Skull moves around the kitchen, opening cupboards and mentally keeping track of what is and isn't in them, trying to decide what to make for lunch. "Anything you want?" he asks, surveying the content of the fridge.

"Anything will do, I could eat anything right now," Colonnello says. "Just give me food soon."

He's sitting at the table, his elbow propped on it with his head leaning against his hand, following him around with his eyes. Sometimes he helps him cook and sometimes he just sits there like a king until the food's ready, but he's shit at cooking even when he's only helping, so Skull likes it best when he plays king even if he's very cute at doing his best to not inevitably help him mess up the food.

"Sure, anything for you," he says offhandedly, closing the fridge and moving back to the cupboards. Good old pasta will do for today.

Colonnello laughs. "Yeah, okay, I might be swooning a bit."

Skull whirls on his feet, a big grin on his face. "Really?"

Colonnello looks at him above his shoulder with amused eyes. "You dropped the pasta."

"Are you really?" Skull asks again, skipping to him. He wraps his arms around his neck, and excitedly sways them back and forth. "No, you know what, it doesn't matter. Even if you didn't mean it, I'm totally gonna get you there anyway."

"Oh, is that the objective here?"

"Oh, it's been the objective all along, but I'm glad you've finally noticed," he says, nuzzling his cheek against his.

Colonnello laughs, nuzzling back, holding onto his arm. "Food."

"Yes, yes, right away, Your Majesty." They pause when the doorbell rings, and he frowns. "Who is it?"

"You're asking me? Would be nice if it was some surprise food delivery though."

Skull playfully shoves him as he pulls away. "Oh, you'll live. Why are you acting like I've been starving you when I've been nothing but good to you? So rude and ungrateful."

"Says who? I'm dying over here."

Skull's smile falls from his lips when he opens the door.

Lal stands on the other side, and she's pissed, fuck. She doesn't look like it, standing casually and looking at him with a neutral look on her face, but she's so mad, and Skull's a dead man walking.

"Can I come in?" she asks.

"Sure," he says, stepping aside, and his eyes lingers on the red goggles on her head as she walks inside.

That's new. And something Verde's made from the look of it.

His heart clenches. It seems the scar from the curse does affect her eyesight somehow.

"How do you guys keep finding me?"

"Who do you think we are? We know all of your places."

"What? Why don't I know all of your places?"

"What, you want to know? Guess we still mean something to you then."

Skull inwardly winces. An awkward silence settles over them, and they just stand there, facing each other, Skull feeling cornered in his own damn apartment.

"Lal!" Colonnello calls out, coming out the kitchen. "I knew it was you." He's all stars in his eyes and sparkles in his smile while he walks to them, all eyes for Lal only, though he doesn't come too close to her. "What's up? How you've been?"

Lal crosses her arms on her chest, trailing critical eyes up and down his figure. Her lips twitch, pursing, her jaw clenching, but it's all gone in the next instant. "Isn't that my line?"

Colonnello says nothing, his smile only turning softer, though Skull doesn't miss the brief glance he gives him, a clear call for help. Not that he knows what to do with it.

What did he do? Is Lal mad at him too? For what, choosing to actually stick with him and leave the mansion?

Ah, now that he thinks about it, it's actually obvious Colonnello not really saving her and ending up cursed in her stead would leave them in a pretty awkward position to deal with. It's cute Colonnello thinks he's ever going to involve himself in that though. Not even for his pretty face, he doesn't think so.

The awkward silence's just about to settle over them again when Falco thankfully bursts out their room, and makes a beeline for Lal with all his might, a shrill, loud and happy cry coming out of his mouth. He lands on her shoulder, and aggressively nuzzles his head in her hair and against her face, flapping his wings, quick and short happy chirps tumbling from his mouth.

Lal laughs, and Skull allows himself to breath a little, his shoulders slumping.

Thank God she's laughing, he might just be able to make it out of this alive after all. Also she looks exhausted, so it's nice to see some life in her eyes and on her face.

