38. Mischief

A/N: Song: "Ironic" by Alanis Morrisette

Hello, event horizon. All light in Jean Havoc's world was being sucked in, and it wasn't going to get back out. Ever.

There was no going back—things had officially gotten that ridiculous. He was pretty sure that if he stayed in the office one more millisecond, his sanity would never recover.

How did they do it?

Or rather, how did they not? Just look at them! What was the matter with them that they didn't see what everyone else knew almost instinctually? (Or worse—were they completely able to just ignore it all?)

No—they knew. They knew, and they used that to their advantage. They had avoided so many questions and dispelled so many rumors with such success that it was a wonder nobody had used that in and of itself as proof. In a way, he respected that. (But that didn't mean he wasn't entirely begrudging about it.)

Still, he'd seriously considered locking them in the closet, using mistletoe… anything, if that tension would just go away! But then, he realized that it probably would only make things worse. Mischief had the oddest way of backfiring on you. (And he certainly didn't need any help in the my-luck-is-crap department, thanks very much.)

So, he gave up. (What other choice did he have?)

And then it happened. (Of course it would!)

They exchanged the glance. The one that said everything without a word being spoken. (He'd seen it enough to know.)

They didn't need his "help". They'd had it worked out since the beginning, and he hadn't noticed until just then.

Words could not describe the intense despair and anger welling inside Jean Havoc. Even the filthiest words he'd learned combined with beating one hundred punching bags to complete and utter pulp wouldn't make a dent.

Hello, event horizon.

Good bye, sanity.

A/N: Poor Havoc! –(huggles)- It's not your fault! I love you!

Rather than "Ironic", I was listening to "Pre-Parade" (the first opening to "ToraDora!") as I wrote this, and I was like, "Wow! This works! Too bad I used it before!" It was with another theme involving Havoc mentally getting his ass kicked, too!

As always, let me know what you think, whether it's good or bad!