain actually." "I was just tired," he shrugged. Glitch hated to lie to DG, but he couldn't just say, "Well yea, see Cain and I got drunk, had sex, and he used me."
"Do you want breakfast?" DG asked. "Sure. Sounds good." "Alright, wait here. I'll get dressed real quick and we can go eat," DG went to her door. "What about Blake?" Glitch asked. DG looked at him over her shoulder. "He'll be fine. He's still asleep," she gave him a secretive little smile and went into her room.
Glitch slumped against the wall. Seems he wasn't the only one to have a busy night. But she seemed to have enjoyed her night more. He leaned his head back, trying to loosen the knot between his shoulder blades.
"Hi Glitch." Glitch looked up and saw Raw standing over him, looking like he'd just woken up. "Where's DG?" he hesitantly sat down. "In her room, getting ready. D'you wanna come down to breakfast with us?" Raw nodded eagerly. They sat in companionable silence, each occupied with their own thoughts, waiting for DG, who appeared moments later.
"I'm glad we're going back to the palace soon. I'm so easily lost here," DG complained, sitting down at the head of the table. Glitch and Raw took seats on either side of hers. "Welcome to my world," Glitch sighed. "You're not easily lost…just…confused at brief intervals," she said consolingly. Glitch gave her a look, "DG, doll, I have to write down things before I go to sleep so I remember them." "It's not your fault you have half a brain. And I'm sure we can figure out how to fix that properly soon enough." Glitch's brain had yet to be reattached, since it was risky. All the knowledge it held, if it was lost in the surgery, it could be detrimental. Not to mention, it could harm Glitch.
"So where's Cain this morning? Has anyone seen him?" DG munched on some toast. "Probably still sleeping," Glitch murmured. Raw glanced at him, picking up on the fact that something was up there. "Nah, he never sleeps late. You can set your watch to that guy," she answered, not realizing her friends didn't know precisely what a watch was. "Something must've tired him out then," Glitch was internally beating himself up for lying. Again. It felt awful, but was a necessary evil. And he'd started thinking of a way to potentially get back at Cain.
DG gulped down a glass of juice. "Well, if he doesn't come down soon, d'you think you could go wake him up Glitch? We need to get packing." "Me?!" Glitch squeaked. "Why not Raw? Or you for that matter?" "Because I don't want to just barge into his room. Not when he could be changing or something. Obviously. He'd do that ice-cold glare thing and not speak to any of us. You have the best chance I think of not pissing him off too bad," DG answered, wondering what the hell was wrong with Glitch.
Glitch himself became increasingly fidgety, more than usual. He wasn't ready to face Cain again. He'd thought he was, planning childish ways of getting back at him, but actually going into his room was a whole new level of awkward silence. And he didn't do well in awkward silences. He tended to need to fill them, and rambled.
Luckily, he was saved from that by Cain walking down the stairs in his usual neat pants, white shirt and vest, long coat and hat perched just so on his blonde hair. Cain stopped in his tracks. His usual seat next to DG was taken by…Glitch. Glitch noticed as well, and surprisingly acted on it. A slow smirk spread across his face, and he edged his seat ever so carefully closer to DG.
"Good morning Cain," DG said, sounding her normal bright eyed and bushy tailed self even though it was early, and clearly not picking up on the sudden increase in tension. Cain nodded toward her, and took a seat next to Raw, who looked between him and Glitch, seeming to scent the air. Cain had a momentary moment of panic, his mind going "He knows! Raw knows!" then brushed it off. No use getting worked up over something that he was most likely imagining.
Glitch was still watching Cain slightly, smirking, amused, at the jealousy he incited in the normally stolid Tin Man. Cain might be coming to terms with him and DG not happening, but he didn't want to see Glitch moving in. If only he knew he needn't have worried.
Trying to ignore the sudden flare up of anger and jealousy, and the tiny voice in his head telling him that Glitch should smirk more often, it was a good look for him, Cain started eating his breakfast. "So how does being married feel DG?" Glitch asked, drawing the word out. "No different than before really. Although," she paused, eyes twinkling, "the bed's a hell of a lot warmer. If y'know what I mean." Glitch snorted, trying not to laugh, as Cain choked on his juice. He mopped himself up, glancing at the seemingly innocent DG. "Sorry Cain. I didn't see that reaction coming," DG chuckled. "I'm fine," Cain said gruffly, his voice still hoarse. "I was just about finished with that juice anyway Princess."
