"Hi Lifty."

Lifty couldn't help but pause, wondering what to say.

The person, or rather girl, who was holding the umbrella was none other than Flaky; who else would be so nice? So nice as to walk to where he was at screaming out curses like an idiot, bother to even worry about him being soaked, and hold out their umbrella to block the rain from hitting them but putting themselves out in it. It was too nice even, it made him edgy when he tried to figure out why she would even talk to him.

"What do you want?" He scooted away from her, trying to uncover her real motive for being so—bleh—kind. They weren't particularly close, the war veteran would always warn him to stay away from her because of what he was known as. A thief.

Flaky smiled like she would have if she had been looking at a disagreeable child who claimed to not need help. "I was just passing by on my way home from the store," she held up the plastic bags in her hands, "when I heard someone y-yelling."

The muscle under his eye twitched as he stared at her, face like stone that showed no emotion or thoughts.

An awkward silence passed before Flaky, not being very fond of the rain pouring down on her and flattening out her hair, said, "Um, these bags are actually kind of heavy, c-could you help me take them to my house?" Though she hadn't said it straight out, she was telling him that he could stay at her house, "U-unless you have somewhere to be," or unless he wanted to stay in the rain.

Leaning away from the option of staying in an alleyway and using a box as cover, he unenthusiastically got up, grabbed the umbrella from her, and went around the bench to raise it above them both. "Yeah," He took the bags from her, "Where do you live at?"

"Just a couple of blocks from here."

Well, at least he was going to be spending the night where it was dry and warm.

xXx

"And this," Flaky unlocked and opened the door to her house, "is where I live! It's a little s-small, but since it's just me, I think it's a perfect size." She ushered the green haired man inside and closed the door again, taking the umbrella to lean it against the coat rack.

Lifty felt uneasy just standing in her house like that, it felt like someone would pop out and shoot him for even bothering to come in. Despite stealing from almost every other citizen in town, the twins had never talked about robbing from the red head for some reason. Maybe because she was too helpless . . . but most likely because Flippy would come after them if he found out.

"It's . ." He took in the unlit fireplace, the chestnut coffee table, a TV set, and other things that would be found in any normal living room, "nice . ."

Flaky nodded and took the bags from him, going to the kitchen to set them on the counter and put what she had bought away. "Oh, there are t-towels in the top hallway cabinet; you can get one and dry off until I can find you some clothes."

"Okay," He did was he was told, opened the cabinet door, and used a scarlet towel to dry his hair, throwing it across his shoulder as he walked around the room. He had only talked to Flaky three, maybe four times before when she would catch them stealing and take it upon herself to give them a lecture on why it was wrong. Yeah, they never listened to her, but it still counted as talking. For all she knew, he could've been a part time rapist and she let him in her house, like she thought he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

Now that he thought of it that way, he admitted that he wanted to do something bad just so he could prove that she shouldn't trust people as easily as she did. But he didn't have time to plot anything because she walked back out of the kitchen, having put the items away.

Flaky was mumbling half to him and half to herself, wondering what he could wear until his clothes were dry. "Mm . . I think Flippy might've left some clothes here the last time he slept over . . You two look the same size . ." She left again and returned minutes later with a box of clothes, mostly boys'.

Blushing when she heard Lifty mutter a question, asking why she had so much boy clothes, she said, "N-no it's not mine! Some of it is clothes that is l-left here from friends who sleep over—"

That gave him a clue on why she was so trusting to letting people in her house. Other guys were almost always over so she must have felt protected. Other guys in her house, he couldn't help but snicker when the thought processed into a dirty situation in his corrupted mind.

"—and the other part was supposed to be donated . ."

Oh, so that explained why the week before Flaky and Lammy had gone around knocking on everyone's doors asking if they had any old shirts or pants that they didn't wear anymore. Lammy had been the girl out of the two who had knocked on their door, and Shifty had decided to chase her away after he had stolen her lamb necklace.

"So you can p-pick anything out from there until your clothes dry . ." Flaky moved away from the box and backed away to her room. "I-I'm going to take a shower, just leave your w-wet stuff on the kitchen counter and I'll throw it in the dryer when I'm done . ." She gave an embarrassed smile and went into her room, the clicking of the lock was like a signal that meant he didn't need to hold his breath in anymore.

Lifty bent down and shifted through the worn clothes, picking out a pair of sweats that didn't have holes and a loose tank top to wear. He stripped off his drenched outfit, rolled it into a bundle shape, and set it in the kitchen, choosing to lie on the couch after he had changed, waiting until Flaky came back out.

Twenty minutes later, Flaky opened the door a crack and whispered, "Lifty? Are you still u-undressing?"

He wanted so badly to say he was, undress again, and when she asked again say he wasn't just to give her a scare when she came out and saw him in the nude. But nah, Flaky would be scarred forever if he did that. "Yeah, I'm not naked if that's what you're asking."

Flaky edged out of her room, taking a fast look to see if he was telling the truth, and smiled when she saw him relaxing. "I hope you're feeling fine, you might've caught a c-cold by being in the rain like that." She turned her back to him as she turned on the fireplace by twisting the key in the floor, the fire blazing up and warming the room.

Nodding, he glanced at her, the flames creating dancing shadows on her face, "I'm fine. And—uh—thanks or whatever. For not leaving me in the rain and crap." That was the closest he'd come to saying thank you. Ever.

She giggled softly and went into the kitchen to collect his things. It was obvious that giving thanks or receiving kindness wasn't what he was he was used to, but that would change in time. Separating his clothes, she said, "You're welcome! But would you tell me w-why you were just sitting there by yourself? W-where'd Shifty go?

Eyes changing to slits, he growled, his anger allowing what had happened spill out of him, "That fucking bastard got a new friend and he said he didn't need me anymore. He kicked me out of the house, telling me to never come back, his brother! Just because something better came along."

"Oh?" Flaky had always known that the brothers sometimes betrayed each other, but she never would've suspected that it went as far as abandoning one another.

"It isn't fair though. I lived there too, and just because he's older he thinks it's his house! That fucking ass." Lifty turned to the material of the couch and started to angrily pull at an undone thread on it. "Do you know how it feels like to be tossed out like a fucking piece of garbage?"

"I can't say I—AHH!"

Lifty shot up at the scream and prepared himself for an intruder, ready to fight them. "Flaky? What's wrong?" He edged to the kitchen and peered inside. "Flaky why'd you—" The question died on his lips as his face reddened.

Flaky was blushing too as she held up a piece of his clothing in between her fingers.

His green striped boxers.

So in this story I'm making it where Lifty and Flaky don't really know each other, but they'll open up soon! I promise the chapters will be longer and I'm sorry if this is boring but I'm trying to pace it. Enjoy people~ xD