Previous Chapter: Quarantine - Next Chapter: Treatment
Sorry about the confusion, I totally posted the wrong chapter first. HAH. Super sorry. I'm posting both now!
"Hey, Kaku!"
He sighed at the sound of Paulie's voice. When the foremen's meeting was over earlier he'd scrambled out the door as subtly as possible to avoid his concerned gaze but it seemed he couldn't evade him forever.
"Oi!"
He turned to him, arms crossed; the breathless blonde stared hard back at him.
"Paulie..." He kept his eyes low "Don't you have work you should be doing?"
"Well shit, I'm just taking my break if that's okay with you. You sound like Lucci talking like that..."
"What are you doing over here then?" he glanced up from the ship he was inspecting. "Go take your break."
"Jeez. I wanted to ask you earlier but I didn't get the chance - man, what happened to you?" he took a step forward; Kaku pulled the brim of his hat down lower "You left my place this morning in such a rush; you looked fine then… What happened?"
"Nothing." He was too tired to elaborate on the lie.
"You don't get bruises and a split lip like that from nothing. Kaku, if someone attacked you it oughta' be reported." His voice was grave. "At the very least tell me and I'll take care of the bastards."
"It's nothing like that." He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry: reported?
"What is it then!? Did you just fuck yourself up jumping around the city like a maniac again?"
"Yes. That's exactly it." He offered a tired smile.
"Man, you've really gotta settle down with that stuff! You're liable to get yourself killed carrying on that way." Paulie seemed to relax a little, content with his excuse.
"Well, what can I say? No more liable than I am working here at the 'yards. When my time comes, it'll come."
"Morbid." Paulie grimaced and pulled out a cigar. "So, whaddya think of this latest contract? Bit of a weird company name but it's pretty exciting having such a big order to work on though, eh?"
"Yes, it certainly is. Baroque Works. I'm rather interested to see what comes of it."
"Pirates?" Paulie raised a brow with a grin then lit up his cigar.
"Oh, definitely pirates." Kaku couldn't help but laugh. At such times he especially felt he wasn't cut out to be an agent with Cp9 – especially with the way Paulie leaned up against a stack of lumber and looked him up and down with a tiny pout on his scruffy features - how could he possibly remain as empty as the others when Paulie filled him so completely?
"You sure you're okay?" his voice was heavy. "Why don't we have a few drinks when we're done for the day? Looks like you could use it."
"I'm sure it was because of one too many drinks I wound up in this position at all," he tossed in a light chuckle "I'll have to pass."
"Ah, right. That's fair. Another time, maybe?"
"Maybe. I don't know. I'm thinking I'll just stay away from drinking for awhile."
"Well hey, we don't have to drink alcohol or anything like that. We can just…y'know…have a sit down. Maybe some tea or-"
"No. Not tonight Paulie. I'm just probably going to head straight home and get some rest."
"Yeah, of course. I hope you feel better soon, eh? I'm sorry you wound up in such a shitty position. Fuck…just look at you." he reached for his battered face.
"I'll be fine." He flinched away.
"I know that..." he pulled his hand away and jammed it in his pocket "Lemme get outta your hair then, eh? It's weird though, this is probably our last time working together here at Dock 1 for a little while. Won't see much of each other with this new project going on, so I guess-"
"Seeya Paulie." He turned back to his work.
"Yeah." he frowned. "Seeya."
He turned away, shoulders slumped, but was stopped short by what felt like a wall; a warm, lithesome wall that smirked down at him.
"Lucci! Ah, ye' scared the bollocks off me!" He drew back but Lucci pushed forward.
"That wasn't my intention." Hattori was too happy to perform up on his shoulder. "Sorry, brat!"
"Ah, well…y'know, it's not a big deal. I'm sorry about earlier though." He looked sheepishly up at the elder shipwright.
"I know." His smile was unusually sweet "Water under the bridge."
"Yeah? For real!?" He perked up.
"Of course. Now, I was here to help fix up this old bag of bones…" he indicated to the massive, dark ship looming over them; his eyes flashed "then I thought I heard Kaku decline your offer of a lovely evening. If you still need someone to drink with, I know I could certainly use some unwinding and I'm more than available tonight." As he spoke he stared down at Paulie with a cocky grin that somehow made his knees weak.
"Yeah? You're not just fuckin' with me?" His laugh was awkward; he wondered how someone could look so sexy while speaking with such a ridiculous voice.
"Hm?" He chuckled as he wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm, his expression devilish as ever "Not yet I'm not."
