{A/N: Many apologies for those who were reading this, for my LONG absence. It was due to two deaths in my family, my computer getting fried and my sudden re-discovery of CATS. However, I do aim to please and came up with another chapter asap. Please R&R it for me!}
Chapter 3: Distant Memories Remain Buried.
Vega cradled him against his chest, running a hand over those bright red locks, feeling tremors run through the young man. He heard the muffled weeping, and instinctively ran a hand over his back to soothe. He rubbed in circles, feeling the sobbing quiet and finally cease. The bundle of nerves in his arms drew back, wiping in vain at his eyes and trying to hide the fact that he'd been crying. Vega's heart was breaking for the poor guy. After all, he didn't look like he'd been back long or had much sleep in the past few weeks, and guilt tightened in the old detectives chest, though he did sweep his eyes over Cosmo.
He'd grown up now, he mused. The prince that had nearly always been, had become the king at long last. Silver eyes had a haughty air to them, though they were still a bit red from the earlier outburst. The once lean and rangy frame was still lean, but now he had filled out there, and fined down there. Muscle spread across his chest, which Vega guessed to be about 30 inches across, and made him wonder what he'd been up to. A faint shadowing of a beard touched his fair face, and one rank lock of hair fell into his eyes, shadowing their depths with a sense of foreboding. An eerie sense of dread came over Vega as he studied the tormented soul that stood before him. A soul that, he was sure, had gone to the side of darkness. The side that he had once sworn to never join had been joined, and with it had gone the Cosmo of old. The one he knew. HIS Cosmo.
"You've… changed, kiddo." He nearly whispered it. They seemed like the wrong words to say to the redhead now. He wanted to snap at him, and demand the explaination of his joining the forces of darkness. Cosmo shook his head.
"Not that much, Vega. There is, however, one difference." He paushed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. Vega could clearly see a scar that traversed his right eye. That eye, however, was blank, staring ahead dully. Vega blinked, then leaned forward and studied it.
"You're partially blind," he gasped it, looking at the twinkle in his good eye.
"And you're just realizing that? I thought I was getting a once-over already," he murmered, letting his hair fall back into his face, once more hiding that disfiguring scar as Vega stepped closer.
"What hapened?"
"Just a freak accident. One of those 'it'll never happen' things that always makes you reailze you're not invincible. It took alot to get that through my thick skull," he laughed, then looked up to an impatient blonde. Green and gold eyes locked with silver ones, and Cosmo forced himself to smile a genuine smile. "Vega, this is Dallas... Dallas, this is Derek Vega, an old friend of mine."
"Yeah... hi. Cosmo, shouldn't we get going?" The boy must have had a protective streak, Vega mused as he watched Cosmo shake his head.
"I've got the time to spend with an old friend, Dal. Don't be rude."
"You said we should go to our hotel. We should probably leave now."
"Dallas. . ."
"Cosmo. . ." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Cosmo reluctantly nodded his assent to the boy.
"Guess you're right, Dallas. Vega, I'll stop by later so we can talk," he said with a smile as he offered his hand. Vega took it with a more guarded smile.
"Sure... you know where to find me." The two walked away, joining up with another man who stood a few yards away when Vega became aware of a presence behind him. Turning instinctively, he met a pair of grey-blue eyes that sparkled.
"What was that all about?" Ace asked, with an expression that clearly said he knew all about it and was dying to know exactly who that guy had been. Vega groaned inwardly; this wouldn't be easy.
"Just an old friend stopping by to say hello."
"Cosmo, right? No, don't shake your head at me, Vega, I know it was."
"How long were you there?"
"Long enough, Vega. Long enough," the dark-haired man said in a soft voice, swinging an arm around the distraught detective's shoulder in a friendly fashion. "Let's go get something to eat, shall we?"
The two men both turned and walked away together, unaware that Cosmo had lagged behind to watch. Ace was alive. . . and Cosmo had seen it with his own eyes.
Chapter 3: Distant Memories Remain Buried.
Vega cradled him against his chest, running a hand over those bright red locks, feeling tremors run through the young man. He heard the muffled weeping, and instinctively ran a hand over his back to soothe. He rubbed in circles, feeling the sobbing quiet and finally cease. The bundle of nerves in his arms drew back, wiping in vain at his eyes and trying to hide the fact that he'd been crying. Vega's heart was breaking for the poor guy. After all, he didn't look like he'd been back long or had much sleep in the past few weeks, and guilt tightened in the old detectives chest, though he did sweep his eyes over Cosmo.
He'd grown up now, he mused. The prince that had nearly always been, had become the king at long last. Silver eyes had a haughty air to them, though they were still a bit red from the earlier outburst. The once lean and rangy frame was still lean, but now he had filled out there, and fined down there. Muscle spread across his chest, which Vega guessed to be about 30 inches across, and made him wonder what he'd been up to. A faint shadowing of a beard touched his fair face, and one rank lock of hair fell into his eyes, shadowing their depths with a sense of foreboding. An eerie sense of dread came over Vega as he studied the tormented soul that stood before him. A soul that, he was sure, had gone to the side of darkness. The side that he had once sworn to never join had been joined, and with it had gone the Cosmo of old. The one he knew. HIS Cosmo.
"You've… changed, kiddo." He nearly whispered it. They seemed like the wrong words to say to the redhead now. He wanted to snap at him, and demand the explaination of his joining the forces of darkness. Cosmo shook his head.
"Not that much, Vega. There is, however, one difference." He paushed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. Vega could clearly see a scar that traversed his right eye. That eye, however, was blank, staring ahead dully. Vega blinked, then leaned forward and studied it.
"You're partially blind," he gasped it, looking at the twinkle in his good eye.
"And you're just realizing that? I thought I was getting a once-over already," he murmered, letting his hair fall back into his face, once more hiding that disfiguring scar as Vega stepped closer.
"What hapened?"
"Just a freak accident. One of those 'it'll never happen' things that always makes you reailze you're not invincible. It took alot to get that through my thick skull," he laughed, then looked up to an impatient blonde. Green and gold eyes locked with silver ones, and Cosmo forced himself to smile a genuine smile. "Vega, this is Dallas... Dallas, this is Derek Vega, an old friend of mine."
"Yeah... hi. Cosmo, shouldn't we get going?" The boy must have had a protective streak, Vega mused as he watched Cosmo shake his head.
"I've got the time to spend with an old friend, Dal. Don't be rude."
"You said we should go to our hotel. We should probably leave now."
"Dallas. . ."
"Cosmo. . ." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Cosmo reluctantly nodded his assent to the boy.
"Guess you're right, Dallas. Vega, I'll stop by later so we can talk," he said with a smile as he offered his hand. Vega took it with a more guarded smile.
"Sure... you know where to find me." The two walked away, joining up with another man who stood a few yards away when Vega became aware of a presence behind him. Turning instinctively, he met a pair of grey-blue eyes that sparkled.
"What was that all about?" Ace asked, with an expression that clearly said he knew all about it and was dying to know exactly who that guy had been. Vega groaned inwardly; this wouldn't be easy.
"Just an old friend stopping by to say hello."
"Cosmo, right? No, don't shake your head at me, Vega, I know it was."
"How long were you there?"
"Long enough, Vega. Long enough," the dark-haired man said in a soft voice, swinging an arm around the distraught detective's shoulder in a friendly fashion. "Let's go get something to eat, shall we?"
The two men both turned and walked away together, unaware that Cosmo had lagged behind to watch. Ace was alive. . . and Cosmo had seen it with his own eyes.