Fandom: The PowerPuff Girls (original version – 2002 designs)

Rating: Adult

Genre: Romance

Pairing(s): HIMxSnake, AcexSnake

Warnings: Slash, MxM, explicit sex, violence, rape, domestic abuse, language, Original Characters, mention of PPGZ characters (Znake, Ivy)

Summary: After getting tired of Ace's Not-Quite-Friends-With-Benefits and other abuses, Snake agrees to go on a date with his older sister's friend. The trouble is, her friend is none other than His Infernal Majesty – otherwise known as HIM. Is Snake jumping from bad to worse, and just how is Ace going to react when he finds out?

Disclaimer: The characters within this story are the creative property of Craig McCracken, with the exceptions of Belinda Ingleberry and Dr Hitomi Ingleberry, who remain my own characters, and Znake and Ivy, who are male/female versions of the same character, and are the property of the PPGZ creators. The idea to separate them as twin siblings is my personal headcanon.

Chapter 9 – Snake – Friendships

Chapter-Specific Warnings: Language, Sex References, hints at Underage Sex, Foreshadowing

Snake woke up in his own bed with a smile. The previous two nights with HIM had been wonderful and he couldn't wait for more, but they had been exhausting. He was still aching from their recent lovemaking even as his body craved the next session.

Taking a long, languid stretch, he glanced across at the clock and frowned – it was only 7am. Why was he awake this early?

He lay still, listening and trying to determine if something had woken him. He heard the sound of the shower in his mother's en-suite, and could hear her radio playing. She or Belinda must have accidentally pushed up the volume when cleaning it. Snake never cleaned the radio itself, only blowing away any accumulating dust. At least he knew why he was awake now.

He snuggled back under the covers with a contented sigh. Even though he missed having his lover in bed beside him, he was so happy. How he could have gone from miserable and lonely to this level of happiness in such a short time would have seemed impossible before he had gone on that first date. In HIM's deceptively slender arms, Snake felt safe, even loved.

Now he was awake, he didn't feel like going back to sleep. Maybe he could make some tea and a coffee for his mother for when she came downstairs.

Throwing back the covers, he got out of bed and slipped into his bathrobe. As he passed the mirror on the landing, he ran his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair with a grumble, then padded down the stairs.

There was a little television set in the kitchen, which Snake switched on before filling the kettle and setting it to boil. Upstairs, he heard his mother moving around and smiled. She would be down soon enough. The television was broadcasting the latest news surrounding the upcoming national elections, which bored Snake, so he set to preparing the drinks.

He had barely finished pouring the boiling water into his cup when he heard his mother's slithering footsteps.

"Oh, Sssanford?" She looked surprised. "I thought you would ssstill be sssleeping. Did I wake youss?"

"I don't knowsss." Snake replied. His mother's nose twitched as she caught the scent of the coffee.

"Isss that for messs?" She asked, smiling as she was handed the cup of black coffee. "Oooh, you are a good boysss!"

Taking an appreciative sip, she set it down and began to prepare her breakfast.

"Do yousss want ssomething?" She asked, not looking round as Snake set his own tea opposite hers on the breakfast bar.

"No thankssss." He replied, taking careful sips from his cup. "I think I might go back to bedss for a while."

"Hmm, it'sss your sssummer, I sssupposse." His mother shrugged. "But youss will need to sstart thinking about college sssoon, you knowsss."

"I knowss I dosss." Snake replied, busying himself with his drink.

"Are youss sstill wanting to go to college over heresss, or go back homesss?"

Snake resisted the urge to roll his eyes – every time they talked about college, she asked the same question.

"I wantsss to sstay here for college, Mama." He was impressed by how normal his tone was. "There'ss no point me being here otherwissse."

Except to ssstay with HIMsss...

"I guesss ssso." She sat down across from him. "Have you decccided which collegesss you're going to look at? You need to sstart requessting prosspectussess next yearsss, but it'sss worth looking roundss."

"Blindie brought one of the Citysssville onesss from admisssionsss."

"And whatsss did youss think?"