He laughed at how Paulie's eyes widened. A sour look crossed Kaku's face but he bit his tongue and went back to his work instead.
"I-I'll see you at Blueno's tonight then?" His best attempt to sound calm and collected was futile.
"Blueno's it is." Lucci playfully shoved him off. "Now get back to work!"
Paulie nodded and tried to back away again but stumbled over Kaku's toolbox and into the ship. He fought to catch himself before he slipped between, eyes locked on the lapping water below.
"It'll be my treat." Lucci pulled him back upright "Watch yourself now. You'll be no good to us down there."
"Aren't I no good for y'all anyways?" he tried to hide his blushing face from him. "Isn't that what you always say?"
Lucci only shot him a sly smile before he set about his work. Paulie turned and took off running as fast as he could.
"You looked like you wanted to say something there." He smirked at Kaku once the flustered blonde was out of earshot.
He only shook his head without turning around; he refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the look on his face.
Iceburg sat at one of the school's long dinner tables with a miserable expression. He was surrounded yet alone. Utensils clinked all around him as the other students ravaged their meals but he could only sit low in his chair and try not to show how revolted he was. He wrinkled up his nose at the cacophony of slurping and chewing and tried to sip at a glass of water. The dish of overly-soft meat before him remained untouched except the tiny piece he'd cut off to try; the rejected bite was now wadded up in a fancy serviette awaiting to be thrown out with the rest when dinner was through. If he wasn't so anxious about spending time alone he'd have long abandoned the meal and headed back to the Sapphire Wing by now.
The Sapphire Wing.
He longed for it all: the mingling scents; the atmosphere; his books and bed - but especially the peace. The temporary quarantine he and Dylin had been placed under had been surprisingly wonderful. Such a slow paced day of recovery had been heaven compared to the hectic, never-ending school schedule he'd been bombarded with since. A giggle slipped out as he thought back what already felt like ages ago.
—
Dylin clapped the book he'd been reading shut and threw an offended gaze over to Iceburg.
"Marmocchio! You're one cold little bastard!"
He stopped at the washroom door and looked back to the bottom bunk where Dylin was now sprawled out.
"Who's the bastard!? You're back in my spot already!"
"Hey now…don't act surprised. I only let you have it back last night coz you weren't fit to climb a ladder let alone walk! I told you I'd be taking this one. Nothing's changed. My spot." He leered at him. "Anyways, we've got something more important to talk about!" he waved the open book in the air.
"What's that, a dictionary?" Iceburg raised a brow. "Is that the one I threw at you? What about it?"
"Troglodyte, eh!?" He thrust a finger against a page and pouted at him. "Heartless! You really are something!"
"Oh." Iceburg snorted out a laugh as he leaned over to leer at the paper. "Well, what was I supposed to say then? You were certainly acting like one!"
"Maybe," Dylin tried to hold back a smirk "I'm still offended now that I've read the definition though."
"Well, how about we make another deal then? To make up for it, I'll let you call me whatever you want – and I won't call you a troglodyte anymore…" he laughed "as long as you don't act like one, that is."
Dylin's grin was nothing short of maniacal.
"Call you whatever I want, eh? How can I pass up a deal like that…" he picked the book and flipped through the rest of the T section. "Let me find the perfect word for you…since troglodyte is so graciously taken." He glared at him but there was something terribly playful about it so Iceburg just stuck his tongue out at him. Dylin bit his lip and buried his face back in the book.
"Well?" Iceburg tried to get a peek at what he was looking at,
"Tesoro. Perfetto." He threw the book down again triumphantly. "You're such a little tesoro, Iceburg."
Iceburg snatched up the dictionary and sank down on the bed beside him, curiosity possessing him entirely.
"Oh, I can just imagine what that means." He chuckled as he tore through the pages.
"Can you?" Dylin smirked up at him. "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah!"
"Wanna bet?" His eyes gleamed.
"Yeah!"
"Oh? You're turning out to be quite the gambling man, aren't you? What are you putting on the table then, little mister?" Dylin propped himself up higher.
"Hm… I don't know. It's not like I have very many material things to offer you." He sighed as he pored over the book.
"Who cares about material things? Put something else down then..." He murmured, glued to his studious intensity.
"What do you mean?" Iceburg glanced up, intrigued.
"Well, something like this for example: If I win because you don't guess right…" he pondered it "...then you owe me an hour."
"An hour? Of what?"
"Just your time."
"Time? What do you mean?" He cocked his head.
