"Come on, sempai, again?" Skull complains loudly, but what else is new. "The Great Skull-sama can do more than just driving you to and away from missions!" He stands, slamming his hands on the table. "The Great Skull-sama can do anything!"

Reborn pays him no mind, some of the others only a little, though most only visibly break focus, sighing, waiting for Skull to get it over with. Except Luce, who's carefully looking at the exchange, waiting to intervene should she need to.

They all sit around the living room table, preparing their next mission, files and whatnot all over the table and in front of them. Colonnello's sitting on the couch nearby, only listening with one ear, waiting them out. Reborn and him planned to spar together today.

"Sit down," Reborn says, not looking up at him.

"I'm serious, sempai!" Skull whines even louder, his voice turning more high-pitched. "How am I supposed to ever be up to your standards if you don't ever let me do anything? I need some real practice too!"

Reborn clicks his tongue, sharply catching his eye. "For the love of God, Skull, can you be any louder?"

"It's because you're not listening—"

Colonnello snorts. "For real," he carelessly says over Skull, not really to any of them, more out of habit than anything else.

He wasn't even trying to be heard over him either, but Skull clearly hears him anyway as he goes dead silent.

It means everyone else goes dead silent too, because Skull's sure as hell not known to shut up just because he was told to.

Colonnello curiously catches his eye, and would like to tell Lal specifically, who's not the only one boring holes into him at the moment, that this is no fault of his. He's not sure if it's a game to Skull or something else, but he's been instantly shutting up lately whenever Colonnello specifically makes it known he'd like him to do that, but he made that decision all on his own.

He's the one who made things weird and turned things into this. Colonnello swears he had every intention to just move on after the first time he kissed him in the kitchen, but then Skull went and made a big deal out of it, and now they have this… thing going on between them.

He expects Skull to focus back on their briefing, because that's what he usually does, shutting up and going back to whatever he was doing, but instead he keeps holding his gaze.

"What is Colonnello-sempai even doing here?" he asks, his voice relatively quiet.

Colonnello raises his eyebrow. "I was in this room first."

Skull slams his hand against the table again, and he's back to complaining full-force. Colonnello winces at his shrill voice. "Then what are you even doing in the mansion? Should you even be privy to this? You're not actually one of us!"

"Skull—" Luce tries, standing up.

"So what if you don't like how loud I'm being right now? You're free to walk out of the room and the mansion entirely any time, Colonnello-sempai! You shouldn't even be listening to any of this, should you?"

"Lackey—"

"And why should I even have to listen to anything you have to say about me, Colonnello-sempai? Don't you think it's unfair to me when you're not even one of us? The others are one thing…"

Colonnello's not really listening, though he'd be hard-pressed to not hear every word all the same. Skull's giving a performance like he so knows how to do, a convincing one too, though he hears it in his voice there's true feelings behind what he's saying. But as much as he acts and sounds like he's trowing a temper tantrum, his eyes are cool-headed, intent on him, a purposeful gleam shining in them.

Colonnello holds his breath, something—something hot and wanting rising inside him.

Skull's doing it on purpose.

He's blatantly throwing down the gauntlet at him, challenging him, daring him to do something about it.

He is doing it on purpose, isn't he?

"Besides—"

"What are we missing here?" Verde asks, interest in his voice.

Skull abruptly goes dead silent again. He blinks, then slightly widens his eyes, his mouth still parted open, but he says nothing else.

He sits back down on his chair, not looking at anyone, and he's the first to leave the room when they finish with their briefing.

Skull has another thing coming if he thinks he's getting out of this one by just hiding from him. Colonnello stands at the foot of the stairs, considering, absentmindedly stretching his body and muscles, his body sore in the way he likes it best after his spar with Reborn.

He thinks better than to confront Skull in his room, and sits under the stairs instead. Little by little, slowly, to make it natural like he's leaving the mansion and getting more and more out of his sensory range, he calls back his flames to him until he erases their presence entirely.

It doesn't take long after that for Skull to come out of his room. He slowly and carefully climbs down the stairs, almost silently too, impressively enough. Colonnello silently stands, and angles himself out of the view under the stairs, in case Skull's looking over the railing, trying to catch sight of him.

He doesn't seem to have as he climbs down the last stair, and warily takes a few steps forwards, looking around him.

Colonnello silently sneaks up behind him. "Looking for me?" he whispers in his ear.