"Hey, Falco," she says, offering her arm for him to stand on instead, then returns his caresses. She briefly gives a knowing look to Colonnello that makes him blush a little before focusing back on Falco, and so does he.

Doesn't Colonnello secretly hates him though? Just look at this, Falco can show affection to other people that aren't Colonnello, but Skull's been bending over backwards all this time to be among those people, and yet?

Colonnello just rolls his eyes when he catches him looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Lal and Falco are being cute together, and Skull takes the opportunity to walk away from the door, walking around Lal and making for the kitchen.

Colonnello swiftly turns him around as he walks past him, then grabs him by the elbow, keeping him put by his side. "Where do you think you're going?" he whispers, not looking at him.

"Pasta?" he whispers back, looking at Lal and Falco too, trying to be subtle.

"You're not fucking leaving me alone with her, are you kidding me? Do something about this."

"Me?"

"She's mad at you."

"She's mad at you too! Don't think I haven't noticed, you do something about this."

"She's not, she's just sad. And guilty. It's different."

"Well, maybe she's here to talk to you about her sadness and guilt." Colonnello catches his eye, and he panics. "Don't you leave me alone with her, Colonnello, I swear—"

"Just make up with her, alright? Or I'm breaking up with you."

Skull's jaw drops, speechless, and honestly outraged. The hell? This is so not fair!

"Should I come back later?" Lal asks.

"Of course not," Colonnello says smoothly, turning back to her. "You're never a bother to me, don't you know?" Lal's unimpressed, and Colonnello just laughs, walking to her. "I was just about to go feed Falco though, so I'll have to leave you two for a bit." Skull's trying very hard to glare daggers in his back and set him on fire with his eyes alone, but unfortunately it's clearly not working as Colonnello scoops Falco up from Lal's arms, and with the ease of habit, covers his mouth with his hand so he doesn't bite his head off for his audacity. "I'll be right back."

He looks back at him above his shoulder as he walks to their room, and lets his eyes pointedly linger on Lal before giving him another stern look.

And the audacity for real! Like he's not running from a conversation with her right now!

"Should I come back later after all?" Lal asks again with a raised eyebrow, her hand on her hip, a bit of amusement in her voice.

Skull quickly smooths his face and plasters a smile on it. "Of course not. Do you want to sit? You kind of look like shit right now."

"Jeez, thanks."

He grins, following her to the couch, but chooses to sit at the low table, facing her. They're both sitting cross-legged, and he'd usually say something about her shoes on his couch, but he's too busy nervously tapping his fingers against the table.

"So, what's up?" he asks, because he doesn't think he can handle another awkward silence.

"You tell me, Skull. Because turns out you hate my guts a whole lot more than I'd ever thought."

"What? No, I don't—"

"Then the fucking least you could have done is not doing it right in front of me." Skull flinches, feeling struck. "And only days after everything went to shit at that. And even then, it's more like it happened right after because it's not like we were able to do much during those days. Fucking days—" she cuts herself off, pursing her lips, and she's all hurt much more than anger.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I didn't think it through!" he hurries to say, apologetic. "But I wasn't trying to make a statement about you—or any of you for that matters, not like that anyway. I swear, I just—"

Lal looks away, a tired look taking over her face. "Forget it."

"No, Lal, listen—"

"Whatever, Skull." She rubs her face with her hands, then presses the heel of her hands against her eyes. "You might all as well, it's not like I can fucking do anything about it anyway." A twisted smile pulls at her lips, so bitter, it hurts to see.

He frowns. "What? What are you…" He widens his eyes, breathless like someone just punched the air all out of his lungs.

Oh.

She doesn't know.

She can't know because she's a Mist and a Cloud now, because the curse got rid of her Rain flames, whatever that means, and she likely can't reach out to their bonds the same way he can't reach out to hers anymore.

