Falling Together

Chapter 2: Confused Words

A/N:

You expected some forgotten story?

Too bad!

It was just a fic that won't be abandoned anytime soon!

...No? Not funny? Just me, then?

Okay.

...

"So Vigne loves me, huh...?" Gabriel wondered aloud, lowering her head onto her desk as she considered this particular revelation.

Glancing at the desk the affable demon would normally occupy, she noted with distaste that it was still empty. Raising her gaze to the clock on the wall, Gabriel furrowed her brow as she noted that only a few minutes remained before class would begin. Seriously, Vigne, she thought, Other than that one time you got sick, you've NEVER been late before. Why today!?

Before she could stew over this further, however, brown fabric filled her vision and vicious chuckling filled her ears. Without even lifting her head, Gabriel knew what, or rather who, had happened: Satania.

"Gooood morning, Gabriel!" The idiotic demon declared. "Today is the day... the day we finally settle this age old feud between us! Today," she paused dramatically, raising her hand to cover her face, "we determine who is TRULY the more evil!" She punctuated her statement by raising her chuckling to a full-on cackle.

Ordinarily, the lazy angel would have ignored Satania this early in the morning, instead catching up on a last-minute nap or begging Vignette for the answers to whatever homework she had neglected this time. Today, however, Gabriel had a problem, and Satania was-in her mind, at least-the cause.

Thus, instead of her ordinary lack of response, Gabriel's hand shot up to take hold of the demon's necktie.

Satania's face fell and fear crept into her expression. What's Gabriel doing!? She frantically wondered. I was expecting her to try and ignore me-as though someone could ignore the great future archdemon!-but I wasn't expecting THIS!

"G-G-Gabriel!" The demon stuttered out, "Wh-what do you think yo-you're doing!? Unhand me, you foolish angel!"

Rather than obeying the order, Gabriel gave a sharp yank on Satania's necktie, dragging the demon's face down to the desk with a sharp squeal. Now eye-to-eye with her, a shadow fell across Gabriel's face as she said, "Satania... you're going to help me with something today, and you're not going to complain..." With another sharp tug on the tie, eliciting yet another cry from the demon, the angel added, "Got it?"

Satania began to nod frantically and Gabriel released her, satisfied with the answer. Deciding it would be easiest to explain what had happened before they went any further, Gabriel began, saying, "Remember those Seven Color Drops I took from you a while back...?"

...

"But if that happened, it can only mean...!"

"Yep," Gabriel said, cutting off Satania's interjection. "It means Vignette loves me."

The demon's brow furrowed and uncertainty covered her face as she asked, "So... what should we do?"

Sighing, Gabriel replied, "If I knew that, wouldn't I have already done it!? It's your crap, so you fix it!"

"Ooh," Raphiel said, her eyes sparkling, "This situation has become quite interesting~!"

Silence fell across the pair as they turned to this newcomer. This lasted for a moment before Gabriel finally asked, "Where did you come from?"

Smiling, the sadistic angel replied, "Wherever Satania-san is, so too shall I appear!"

Gabriel shook her head, silently refusing to mess with whatever was going on between Satania and Raphiel and instead asked, "So you heard all of that, then, right?"

Nodding to the affirmative, Raphiel answered, "Indeed I did! Not only that, but I have an excellent idea!"

"Uh-huh," Gabriel said, cocking an eyebrow in suspicion, "And that idea is...?"

Raphiel raised a finger informatively, saying, "Well, if you just-"

Before she could say anything more, however, the door of the room swung open to reveal an out-of-breath Vignette, her uniform looking far shabbier than usual and a strong blush blooming in her cheeks. "I can't believe it!" She declared, punctuating her statement with a shudder. "I was almost late!"

Her smile stretching just a bit wider, Raphiel said, "Well, that's my cue to leave! Have a pleasant day, Satania-san, Gab-chan!" This said, Raphiel rose, exiting the classroom with a small nod to Vignette as she passed.

Returning the gesture, the demon walked over to her desk, flopping into the seat with an exhausted sigh. Turning to Gabriel with a small frown, she said, "Sorry about not being ready this morning... I somehow slept through my alarm, and when I finally woke up, I completely forgot that we had school today!" Slouching, she added, "By the time I realized what had happened, I only had a few minutes before class began. I barely had time to get dressed and make lunch before rushing over, so I guess I look pretty sloppy right now..."