Skull jumps, and predictably tries to run. Colonnello grabs him by his wrist and pulls him back against his chest.

"No, let go!" Skull screams. He struggles wildly, his ears bright red, but Colonnello already has his arms securely wrapped around his waist. "You've got it wrong, that wasn't on purpose! I didn't mean to—!"

"To what?" he prompts him, grinning, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Nothing!" Skull pushes down on his arms, trying to break them apart. He leans away from him as far as he can, his head held low and angled away like he's trying to hide his face from him. "I'm telling you, that wasn't—I wasn't—!"

"Why don't you start from the beginning, Skull?" he asks, leaning forwards, his chest flush against his back. "Because, I mean, I didn't even say anything?"

"Ugh!" Skull stops struggling, hiding his face in his hands, his fingers curled in his bangs. "Shut up, just shut up."

Colonnello laughs. He feels magnanimous though, and gives him time to regain his bearing, slightly rocking them back and forth.

Whether he takes that time to do so or not, Skull keeps his face hidden in his hands, apparently determined to not let him see it. He still holds his head low too, showing the back of his neck and the expanse of tanned, scarred skin, and Colonnello can't help but nuzzle his nose against it. He breathes in his scent too, and hums contentedly at the back of his throat. He smells nice.

"Why are you doing this?" Skull asks quietly.

Colonnello hums questioningly, brushing his lips down the line of his neck to the juncture between his neck and shoulder, Skull shivering. "I'm not one to back down in front of a challenge?" he jokes.

"Should I tell you then, if you don't know?" Skull ignores him, sounding serious, and Colonnello pauses. He rests his chin on his shoulder, curious, silently prompting him on. "This is just the brand-new, fun way to make me the butt of the joke, and keep yourself entertained at my expense, isn't it?"

"What, you're still on that? More like, that would be super fucked-up if it was true. What kind of person do you think I am?"

Skull huffs a laugh, but it's scathing, with no humor in it. "Hilarious. You tell me, Colonnello. What kind of person am I supposed to think you are?"

Colonnello frowns, then huffs incredulously. "Come on, Skull, you can't be serious. Yeah, okay, I roughen you up a bit here and now, but that's just—that's just me playing around or whatever."

Skull tenses, but then slowly relaxes again, like he's forcing himself to. "And I don't suppose you've ever considered you're the only one having fun playing around with me, have you?"

Colonnello frowns deeper, opening his mouth, but nothing comes out.

He… hasn't.

He knows he has a rough personality, but it's always playful, lighthearted, is never meant to sting and linger and hurt. It's affectionate. And he knows it's obvious to the people around him he's that way with, just as it's obvious to him when they're that way with him in turn.

But Skull is a civilian, isn't he? A former one anyway. And truthfully, Colonnello can't remember the last time he's been anything more than acquaintances with a civilian, or the last time a civilian has been anything more than a fixture blending in the background of his daily life.

"Well?" Skull prompts him again. "You've never considered you and I haven't the same definition of playing around, have you? That I don't like it when you play around with me?"

"I suppose not," he admits slowly, truthfully, pulling away.

"I didn't say to let go," Skull stops him before he can fully.

Colonnello pauses, then huffs a little laugh. "Which is it, Skull?" he asks, leaning against him again, tightening his arms around his waist once more. "Either I'm an irredeemable asshole, or—"

"You tell me, Colonnello. If you're really being genuine now, then this is where you apologize."

Colonnello hums, nuzzling his face in his neck. "I'm sorry." It was a given to him Skull would be aware of his intentions from the very beginning. Clearly, he thought wrong.

A long beat of silence stretches between them before Skull pulls himself free, turning to face him. He's pursing his lips, looking him in the eye. "You didn't mean that."

"Wha—?" He laughs incredulously. "Dude, come on! Yes, I did." He holds his face between his hands. "You do make it easy, though."

Skull's jaw drops, widening his eyes, and then he's all anger burning in his eyes and twisting his features. He sharply shoves him back. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

Colonnello huffs, almost rolling his eyes. "What, now? I thought we just had a moment here."

"Yeah, and then you called my personality so shitty to my face, I'm just begging to be made miserable all the time, is that it?" he shouts.

Oh. "No, wait, that's not what I meant."

"'Sorry' my ass," he spits out, venom in his voice. "Fuck you." He harshly shoves him by the shoulder, stalking away further down the lobby.