"You know. Like, one hour for us to do whatever I choose. Whenever I choose. Might be today, might be years from now. Of course you'd have every right to deny any of my requests until one suits you."
Iceburg gulped; Dylin's grin was almost sinister but something about it excited him too much.
"Well, I don't know…"
"Oh that's just an example, you can come up with whatever terms you want. I wouldn't expect you to agree to a-"
"I accept."
Dylin gawked up at him.
"You're sure?"
"Yes." He nodded resolutely. "But…If I'm even vaguely right, I win and get the same?"
"Vaguely? Hm…that'd give you some damn good odds, considering…but alright." he smirked "You've got a deal, marmocchio. I can't say no to you."
They shook hands.
"Well, I bet it's something mean anyways." Iceburg crossed his arms with a smug smile on his face.
"Oh my, that is pretty vague isn't it? Alright then..."
"You're probably just calling me an idiot again."
"Hmm. No. Not at all."
Iceburg went back to the dictionary for a few moments. Dylin watched him eagerly until he glowered back up.
"That word - it's not even in here! Where did you see it?"
"Oh?" Dylin threw his head back and laughed, he plucked up the book and wiggled it at him. "You won't find it in here. It's not a part of this dictionary's language."
"Hey!" Iceburg stormed over to him and poked at him. "How is that fair!?"
"Fair?" He laughed harder and rolled onto his back. "I never claimed it was anything let alone fair!"
"Seriously!? Ugh!" Iceburg leapt on him and grabbed the book back. "You really are the worst!" He scanned back through the pages again.
Dylin was taken off guard but couldn't stop laughing; he wiped tears from his eyes and waved a hand up at Iceburg's serious expression.
"Come on! That's cheating!" He pouted and crossed his arms. "Tell me what it means then, at least! Dylin!"
Dylin grinned at the whine in his voice before he stole back the dictionary.
"It is not cheating! It was a total bluff and you fell hard!" His laugh shook Iceburg deep inside. "You'll have to figure it out on your own, somehow. You're clever, you'll get it." He tossed the dictionary aside with a low snicker.
"You're so mean!" He snatched up a pillow and held it up high, a smile burning bright on his lips.
"Ohh, no you don't!" Dylin grabbed his sides.
"H-hey!" Iceburg dropped it; lost in a fit of giggles as nimble fingers tickled against his waist, his hips, the small of his back. Gasping for air, he threw himself back and pushed at his hands but he was helpless against his impressive strength.
Although it wasn't the first time in his life he was trapped with no control by someone bigger and stronger than he was, it was the first time not a speck of fear was present from it. On the contrary, he felt drunk with the excitement.
"What'll you do now, Ice-boy!? You've no weapons to beat me with this time! Will you survive with no books to wield?" He slid up his ribs; it sent him into bright, squealing laughs.
"Dylin!" He managed to pant out his name as he kicked his legs about. He tried again to writhe out of his grip but he held him tight.
Just when he couldn't take it anymore Dylin's laughter suddenly halted and he quickly recoiled from touching him. He cleared his throat and tried to talk but stumbled over his words instead.
"What?" Iceburg's face fell. "What's wrong?"
"Uh, well," he cocked a clumsy smile up at him. "We never did get you fully dressed before bed last night, y'know. You should probably…um…" he looked away and, cheeks aglow, pointed down between his legs. "You should get dressed. Before someone comes back. Someone could definitely get the wrong idea from this…" sweat began to bead up on his brow "…even me."
He gasped. He didn't even have to look down to confirm that he hadn't put any bottoms on the night before; he remembered all too well the air against his wet body, the sensation of the smooth bedding against his skin and as he sat perched he could feel Dylin's bare leg burning hot against him.
"I'm sorry!" He scrambled back and hastily covered himself. The shirt he'd been given to sleep in had been long enough that it'd been too easy to forget it wasn't one of the modest nightgowns he was accustomed to wearing; he cursed himself for it "I-"
"Shh." Dylin held up a finger. "You don't bother me, okay? No need for apologies. It's just…safer." His toothy smile was reassuring when it wasn't all snide and sarcasm.
"I'm so embarrassed!" Iceburg's lip trembled as he stood and collected himself.
"You don't have to be..." Dylin jumped to his feet and draped a blanket over him "but here, wear this for now if it helps."
"Thank you." He wrapped it tight around him.
"Where are you keeping your things?"
"J-Just in my bag." He glanced over at where it was slumped.