She thinks Skull bonded with Colonnello in her stead because she couldn't feel that wasn't what he did, and thinks he did it right in front of her too like she couldn't matter less to him, and Skull's so fucking stupid—

"Oh my God, Lal, you've got this all wrong!" he all but shouts, leaning his hands on the table and lifting himself on his knees.

"I said—"

"No, Lal, listen! I didn't replace him with you, nor did I ever think to—I would never think to replace you with anyone." Lal lowers her hands from her face, a deep frown between her brows. "I swear, alright?" he says, pleading. "I promise. And it was still a shitty thing to do it in front of you, and I'm sorry about it, but I didn't even really bonded with him either. I just… called dibs on him." He winces, glancing at the door of their room. "Don't tell him I put it like that, but, you know?" She huffs a laugh, and he allows himself to relax a little, sitting back on his calves. "And even if we end up bonding properly, it'll be a new bond, not me making up for yours with another one. I'd never do that to you, you know that, right?" he asks, and suddenly isn't sure if she does. "I mean, I don't hate you, of course I don't hate you, and you can't feel for yourself I'm telling the truth, but you trust me on this, right?"

She looks into his eyes for a long moment before the features of her face finally soften. "I see." She snorts, leaning her elbows on her thighs as she presses the heel of her hands against her eyes again. "Fuck. This is just fucking embarrassing now."

A relief laugh tumbles from his lips, and he sits comfortably cross-legged again. "Who cares? Didn't the others explain it to you though?"

She scoffs. "Do you think we've been talking to each other any lately? Let alone heartfelt conversations like this?"

"Right, I guess not. Does it hurt?" he asks softly after a beat.

"Yeah, like a bitch."

"You can wear your goggles if you want."

"They don't help with the pain."

He bites the inside of his cheek. "Right. I'm sorry they don't."

"You look like shit too, by the way."

"Oh, please, like you can even tell. I know my makeup is flawless."

"Verde said the pain should lessen soon, not that it still won't fell like it's at an all-time high. If you even care."

"Why shouldn't I? That's good to know."

Lal sighs, straightening and leaning against the couch. "How is he?"

Skull shrugs. "Not any worse than me, so as good as he can be, I guess."

"I see. So?"

"So what?"

"Why are you making us run after you like this?"

He huffs, incredulous. "What? You're the ones chasing after me, like I asked."

"We wouldn't have to if you didn't ditch us like garbage at our most vulnerable time."

He gaps, taken aback, and struggles to find his words again. "Guilt-trip, really? Unexpected from you. Maybe I just don't want to deal with you guys on top of everything else at my most vulnerable time."

"So this is what this is about?" He says nothing, and she huffs. "That was just training, and you needed it."

"Oh, don't give me that," he shots back, more biting than he meant. "This isn't about the training I did need, I know that. This is about you being all too comfortable indulging yourselves with the fact I'm the least skilled and knowledgeable of us all the damn time."

"That's—"

"Wrong?" he dares her.

She purses her lips. "I didn't know it was cutting you so deep. Or cutting you at all."

"Yeah, Lal," he says, a humorless smile on his lips. "None of you ever cared to. It's almost like it's my point here."

She clicks her tongue, but she's playful about it. "Doesn't mean you can get all sassy on me."

He laughs, meaning it this time, tucking his knee against his chest and resting his head against it. "I think it does mean that a bit, actually."

"I'm sorry about that."

He raises his eyebrows. "That was easy."

She huffs a laugh, slumping against the couch and stretching her legs to lean her feet against the edge of the table. "Skull, I'm so fucking tired right now. I really couldn't give less of a single shit about being prideful or putting up pretenses. But I guess you don't have to accept it either way."

"I accept it."

"What, that easily?" she shots back playfully with a raised eyebrow of her own.

He smiles. "I accept it, but it doesn't mean I'm not waiting to see if you actually mean it."

"Fair enough." A comfortable beat of silence passes between them. "So, what you've even been up to?"