Reclining into her chair in false nonchalance, Gabriel replied, "Isn't that how you want to look anyway? Y'know, all undisciplined and demonic? Plus, it was probably my fault you showed up so late anyway... you must have been pretty tired from helping me clean up my place."

A small blush colored Vignette's cheeks as she started to reply. Before she could say anything, however, the bell rang, and she instead offered Gabriel a bright smile before turning to her materials as the class began.

...

"Is something wrong?"

Gabriel jumped in her seat before turning slightly to glance at Vignette. The demon was staring back out of the corner of her eye, concern carved into her expression.

With a subtle shake of her head, Gabriel muttered, "Nah, I'm fine."

The demon's brow furrowed and she whispered back, "Are you sure? Because you've been... well, actually paying attention, instead of drifting off like you usually would."

That's because I keep thinking about you whenever I do, Gabriel thought to herself. Although she had tried many times throughout the class to ignore the teacher and nap like she normally would, each time she would start thinking about Vignette. Then again, it wasn't that hard to do so when the demon sat right next to her and kept on staring like she was. Instead of saying of this to her, however, the angel whispered back, "Nah, just feeling kind of out of it; I'll be fine, okay?"

Frowning, Vignette opened her mouth to reply before simply sighing instead, whispering, "Okay, but don't think we aren't going to talk about this at lunch!"

As Gabriel opened her mouth to offer some retort, a shadow fell across her. Turning to ask what the big idea was, she found herself staring at a white button-up shirt.

"Oh." The angel said, offering a winning smile. "Hi, teach..."

...

Gabriel let out a horrific groan as she left the classroom, her whole form drained of both vigor and color. "Sheesh," she muttered, "I don't know HOW that damn teacher can keep complaining like that for hours... I'd be exhausted after the first few minutes, carrying on like that."

"Well, it is kind of your fault, you know."

The angel jumped with a strangled yelp, surprised by Vignette's sudden comment. After pausing a moment to recover, she turned to the demon and complained, "Don't lurk around like that! You scared the heck out of me!"

Vignette frowned, concern returning to her face as she asked, "Are you sure you're fine? You've been sort of... high-strung, I guess, all morning." Her frown deepening, she continued, "It wasn't your fault I overslept, alright? I just wasn't thinking and ended up paying for it."

"It's not that," Gabriel replied, slouching and glancing away in an attempt to appear nonchalant, "Like I said in class, I'm just feeling kind of out it, alright?"

Her expression softening, Vignette said, "Well, if you say you're alright, I guess you're alright. I'm not sure angels can get sick, but... take it easy, alright, Gab?"

"Will do." The angel said with a nod. "Anyway, what are we doing for lunch?"

Vignette's smile returned as she replied, "Well, I was thinking about going to the cafeteria as soon as we find Satania. I'm not sure where she went, though; let's go find her!"

...

"W-what do you want, yo-you wicked angel!?" Satania cried as she thrust an accusatory finger at Raphiel.

The angel in question giggled softly for a moment before she replied, "Why, I was hoping that you would that you would be so gracious as to allow me to dine with you, o great Satania-san!"

Satania glanced at her surroundings for something-anything-to get her out of this situation. Originally, she had left class to use the restroom and stretch her legs while she waited for Gabriel to finish whatever it was the teacher was doing to her and then go to lunch with Vignette and the incompetent angel. However, that had all changed when she found herself lost... and cornered by her.

Crossing her arms to form a large 'x', the demon answered, "No way! I'm not eating lunch with a demonic angel like you! How do I know you didn't... poison my food or... poison my juice or..." Pausing for a large gasp, she continued, "Or poisoned the air!? Oh NO! I'm dying! I'm already dead!" She collapsed into a heap on the ground as she clawed at her throat, taking haphazard lungfuls of 'poisoned' air as she screamed, "Nooo! Is this the end of the great never-to-be archdemon!? Why must fate be so CRUEL!?"

Raphiel smiled as she watched this display, thinking, oh, I'm SO happy Satania-san's always around... everything would be so dull without her! After taking a moment to giggle at Satania's antics, the sadistic angel reached into her bag, saying, "Well, I guess you won't want this, then...?"

The idiotic demon paused in her writhing, cracking open one eye to glance at what Raphiel held up. For a moment, drool appeared to leak from a corner of her mouth and she began to breath heavily. However, she just as quickly began to frantically shake her head, wiping her lips as she sat up and crossed over her chest. "Not this time!" Satania said, a determined expression taking shape as she continued, "Not again! Every time you bring out melon bread, the dog shows up and takes it away! You're not going to fool me this time!"