"Skull, wait." Colonnello grabs him by his wrist again, but lets Skull pull him along behind him. Well, shit. This is taking one step forwards and two steps back if he's ever seen it. "That's not—"

"I don't care, let go of me." He tugs at his hand, unsuccessfully, but he could free himself if he really wanted to.

"I meant the way you're always playing a part."

Skull whips around. "I'm not playing any part! This is just the way I am, like it or not! Fuck you!" he spits out again, and just as fast, he's stalking away again.

"Skull, babe—"

"Don't you dare," he warns, threatens, whipping around again, and he's going to give himself whiplash if he continues like that. "Don't you even try to play that card right now, Colonnello, I swear to God."

Colonnello almost laughs, but swallows it back. "I do know it's really the way you are, which is fine. I just meant the way you always overplay it in the most annoying way, for some reasons."

A flash of hurt flickers across his face, leaving him speechless for a split-second, and he almost flinches like he was struck. But then the anger takes over again as he wrenches his hand free, though it's more hurt than anger this time, his hands curled into fists. Colonnello bites his tongue, all traces of humor leaving him. Fuck, he's not good at this. "This is just the way I am. But I guess God forbid I'm loud and passionate and happy to be alive, and want to make the most out of every second of my life, right? And so what if you find me annoying? None of you get to demand me to rise up to your standards by changing my whole damn personality like you've ever earned it from me to."

"I…" Colonnello starts slowly, carefully choosing his words. "I know for a fact none of us want you to change who you are, Skull."

"How do you think that makes me feel?" Skull asks suddenly, sounding and looking drained then, looking sad and hurt and bitter. "Because you've never thought about it either before, have you? Well, go ahead, do it right now. How do you think that makes me feel?" The answer is pretty obvious, Skull's eyes welling up with tears, and Colonnello's heart clenches. Maybe he gives it away on his face, because then Skull presses the heel of his hands against his eyes. "Fuck," he breathes out, his voice choked up. "Fuck. I hate being in this godforsaken house."

Colonnello closes the distance between them, and gently lowers his hands from his face. "Easy," he soothes him, before kissing his eyes in a feather-light touch before any tear can spill from them.

Skull bites his lip, looking down. "Fuck. Why am I even saying all that to you?"

"I've always been told I'm a good listener."

"Fuck you."

He nods. "Copy that too." A startled laughter spills from Skull's lips, though it's weak and wet and doesn't last. It's enough to make him look him in the eye again though, and Colonnello grins. He kisses his forehead before pulling him into a hug. "For real, though," he says in his hair, serious. "I hear you."

"You're not getting out of this only with kisses, just to be clear."

"Kisses and an apology," he corrects, only half-joking. "Come on, you don't have to accept it, but at least let it mean something, yeah?"

"Do you?" Skull asks, lightly, tentatively holding onto his chest. "Hear me? Did you really mean your apology?"

"I did. And I'll try and do better from now on, alright?"

"Then…" Skull starts after a beat. "You're still not off the hook, but I guess I'll still have the kisses then."

Colonnello laughs, holding him tighter. He peppers kisses on the crown of his head and down the side of his face.

A/N: Personally I think the reason Skull's relationship with Reborn and Colonnello has come to be the way it is in canon is because of a clash of boundaries and "cultures" so to speak that unfortunately went unaddressed, because both parties believe the other is aware of their intentions and very purposeful in their actions. Though I wouldn't put it past Reborn and Colonnello to have purposefully hurt Skull at times, and I'd say it's even likely it happened often enough across the years too, because they're not good people, you know. Or at least they're not kind people.

On that note, Skull has been... very unsure about this whole thing up until this point. Like, he's been indulging himself in it because it's nice and all, but considering Colonnello's track record with him, he couldn't help but waiting for the other shoe to drop at the same time, and wondering if it was even worth it depending on how hard the other shoe would drop. But they talked about it and it's fine now! Or, well, you know. It's better at the very least. And now Skull feels safer indulging himself in that surprise turn of their relationship, and maybe even safe enough to put some trust in Colonnello, imagine that lol.

This was a little heavy a chapter too, but don't worry, because they make out again next chapter! And this is a feel-good story, so I definitely have a happy ending in store for you guys. Like I said, I just want them to actually get along with each other on top of kissing each other.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Any and all review are appreciated.

Thank you for reading!

- Hope