He hums, then shrugs. "Just trying to distract us from the pain and everything having gone to shit."

"Yeah? And how's that been working out for you?"

"You know what, good enough, actually. He's nice to be around, I like him. I also plan to steal him away from you too, by the way," he adds, catching her eye.

"That's hilarious," she says easily without missing a beat, and he chuckles.

"We'll see how long you keep laughing. Besides, Colonnello said you haven't officialized anything yet, so that's on you. Your loss."

"Oh, he said that, did he?" she asks, an ominous edge to her voice.

"That's right, and you should beat his ass for it, right? He deserves it."

She snorts, but then bursts out laughing, and throws a cushion at his face. "Who even asked you for romantic advice? Mind your own fucking business."

Skull holds up two bags of what is essentially the same candies but from two different brands, and Colonnello doesn't even look at them, rolling his eyes.

"I couldn't care less," he says, so Skull drops both bags in the cart. Colonnello snorts incredulously when he turns back to the shelves again. "Jesus fuck, Skull, there's only candies in there and there's plenty of them already." He pointedly shakes the cart, the bags of candies knocking and ruffling against each other's. "How do you even eat all of this?"

"I work out daily and diligently."

"That wasn't my question, and no you don't, not lately anyway, I would know."

"Right, but I also have a crazy good metabolism, so."

He crouches to inspect the lower shelves as Colonnello huffs, his pacifier swinging in his line of sight. It's shining but he's been ignoring it, though Colonnello's been on edge a little ever since their pacifiers started shining, waiting for whoever of his fellow Arcobaleno's about to pop up yet again.

Skull's honestly not sure how he feels about this radar function the pacifiers have. But mostly, he's surprised he's even got to see it happen that many times already. He thought for sure that if the others were even going to bother to meet him in person, they'd have chosen one of them as the spokesperson for the rest of them and be done with it. Be done with him.

He was wrong, clearly, and it's kind of nice he was if he's being honest with himself.

He stands up with another bag of candies in his hand, and has to bite his tongue to not scream as Viper appears behind Colonnello.

Colonnello tenses, swiftly whirling on his feet, reaching for something in his back, but pauses at seeing it's only Viper.

A low string of curses tumbles from his lips as he relaxes, and Skull can't help but laugh a little, dropping the candies in the cart. "Yeah, they like to do that a lot. Hey, V, what's up?"

Viper flies down until they're standing on their own two feet, and they're entirely hidden by Colonnello's figure like that, so Skull walks around the cart to stand next to him. "You two have actually been living together all this time?"

He shrugs, grinning. "We're trying to nurture our bond so it'll grow stronger and closer. Don't you know? The closer we are together, the better for that, right?"

Viper glowers. "What do you think you're doing?" They scoff harshly when Colonnello and him exchange a glance. "You think I'm not talking about both of you? That I'm not talking about you too?" they round on Colonnello, their voice full of venom.

"Me?" Colonnello asks pleasantly enough, but the smile on his lips is sharp.

"Why don't you learn how to mind your own business? What, you fail at saving Lal, and you think it gives you the right to meddle in our business like you know anything about them?"

"Viper!" Skull warns, but they both ignore him.

"Well, that was a low blow," Colonnello says, and though his smile had slipped from his face, it comes back wider, sharper and vicious. "Want to play dirty? Because you can pretend this is all my fault all you want, but I just didn't mind going along with what Skull wanted. But I get that it doesn't feel nice knowing that what he wanted was to get away from you."

"Okay, enough, both of you," Skull says, stepping between them. "You both gave each other a nasty blow, so let's just call it even and stop here. Also we're literally in a grocery store right now, in case you forgot it." It doesn't quite seem to do the trick, and he turns to face Colonnello, hiding Viper from his line of sight. "Nello, please?"

Colonnello takes a moment to catch his eye, but then his smile considerably softens into something much more warm and genuine. "Yeah, sure." He briefly brushes his fingers against his cheek, and Skull leans in the touch. "I'll go ahead."