"But Satania-san, the dog is your faithful familiar now!" Raphiel replied, her smile turning wicked. "He's locked up safe and sound in your apartment, far away from this precious bread! Now would you please have lunch with me?"

Wiping her nose as she rose from the ground, the demon extended her hand to Raphiel as she stared in any direction the angel wasn't in. "Alright," she said, "but be grateful I'm gracing you with my glorious presence!"

Her smile stretching a few inches wider, Raphiel replied, "Oh, yes, I most certainly intend to..."

...

Satania kneeled on the ground, bawling her eyes out over a torn-and very empty-melon bread wrapper. Raphiel sat with her back to a nearby locker, watching with delight as she stroked a small white dog.

"Oh my!" The sadistic angel exclaimed, an innocent smile fixed upon her face. "I completely forgot that I had let our little canine friend out of your apartment this morning for a walk! And how foolish of me to forget to bring him back! Well, it just goes to show that even the best of us all make mistakes!"

The demon made no reply, still bent over in tears over the melon bread that the dog was currently munching on.

As this all happened, however, a single purple eye stared intensely at the dog, recognition flickering in its unfathomable depths.

...

"Chisaki," Kurona muttered, tugging on the angel in question's long muffler, "That dog..."

Squealing in surprise at the sudden pull, Tapris turned to the insistent demon, spluttering, "D-don't do that so suddenly, Kurona-san! You scared me halfway to heaven!"

Kurona stood silently for a moment before offering a small, apologetic nod and repeating, "That dog, Chisaki..." before pointing in the direction of the dog in question.

Blinking in confusion, the angel glanced in the direction Kurona pointed to before releasing a strangled cry. She ducked behind a corner, grabbing the demon's wrist as she did and pulling her along. Kneeling as she peeked out from her hiding place, Tapris muttered, "Yeah, that's definitely the same dog that chased me the other day... but what's it doing with Satania-san and Raphiel-senpai...? And what are they doing together, anyway...? What do you thin, Kurona-san?" Turning to the demon, she was surprised to find her almost sparkling, Kurona's eye aglow with enthusiasm. "Kurona-san?" Tapris asked uncertainly.

"Hand..." Kurona replied, staring at the angel. Glancing down, she began to blush brightly as she realized she was still holding the demon's hand.

Yanking her hand away, Tapris began to devolve into a flustered mess as she babbled out, "A-anyway, we shou-ould see wh-what's going on, alri-right?"

Waiting for a nod of assent from Kurona, the angel turned to watch the scene before her play out.

...

"Are you alright, Satania-san?" Raphiel asked, concern began to take shape on her face. "You've been crying for a while now..."

Sniffing heavily, the demon in question replied, "I-I'm fine! I just ha-had something in my eyes!" Covering her face with her arms, she repeated, "I-I'm fine!"

As she continued to wipe her tears away with her eyes screwed shut, she suddenly felt something soft and wet beginning rubbing against her cheek. "Guh!?" Satania cried, her eyelids flying open to find the dog licking at her tears. The canine offered a happy bark before taking up his licking with new aplomb.

"It's not wrong to let others help you, you know," Raphiel said. Satania glanced up, finding the angel standing above her with a kind smile and an outstretched hand. Snorting as she wiped at her nose, the demon accepted the hand, turning her face as she was helped to her feet. Once she was standing, Raphiel added, "Even the best of us need help sometimes."

Satania snorted, offering a half-hearted, "It's not like I needed your help or anything, but..." Trailing off, she remaining silent for a moment before murmuring, "Thanks."

Raphiel shook her head as she said, "You should be more honest with yourself, Satania-san. Anyway, let's go have lunch and then help Gab-chan, alright?"

Nodding, Satania began to follow the angel before pausing to ask, "Yeah, alright. Hey, you mentioned having a plan this morning but never explained it. What was your idea?"

"We need to set up Gab-chan and Vigne-san on a date, of course!" Raphiel answered, not missing a beat.

Shock overtook Satania's face and she opened her mouth to answer. Before she could say anything, a third voice cut her off.

"WHAT!?"

Turning in surprise, Raphiel and Satania found a now very flustered Tapris staring at them, Kurona peeking out from a nearby corner with her usual ambivalent expression.

"Oh dear," Raphiel said, her eyes sparkling as her expression filled with delight. "This just became quite interes-I mean, complicated!"