After three weeks of living with Vector, Second still couldn't understand why he was considered a threat to Eliphas. All he did was mope around the hell hole he called a house; he didn't even acknowledge that she was there, and when he did he acted like she was some kind of inconvenience to him.
Vector was lying on the couch, as usual, and she was just, watching him, with a gaze like that of a scientist watching a newly discovered animal. She shook her head and sighed.
"What, did you finally realize that you're wasting your time here?" he said, smirking a little.
"No, well, yes, a little." She looked at the floor. "You're so different from before. I mean I guess I should be happy for that. But just the way you are now is, well, it's sad. Pathetic really."
"Well if you don't like it here, the door is that way," he said while pointing. "I never asked you to stay in the first place."
"But if I leave I'll get in trouble!"
"Then just tell him I'm not worth your time. I'm sure you can be useful elsewhere."
"No, Eliphas will probably think I'm trying to get out of work." She heaved another sigh.
"Well too bad for you." he shrugged. It's not like her was forcing her to stay. She had no right to complain.
"Hm, I guess so." She stood up. "But, if I'm stuck here I might as well do something."
He looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "And what would that be exactly?"
"Clean. I'm going to clean this place. Just sitting here makes me feel filthy." She shuddered a bit.
"Weird. But fine, have fun with that I guess," he said, waving her off dismissively.
"And you're going to help."
"Hey, I didn't agree to that!" He leapt out of his seat and glared at her. "And this is my house anyway, so I don't have to listen to you."
"You need to do more than just sit around all day. And going out to get food doesn't count."
He looked away. She had a point, but he wasn't going to admit that.
She grabbed his arm. "You help me, and I won't bother you again with it."
"Fine. Whatever." He forced the words out of his mouth, fully aware that he didn't really have a choice in the matter.
"Wonderful." She said with a smile. It was the first time Vector had seen her smile since she had arrived. "Maybe I'll find a bed under this junk and I won't have to sleep on the couch anymore."
They sat across from each other eating the food that Vector had brought home. It was take-out, Second remembered him calling it.
"It's nice that we get to sit at a table now," Second said as a side comment. He just nodded in response.
It had taken a few weeks but at last the place was decently clean now … at least, on the inside.
"Too bad there wasn't another bed," she mumbled.
"We can always share mine," he said with a smirk.
"Funny, but, that doesn't seem right." She paused. "There isn't enough room for us both."
Vector choked on his food. "That's not — never mind. And there still is enough room."
"Forget it. I'll stay on the couch."
He shrugged and they ate in silence for a few minutes until Vector looked up again.
"I just noticed something."
"What?"
"You're a girl."
She gave him a furrowed her eyebrows, not sure how to take his comment. "And your point is?"
"Well I always thought you were a guy."
"Oh, well, I mean every time you saw me it was in the middle of a duel, so I don't think you were particularly interested in anything else." She thought for a moment. "Honestly I don't even think Yuma knows, and Astral wouldn't know the difference either."
"Hm, I see. I wonder if that means everything — "
"What?"
"Oh, nothing." He laughed. She just shook her head. She could tell what he was thinking wasn't a good thing, but, at the same time, she didn't even know what he was talking about.
"Hm, well you want to know what I just noticed?" she said in a much harsher tone.
"Um, what?"
"That despite you not having a job, you seem to have enough money every week for food."
"Yeah, so what?"
"Well what's stopping me from thinking you're doing something, let's say, illegal, to get it?" she said looking down on him.
"Hey hey," he head his hands up, " I told you before I'm not doing anything bad. And besides, I have certain ways to get the money, and they're perfectly legal."
"Then tell me, what are those ways?"
"Can't — it's a secret."
She shook her head and sighed. "Fine. If it's not causing trouble then I don't care." She got up, knowing he wasn't going to tell her anymore.
"Glad you see it my way."