Skull watches him until he walks out of the aisle before turning back to Viper. "What the hell was that? Don't take it out on him."

"Fon said you'd keep in touch."

He rolls his eyes. "I know he didn't because I'm sure he noticed I actually never agreed to that."

"Look, can you just stop this already?" they ask, then huffs irritatingly. "Of all times to throw a temper tantrum, really?"

"Do you guys even realize just how easily you always undermine everything I do?" he asks conversationally, but he's getting irritated too. "Of course I'm only throwing a temper tantrum, because when do I ever have anything important to say, right?"

"Skull—" they grit through their teeth.

"If that's all you had to say," he says, already turning away, "then sorry, but I'm busy doing groceries right now."

"Say it then!" they shout in his back, snapping. "Do you even realize how you always assume we just know everything that's going on through your head at all times? Because news flash, I'm the only mind reader among us, and I don't use it on you!"

"So this is going to be my fault now, is it?" he asks, turning back to them, just as angry now. "Sorry I never thought I needed to spell out something so obvious—"

"To you!" They both fall quiet, Viper biting their lip hard. Their voice is quiet again when they speak up again, "Just as it was obvious to us. But I guess it's easier than any of us thought to forget you and us come from very different worlds. But if… you got hurt by that, you can't just make it all our fault."

"I'm not. But you guys don't get to pretend you didn't use it as an excuse to never put in the actual effort to meet me halfway. How fair is that for me?"

"That's… we did do that. Or we thought we did, I suppose."

"Well, it didn't feel that way."

"So what?" they ask after a beat. "Were we really so bad we deserve to get fucked over by you like this now of all times? Because if someone gets to you while you're running around like this, it will put all of us in danger."

"You'd come save me?" he can't help but ask, a small smile pulling at his lips.

Viper huffs. "You know we would."

Skull's smile widens. He puts his hands in his pockets, and slightly rocks back and forth on the ball of his feet. "I'm not trying to get back at you or anything, I'm just doing what I need to do right now to… cope with all this. I mean, clearly none of you have any trouble finding me wherever I am."

"That's not the point."

"I'm saying you wouldn't be able to if I didn't want you to. Even I have my own skills none of you can match." He allows himself a grin at the way Viper clearly itches to deny it, and yet can't without lying. "If something happens or if you need me for anything, I'll be there."

"I heard you've kept in touch with Luce," they say suddenly, and he tenses.

"Let's not go there, V."

"Don't you know that someone who betrayed you once can never be trustworthy again?"

"I wouldn't call it betrayal."

They scoff harshly, crossing their arms on their chest. "Then what?"

"I'd tell you, but you don't actually care to hear it right now, do you?"

"Don't you know that someone who trusts someone who betrayed you before can hardly be called trustworthy themself?"

Skull blinks. Oh. "It's not like that," he says softly, soothingly. "Won't ever turn like that either, I promise. I can just keep loving you both, can't I?"

A sardonic smile pulls at their lips. "Yeah, I'm sure that's what we all thought about her too before she proved us wrong."

Skull flinches, then reaches out too late, Viper already turning away, disappearing in Mist flames. "V—"

He sighs, and looks at the spot they were standing before longer than he cares to admit until he shakes himself out of it. He slaps his cheeks, putting a big grin on his lips before going to look for Colonnello.

He finds him in the aisle with his beloved sports drinks like he thought he might, and peaks above his shoulder at the cart before falling in step with him.

"I could ask you how do you even drink all of this too, you know."

"I have a crazy good bladder," Colonnello says, and Skull bursts out laughing. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. You? I'm sorry about that right now, by the way," he hurries to add before he can answer. "And about what Viper said. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"At you?" Colonnello asks, amused. "Why would I be mad at you for something someone else said?"