As breakfast finished, DG dropped a bombshell; at least it was to Glitch and Cain. They were to share a tent on the trip to the palace. Unbeknownst to each other or anyone around them, Glitch and Cain thought the exact same thing at the exact same time. "I have to share a tent with him now?"
Three days later found the five of them beginning the trek to the castle. They had no need of a guard, they could take care of themselves, and anyway, it was supposed to be a time of peace.
Things seemed normal enough the first few days. Although a subtle secret war had begun between Glitch and Cain. Glitch, though he found his plans childish at times, also found them too much fun to stop. He was alternating between doing sneaky little things to piss Cain off, and being his typical somewhat flirty self. For a man with half a brain, he was good at psychological warfare. Cain was going to crack soon, and then Glitch would confront him. It sounded good in theory.
Glitch's main target, as it was, was DG, of whom Cain was still somewhat protective. Blake was a bit too dim to really notice, though even if he did, Glitch wasn't flirting with her. He just accompanied on walks more often, exploring, talking, arms linked together.
The little voice in Cain's head was stirring. The same one that told him he felt guilty and that Glitch's smirk was attractive. Only now it was saying that he might be a little envious of all the time Glitch was spending away from him, with DG, Raw, and Blake. Cain silenced that voice firmly. Glitch had been, was, his friend, and if he pushed it, maybe his best friend. Albeit an annoying, yammering friend with, occasionally, the mentality of a child, but even so. It had just been a little casual drunken sex between friends. And maybe he had wanted to spite someone, be it DG or not, the tiniest bit, but it was only sex, the first he'd had in eight years, and it had been great but there was nothing to it. Honestly.
"Keep telling yourself that Wyatt," that increasingly annoying voice piped up. "Shut it," he growled internally. The little voice, which sounded a bit like DG now he thought about it, left, but not without some parting words of 'wisdom'. "Fine, I'll leave. But answer this. Why did it have to be Glitch? And if it's nothing, why can't you tear your eyes from him, and why are you keeping up this mental rant about it being nothing? Talk about a Tin Man in denial." The internal voice crept away, satisfied with its work, and leaving Cain slightly worried that he'd just had an argument with himself. He couldn't wait to get back to the castle and carry on training recruits in the fields by it. No telling what the scum of the O.Z. had come up with while they were gone.
A light rain started later that afternoon, pattering down through the trees, turning the ground soft and setting everything a sparkle with pearls of moisture. The rain made a soft drowsy sound as it he the leaves, and hissed and spattered in the fire Cain built up just before evening. The sun started to sink below the horizon, setting the sky awash in deep wine red, and peaches and cream, bluish purple creeping in at the edges.
Raw curled up in the entry way to DG and Blake's tent. Further in, DG was reading, brushing up on being queen when the time came. Blake had said he was going to try his hand at fishing, and left just as Cain walked back in from scouting the area. He heard the rustling of papers coming from his tent. Glitch. Well, no time like the present.
Glitch looked up from his notes at the figure of a Tin Man seemingly barely containing his anger. "Hiya Cain. Could you move please? You're blocking the light," he turned back to the various pieces of parchment littering the floor. Cain sighed, trying not to blow up at Glitch. "What is your problem Zipper head?" There, he didn't sound too angry. "What d'you mean?" Glitch asked, as though he didn't know. With a growl, unable to contain himself any longer, Cain grasped the front of Glitch's coat and lifted him to his feet to they were eye to eye.
Completely unbothered by being lifted into the air, as though he was frequently lifted into the air by pissed off cops, Glitch hung in Cain's grasp. "You know very well what Glitch," Cain's voice was low and dangerous. "You've been deliberately pissing me off or hitting on me, I think, since we left Finaqua." "Really? Would I do something like that?" Glitch's usual goofy grin and the wide with child like wonder look were gone, replaced with a smirk and a triumphant look that very nearly distracted Cain from his anger.