He knew what she was thinking: he'd prefer Citysville so that he could go to college with his sister. It was a mindset that both parents had tried to talk him out of, because when they had moved here it had been exactly what he had wanted to do. Then he had met Ace and he had wanted to stay close to his crush.

But Ace can fuck offsss for all I caresss now!

"Isss...don't know yetsss. The courssse doessn't have much information heresss to go on. There'sss loadsss on the scienccce degreesss..."

"Time wasss Townsssville Universssity was ssstreetsss ahead of Citysssville for that." His mother smiled. "That'sss why I came heresss...and why I met your Tou-sssan."

In spite of the conversation subject, Snake couldn't help but smile. He could hear the warmth in his mother's voice at the mention of his father. In spite of living in different countries for over two years, it was clear she still loved him. It was a love that he had always wanted – one he had possibly found with HIM.

"Mama? Do you...miss Papa?"

He thought she took a little longer to answer than usual, and there was a tremor in her voice when she replied.

"All the time, darling." He was surprised by the honesty in her reply. "I thoughtsss it would get easssier, but it doesssn't. It isssn't foreverss though – onccce you've finisshed college, we can all go homesss together."

"Are we going back to visssit sssoon, before Blindie goess back to college?"

"I'm jussst waiting on Papa to tell messs when he hasss time free ssso I can book flightsss."

"Okaysss."

They sat quietly for a moment while she ate her breakfast. When she looked back up at him, he knew she had been thinking about whatever she was about to say for some time.

"Sssanford, about thisss new boyfriendss you've been sseeingsss?"

"Yesss, Mama?"

She paused for a moment, seeming to consider her words.

"You ssspent two nightsss before last night with him, am I rightss?"

"...yessss..."

"Did the two of youssss..."

Snake hoped he wasn't blushing too hard when he replied.

"Umm...yessss we didsss...but it wasss the firssst timesss!"

The look on his mother's face was difficult to read. She knew he wasn't a virgin – she had been the one to walk in on him with his first serious boyfriend, Dai Matsubara, the year before they had moved to America, and he had been certain she and his father would murder them both. From bitter experience, he knew what her next question would be...

"Are yousss usssing protection?"

"Mama!"

"Wellssss?"

"Yesss, Mama! We usssed condomsss...and wesss put a new onesss on every timesss." He added hurriedly. She nodded to herself, then seemed to return her attentions back to her breakfast.

"Goodss." She replied. "Sssanford, I knowsss I might sssound like a nagsss, but it'ssss importantsss that yousss ussse protectionsss – essspecially with a new partnerssss. Sssexually transssmitted disseasses are at a all-tie highssss."

"I knowsss, Mama." Snake replied softly. "I'm hardlysss gonna forgetsss, with a doctorss for a mothersss, am Isss?"

She smiled at him.

"I would hope ssso – I sssuppossse at leassst I don'tss have to worrysss about pregnancccy with youss, but thessse daysss that'sss the bessst resssult."

She looked like she was about to say more, when an alarm sounded on her phone. Picking it up with one hand, she lifted her coffee with the other, draining its contents before getting up from her seat.

"Wellsss, I have to gosss to workss now." She said. "Remembersss what I sssaid, Sssanford."

"I'll make sssure we usssse protection, Mama!"

To his surprise, she laughed softly.

"I meantss aboutsss college, but that'sss good to knowss." She leaned over and kissed him on top of his head. "Will youss be home tonightsss?"

"I think ssso."

"Then I'll sssee you tonightsss." With that, she picked up her bag and coat before hurrying out of the door without another glance.

Snake didn't get back out of bed the second time until nearly eleven, but he felt none of the sluggishness that might suggest he had over-slept. This time, he decided to take a shower before he got dressed.

Sitting on the bed, he picked up his phone to find that Lil Arturo has messaged him. Though he knew the younger teen was Ace's oldest and best friend, back from the days when the two of them had been the only green kids in Townsville, he still tried to stay friendly with Snake. They had exchanged a few texts, with Arturo reassuring him that while bruised and battered, Ace was going to be just fine.

As far as Snake was concerned, his obligations to Ace were now ended.