He rushed to it and pulled out a few articles. Before he brought it back to him he put the rest of his things away in the one of the nightstands
"There you go. It's okay." He passed him his clothes and led him back to the washroom to dress.
Iceburg whispered another round of thanks then closed the door behind him. Dylin leaned against it and sighed.
"Hey."
Iceburg sniffled from the other side of the door but didn't answer; he continued regardless.
"…I win by the way. Sorry."
"H-huh?" Iceburg wiped the tears from his face.
"Tesoro..." He closed his eyes "It's not mean. At least, I don't think so. So… you didn't win, not even vaguely."
He managed to laugh.
"W-well what does it mean then?"
He chuckled but didn't answer.
"Dylin!?"
With a faint smile he tore himself away from the door and trudged to the window. He settled up in the sill to watch the city slowly come to life.
"Dylin! Tell me!"
—
Back in the dinner hall he tried not to sigh as he poked at the dubious meat once again. His stomach churned.
This is such a high class school. Why don't they at least have decent food!?
He really wanted to like it. He'd approached it with an open mind; the strange thin slab smothered in a thick reddish sauce, but it had proven to be just as horrid as it looked; blood and tomatoes was all he'd tasted.
The buttery voice in his ear made him nearly jump from his seat.
"Oh you just hate it, don't you?"
He beamed up at Dylin; he was leaned over him with a tiny grin on his lips.
"It's horrible!" He couldn't help but laugh "Yes, I hate it!"
"I know. Of course you do." Dylin closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to Iceburg giggle.
"How can they all stand to eat it!?" He kept his voice hushed so as not to offend anyone around them - not that it would matter; nobody seemed eager to ever challenge him when Dylin was near. There were times they walked the halls together people would scatter to stay out of their way.
"They're just trash, that's how. It's veal after all." he shook his head, then leaned closer "Come with me."
Excitement rushed through him as Dylin grabbed the chair he was seated at and slid it away from the table. He leapt to his feet.
"Aren't you supposed to be out working this evening!?" He was embarrassed by how thrilled he was to see him back so soon; he'd slipped out before dinner and said he likely wouldn't be back until much later.
"Well, I got lucky." He collected Iceburg's dishes while he spoke "I'm finished early tonight."
"You are!? So you're free for the rest of the night!?"
Dylin nodded eagerly. Iceburg giggled again; he liked the way his eyes squinted when he smiled so deeply.
"So you decided to come back here…to spend it with me?"
Dylin gave him a wide grin and indicated towards the exit. The smell of lavender danced around them as he followed him out.
"So what is veal anyways?" He couldn't help but stare up at him as they walked.
"Well…" He grimaced. "it's what they call the flesh that they butcher from baby cows."
"Babies? Why!?" Iceburg crossed his arms, his face twisted up "How could they!?"
"The rich seem to have an obsession with consuming the young. However they can, they will." He kept his voice low and his eyes on everyone around them. "They train their own to do the same too. They stuff them to the brim with the notion that they're entitled to whatever they see, whatever they fancy. Then they teach them that the most unethical of things are the most exquisite, so…they crave those things."
Iceburg couldn't help the wretched expression on his face as Dylin continued.
"I mean… They'll happily kill virgins and bathe in their blood if they hear it'll fix the age lines on their skin. They'll rob hair from the scalps of the young and poor to dress their deluded heads when their own hair wears thin. They just steal the lives of whoever; force marriages to make profit from their own children! Just take it all. Anything."
"That's true…I don't know why I'm ever surprised." Iceburg's head dropped low.
"Me neither. After all, they let human babies shiver and starve in the streets while they hoard fresh water, boundless food and host their shitty festas. So I guess it's nothing for them to butcher little calves who were forced to stand in place and cry for their parents; not that they would've ever had the chance to know the love of them when they're taken so early."
"But when there's so many other things to eat…why?" He felt sick thinking about it.
"I wish I knew. Imagine, never being allowed to take your first steps; confined by the vanity of the upper class who are just waiting for you to be that prime age where you're most desired to be taken and sold. Slaughtered."
"Well…" Iceburg stared down at his feet and sighed. "I can begin to imagine."
Dylin placed the uneaten veal gently outside the kitchen with the rest of the student's dirty dishes. After a short pause he turned back to Iceburg with a bright smile that pulled him back from spiraling into the dark place within him.
"Now let's get the fuck out of here, eh?
"Yes, let's!" He couldn't bare to look at the display around him anymore; smell it, hear it.