"Yea, you would actually," Cain released Glitch. "You make me sound like a convict," Glitch stuck out his bottom lip, pouting. "I was just trying to get…back…"the pout disappeared from Glitch's face, the goofy grin returning. "Oh hello. Do I know you?" Cain groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and begging for strength. Glitch had glitched. "It's me. Cain. Remember?" A spark or remembrance appeared in Glitch's deep brown eyes. "Oh! Yea! Hi Cain, what was I doing?" "You were going to tell me why you've been pissing me off since we left Finaqua," Cain said through his teeth, which he was resisting the urge to grind together in frustration.
Glitch sat down cross-legged, looking thoughtful. "Really? I was doing that?" Cain crossed his arms while he waited for the head case to remember. It didn't take long before Glitch leapt up, yelling that he remembered. He glared at Cain.
"I was getting back at you for using me. I've been used before, by the alchemists for my brain, without my consent," Glitch mumbled. " You can't say what I did was as bad as that. Besides, I didn't use you," Cain countered. Glitch's glare intensified. "Well, maybe I did a little. But you said yourself you weren't looking for any sort of commitment, so what does it matter?" "I don't like being used Cain! That's the matter. Just because I have half a brain doesn't make it ok. And, maybe I lied a little about he commitment," Glitch shoved Cain away.
"You're being childish," Cain shoved Glitch back, ignoring the commitment lie. A fight unsurprisingly erupted, as they shoved and hit back and forth, and spilled out into the campsite. Cain actually had his hair pulled as his hat was knocked off. "Y-you fight like a girl," he taunted Glitch, who growled and fought back harder.
DG dropped her book and rushed out. "Hey! Hey guys! Guys knock it off!" she cried, grabbing the backs of their coats and pulling them apart. Glitch's coat was torn, the right sleeve barely hanging on at the shoulder. Cain was surprisingly sporting a bruise under his left eye. "DG! I caught three…I'll go make dinner," Blake surveyed the sight of Cain and Glitch and DG, and turned on his heel, carrying three large fish.
"You two wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" DG demanded, arms crossed over her chest. Neither met her eyes or answered, each still trying to get their breath back. "Glitch. Cain," she said warningly, showing how she would make a good queen. "I'll hug the answer out of you," she threatened when there was still no answer. "Really?" Glitch asked excitedly, head snapping up, while Cain groaned. It was a groan that clearly said, if one knew how to interpret, "I'm surrounded by people who love to hug, and it's severely detrimental to my masculinity."
When still neither of her friends gave her an answer, DG opened her arms, hugging Glitch and reaching for Cain. "Alright!" he said hastily. "We'll tell you, both of us." They went a little way away from the camp sight to a big flat rock. "Well, it was at your wedding kiddo," Cain started, not one to sugar coat it or beat around the bush. "And me and the head case got drunk." "Really drunk," Glitch added, sounding terribly pleased with himself for whatever reason. "Go on," DG said slowly. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, and was secretly pleased, hoping it was so finally.
"So Cain," Glitch indicated how it was all Cain's fault, "Suggested we have some fun. And…" here Glitch paused, his normally pale face heating up. "Princess, we kinda," Cain couldn't say it either. "You two slept together didn't you?" DG asked suddenly. When they nodded embarrassedly, she burst into giggles. "It's not funny DG! He used me," Glitch pointed dramatically at Cain. "You didn't have to accept head case," Cain said defensively. "We were drunk!" "You still could've said no." "Hello! Only half a brain!" "Oh yea, let's use that excuse again." It took DG three tries to get them to focus once more.Down in the Underground, among the whorehouses mostly, there still existed a few Long Coats. Just out of work, disgraced Long Coats. They believed firmly in the witch's plan, Zero among them. It was no question that he became leader of them.
None of the Long Coats, least of all Zero, could believe how far they'd fallen. He'd been the one in charge, pretty much second in command to Azka-D. Then, he'd been trapped in that god-forsaken metal pod. He didn't much like to talk about what he'd had to do to get out. It wasn't pretty.
Given the chance, each and every one of the ex-Long Coats would take back the castle. Some more than others. Some like Zero, who was even at that very moment thinking of how to repay a certain little princess and her friends for what they'd done, one of whom he simply couldn't wait to get back in a metal pod.
A/N: well, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. I think it turned out ok. And, you know, reviews let me know I'm not a failure, since this is only my second fic, and I'm still kinda new. I won't make you review, but I'd appreciate it. As for the random little Zero bit at the end, I wasn't quite sure where to put it, but trust me, it was needed. It may seem random and what not, but it's there for a purpose.