Skull smiles, his shoulders slumping. "Thanks. But also don't be too mad at V either, okay? They're just—I mean, you are too, of course—I just—"

"Don't want us to fight with each other?" Colonnello mercifully finishes for him, and he stops uselessly flailing his arms everywhere.

"Yeah, that."

"I know. You just want to feel a little loved, don't you?" Skull stops dead in his tracks, gaping. Colonnello stops too, and innocently looks at him above his shoulder. "No?"

Skull blushes. "No! That's not—I mean, I didn't even expect them to come after me, that's really—I just need my space right now, okay?" Colonnello raises his eyebrow. "It's true! It's just—just… a nice bonus," he admits with a reluctant voice, and feels his face burns impossibly warmer.

Colonnello laughs. "Here we go. Not so hard now, was it?" He starts walking again, but Skull groans, hiding his face in his hands, not moving an inch. "I hope you're not just using me to make it happen though."

Skull looks up so fast he almost gives himself whiplash. "What? No, of course not!" He hurries to catch up to him, and links their arms together like Colonnello's going to disappear otherwise. "I just said I didn't even think they'd even care about it, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! You're here right now because—" he snaps his mouth shut, inhaling sharply, feeling himself blush again.

Oh no, why did he take it there? Does he have to say it now? He doesn't, does he?

Colonnello's eyes, of course, shine with mirth. He leans in closer, strands of his hair tickling his nose. "Because?"

"We bonded," Skull blurts out, and has every intention to leave it at that however lame the excuse is, but then Colonnello pouts. And it's cute. And Skull's apparently weak as hell for him, and it's actually kind of embarrassing.

"Is that all?"

Skull chews on his lip. "You're here right now because…" he starts again "...you're nice," he eventually settles on the truth, and it's mortifying to admit even if it's possibly the tamest of compliments to give someone.

Colonnello chuckles low in his throat, and his heart beats even faster. "You're so cute." He pecks his nose with a kiss before leaning away. "Is that all?" he asks again, probably only teasing this time and not actually expecting an answer, but Skull might as well digs himself a deeper hole now that he's already there.

"I like you too," he says, not looking at him.

"Good."

Skull's heart misses another beat, and then tries to beat right out of his chest. "Right?" he asks, giddy, grinning from ear to ear, forgetting all about being too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "Because you like me too, right?" He excitedly jumps up and down, pressing closer against him. "Because I'm a gift to this world and you like me a lot, right?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far, but…" Colonnello starts, a fond smile on his lips. He frees his arm to hold his face between his hands, and leans his forehead against his. "I'd sure have a much shittier time right now if it weren't for you being here with me."

Skull swears he feels himself glow. And he can't possibly be able to grin wider, but it sure feels like he manages to anyway. "Okay, that was very nice to hear, but you still have to say it too," he breathes out in the space between them. "I admitted it so you have to too."

"Jeez, demanding much?"

He pulls away, but Skull doesn't let him run, holding onto his arm again. "No, you have to, I'm serious! We're not going anywhere until you do!"

"Bet." He starts pushing the cart with one hand, and then, like Skull weighs nothing, drags him behind him.

"Wha—? No, Nello!" He bursts out laughing, but then firmly plants his feet in the floor and tightly holds onto his wrist, because like hell he's not going to hear it from him too if it's the last thing he does.

"Didn't I say more than you anyway?"

"Your problem," Skull shamelessly shots back. "I said it, so now you just have to say it too. Do it, or we're going to sleep here tonight."

Of course Colonnello rises to the challenge, and they soon forget all about groceries shopping, pulling at each other like they're playing tug of war without the rope.

Skull laughs himself to tears, and he swears he'd have won if it weren't for that.

A/N: A more dialogue-heavy and angsty chapter, but we just have to make it through the drama at some point in between the fluff, no helping that lol. I think it's the chapter the least focused on Skull/Nello too, but not to worry, because going forwards it'll mostly be only about them (I just need to let Verde have his moment too).

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

Thank you for reading!

- Hope