"Gladly. I was thinking we could head back to the dorm for a bit, there's something I wanna show you tonight." He slowed down when he saw him struggling to keep up.
"Okay…" he shuffled in beside him and matched his pace "What is it?"
"Nope."
"Well then!" Iceburg blew out a quick puff of air; Dylin laughed.
"It's a surprise, bambino. Wait and see."
"Fine then." Iceburg tried to sound grumpy but a shy smile forced itself across his face.
Bambino. Like so many other things Dylin said, he didn't know what it meant, but he liked the way he said it.
"So…" he gazed down at him with a grin "How was your day?"
The time had passed quickly since they met and, although they attended different classes and Dylin worked a lot of nights, they were inseparable during the time they had together.
"Dull." Iceburg sighed.
"Naturally." He brushed a hand down his arm "You're too clever for their nonsense."
He blushed and shook his head.
"I wouldn't say that, but…" He growled with frustration. "They're forcing me to study such basic grammar! Why should I have to sit through lessons that aren't actually teaching me anything just because others my age haven't grasped it yet?"
"Just go along with it. Get good grades. You'll drive yourself insane questioning it otherwise." Dylin chuckled "Formal education can be helpful but it's really quite a joke how they structure it."
"I'd say it is! I'd be much more excited to start the day if I knew I was actually going to be seeing and learning new, interesting things each day." He sighed.
"I know…" Dylin stole a glance out a window they passed; the vast ocean was visible beyond the cityscape. "That's part of why I plan to go out there and see more of the world when I'm finished here."
"It's a rather brave ambition." Iceburg gave a nervous glance out at the water "Being out on the sea isn't always as fun as you might think."
Dylin laughed and slid his hand down to rest on his lower back.
"Quite brassy of you to assume I haven't already spent a good deal of my life out there."
"Sorry." Iceburg winced. "I should really think before I speak."
"Don't ever apologize to me for that bold little mouth of yours." He tossed a cheeky grin at him "After all, it's one of the-"
"Hey, Dylin!"
They both turned to see who was calling; Dylin's face was knit with annoyance at the approaching boy.
"What do you want?" His voice was as sour with revulsion as his expression was.
"We've been trying to track you down for days! We're still looking for volunteers for the town gala tonight! The rest of the Dorm Heads are all representing-"
"No, thank you." Dylin turned and kept walking.
"Oh, but The Headmaster specifically requested that I ask-"
Dylin held up a hand to silence the boy, his patience already long gone.
"Is it compulsory?"
"No…"
"Then I already gave my answer. Or is 'no' not clear enough for you student council kissasses?" He clenched his fists; the boy shrank back and let out a nervous laugh.
"Uh…"
"Don't be rude!"
Both Dylin and the boy looked shocked to hear Iceburg shout out; he stood upright with his arms crossed firmly and gaze locked dead on the elder student. The council member looked back and forth between them, wide eyed, knowing how things turned out when anyone pissed off the Sapphire Wing's Head of Dorm.
"Well!?" He lifted his chin higher with the biggest frown he could muster on his lips.
"I-" Dylin was helpless; scarlet spread across his cheeks. "I wasn't rude! I said no thank you! He pushed me after I said no! He's rude!" he thrust a finger at him.
"You were rude and you know it." Iceburg swatted his hand down and turned to the boy who's mouth was hanging open; he spoke gently to him "What exactly does volunteering for the gala entail?"
"Oh, um…there are several positions still left to be filled actually."
"Do I have to be a Head of Dorm to qualify?" He threw another deadly glare back as Dylin opened his mouth to speak again; he froze up all over again and stood back with a sheepish face.
"N-no…" he was horrified to be interacting with someone who seemed to scare Dylin.
"Well then I would be glad to volunteer." He smiled brightly at Dylin's look of dismay.
"Oh!" The boy breathed it out like a sigh of relief "That's great! You'll get extra credit for it as well, just so you know."
"I'm not worried about getting any credit for it." Iceburg straightened out his tie and side-eyed his speechless counterpart. "It's more for personal reasons."
The truth was he had no interest in volunteering at all but he was sick of the aggressive attitude that would spring forth unexpectedly, even if it wasn't directed at him any more.
"W-what's your name then?" He readied a pen and paper.
"Iceburg." He tried his best to sound pleasant.
"Do you have a preference for working directly with people or behind the scenes?" He quickly jotted notes as he asked.
"Whatever needs to be done." He could already taste regret on his tongue for being so hasty to volunteer himself out of spite; he didn't actually want to do anything.