He did hope that he could still be friends with Arturo, Billy, and Grubber. If nothing else, his Spanish had come on leaps and bounds since Arturo had started conversing with him – in return for teaching Arturo how to cuss in Japanese – and when he had learnt that Billy was somehow able to speak Welsh. His mother had been right – not just about the condoms – he needed to get back on track with his original plans and get into college to do his teacher training.

It had been the aim all the time – while Belinda studied to become a doctor, he would study to become a modern languages teacher, and they would all go back to Japan. He had talked to HIM about it extensively since they started dating, and Arturo, Billy, and Grubber all knew about it too. Only Ace hadn't known about it...and to think that Snake had briefly considered giving up his dreams to be with the guy!

HIM was different – he had been encouraging of Snake's dreams to teach, even going so far as to voice the opinion that Snake would make a good teacher. Being with HIM had shone a spotlight on Ace that showed him in his true colours. Why would Snake have ever been willing to settle for a boy like Ace Copular, when he could have a man like HIM?

All the same, he worried that the others might not spend time with him because of his falling out with Ace. He hoped not...but if they were, surely Arturo wouldn't have been texting him still? He opened the message.

+Ey. U up yet+

Smiling, Snake fired off a quick reply of his own.

+Yes just out of shower. What's up?+

The phone rang just as he set it down. Seeing it was Arturo, he answered quickly.

"Heyssss."

"Ey, Serpiente, yous ok?"

"I'm fine thanksss, Arturosss. Are yousss okaysss?"

"Ye, I'm good." He heard Arturo pause, clearly choosing his words with care. "So...you...home now, or..."

"Yesss, I've been homesss sssince yesssterdayss. HIMsss issn't with messs, if yousss were wonderingss."

He had to put his hand over his mouth to stifle his chuckle when Arturo audibly sighed with relief. When he spoke, he did a good job of sounding casual.

"Oh, dat's cool, Serpiente, I wasn't wonderin'or nothin.' I was just...eh...wonderin' if yous was still buddies with us, really."

Snake was taken aback. Moving his clothes out of the way, he sat down on the bed.

"Arturo...youss don't need to assssk thatsss – of courssse youss are sstill my friendss – Billy and Grubber toosss. What happenedsss didn't change thatsss – youss guysss sstood up for messs."

"Ey, don get all mushy on me!" It was clear that Arturo was relieved, but so too was the caution in his voice when he spoke again. "Listen, eh, I don wanna put yous in a spot about it, but...eh...will yous...still be hanging out with us?"

Snake's breath caught in his throat, even though he had been expecting the question.

"Arturo, Isss..."

"Hey, I get it if yous don't wanna be near Ace – we can find other times to hang out with yous if yous would rather, but...we're a great team and it won't be the same without yous. Ace won't be stupid enough to attack yous, not now he knows HIM's your man and all. We'll make sure he don't get near yous if yous want, besides he..."

"He whatsss?"

"Serpiente...I think he's really sorry about what he did-"

"He wasss 'really sssorry' beforess...then he tried to rape messs!"

"Hey, I don't blame yous for feelin like that. Shit, I think I was the same until I saw him afterwards. I won't never make excuses for Ace, you know me. But...he honestly looks like he don' understand what happened – he's scared that he did it!"

Snake sighed.

"Arturo, he's sssscared of what HIM will dosss to himss..."

"That too. Look, Snake, yous have every right to be mad at him, not matter what happens. Nobody's saying he didn't do it – he did! I still can't believe what I walked in on, but...I really think he's telling the truth."

Snake couldn't speak, suddenly worried that he was being led into some kind of revenge trap. But then again...they wouldn't want to risk HIM's wrath by hurting him. Arturo seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Seriously, we aren't stupid enough to try any crazy revenge plans. Apart from who you're dating, we just don't want to."

Snake bit his lip while Arturo continued.

"We'll meet somewhere public if it makes yous feel better. Just...hear him out. Then we'll go with whatever yous wanna do."

Snake took a deep breath. With HIM able to protect him, he didn't have anything to lose, and now curiosity was eating at him.

"Okaysss, I'll comesss."