"Great! I'll let everyone know! Be at the main hall in-uniform around 9:00 and we'll have you greeting guests as they arrive. There'll be others there to take shifts too so you'll be able to enjoy some time there yourself." He raced off before Dylin could snap from his stupor.
"You're unbelievable." With a shake of the head he continued down the hall with a brusque spring in his step.
"Look who's talking!" Iceburg stormed behind him "You were actually going to hit that boy, weren't you!?"
"I should've. Pushy little creep…" he glared back again.
"What!? He might've been annoying but he was just explaining himself!" His anger built as he thought back to when they met; how he'd just wanted to go to bed, how he had just tried to explain himself to the volatile brute.
He touched his face and scowled; the bruises were mostly gone but he could tell the pain would be there for a long time to come.
"He's a total piece of shit! Didn't you get that gut instinct about him?" Dylin narrowed his eyes.
"What gut instinct?" He practically snarled; Dylin flinched.
"He had…I don't know, an aura that kind of felt like Braeburn's. He's just not right." He shrugged "You really didn't get that?"
Iceburg thought back to Braeburn and how sweet and polite he'd come across; how scary he'd truly been. He hadn't felt any aura about him at all though.
"So is that the same gut instinct you got when you decided it'd be a good idea to bash my face in?" He scoffed and looked away.
"What's with you!?" Dylin nearly choked "No! Didn't we already go over this!? Listen…scaring him off seemed like a good idea, I'm just thinking of-"
"Well I'm surprised you didn't call him a little faggot then. That almost worked on me. Is it usually the smaller students that you beat on?" The bitterness bubbled up from his throat before he could gag it back. "How long until you turn on me and treat me like that again if it's so damn easy for you!?"
"You know what!? If you really like keeping the company of that sort than you go ahead and enjoy your night." Dylin grimaced and focused his attention in the approaching door to the Sapphire wing "I didn't think he deserved your time or attention. I just thought I was helping."
"Well don't! You specifically said you wouldn't be my bodyguard. So don't try to act like one!"
Dylin spat out a bitter laugh.
"I wasn't! It's just – it's bad enough he's so unforgivably creepy but he was rude to you! I don't like the way he ordered you around!"
"Oh? Really!?" Iceburg scrambled to keep up "I'm perfectly capable of deciding who's rude or not on my own, thank you! And I can see quite clearly who the rude one is here!"
Dylin balked and shot back a pained look.
"You gave him your name when he asked but he didn't even offer the same respect back by introducing himself to you." He scowled "He came flying up to interrupt our conversation, unapologetically I might add, but couldn't be bothered to even hold eye contact…not to mention he never even thanked you for volunteering your time! I'm the one catching all the shit though? Why are you being so nasty, marmocchio?"
"I'm not! It's you! You're always so harsh to people!" Even as Iceburg shot back he felt the fire leaving his voice – the points Dylin had made weren't wrong.
"Sometimes you have to be harsh, Iceburg. You really can't be nice all the time. You shouldn't. It's the same thing as helping people. Ask yourself if it's worth it before you start putting your efforts in. If you try to please everyone you'll have a lot of shitty people walking all over you."
"Well…"
"Either way, if you're so keen on the gala would you at least consider working behind the scenes instead of with the public? I think, perhaps, behind the scenes might be best... considering...everything..." he cleared his throat.
"Considering what!?" Iceburg furrowed his brow.
"Nothing!" Dylin's face burned and he turned away.
"Is it because I'm transgender!?" his tone was a harsh whisper "Well so are you and you're always working with people! You're a leader here for goodness sakes! Why should I have to hide away just because -"
"It's not that…" Dylin pushed his hair back with a heavy groan.
"Then just mind your own business!"
"Fine! Great!" He yanked out his cigarettes. "I will! You stupid boy… I wasn't trying to be your bodyguard - just your friend!" He bit his lip and glared to the floor. "I'm sorry that I don't know how!"
He charged ahead and slipped past the heavy doors without another glance back. Iceburg was left pouting as he thought on the question.
Why are you being so nasty, marmocchio?
It was something he just couldn't answer as he thought of Dylin - the good side of him that saved his life and cared for him without a second thought. His friend. After taking a deep breath he hurried after him.
I have to apologize…and didn't he say he wanted to show me something?
"It's a surprise, bambino."
He winced.
"Dylin!" breathless, he tore through the door and locked it behind him. "I-"
He was nowhere to be seen but a tall, familiar figure seated on the floor threw him off guard.
