(Yo! I wasn't planning on posting this chapter so soon after the last one (and I'll still be waiting to post it in a couple of days on A03) but this is for Amanda!
It sucks being sick, so if it's any consolation to you, I'm also recovering from two root canals and getting my wisdom teeth out soon!
So…. misery loves company and all that! I hope you like the new 'special' chapter, only here on just for you! Thanks for all your very nice reviews. I really appreciate them. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ )
I have questions for you
Number one, tell me who you think you are
You got some nerve trying to tear my faith apart
(I have questions for you)
Viper looked down silently at the doorknob to their room. All they had to do was turn it, everything would be exactly the same as how they left it when they got up that morning. The clothes from last night would be on their dresser, Fon's ridiculous amount of hair care products would be strewn around the room in illogical places, their sewing kit would be on the night table and both theirs and Fon's books would still be piled around the bookcase instead of on it.
Everything would be the same as it was when they'd left that morning.
The same as every day.
Except it wasn't.
Viper's hand let go of the doorknob to pound at the wood Itself, sliding down to their knees against the door. Nothing would ever be the same again. Because Skull had left them, he'd left without saying anything, had taken off the moment they weren't looking. They'd had plans. They we're going to travel for a while together, Skull's idea when he'd heard they'd never been on a road trip.
What had happened? What had they done to drive him away? How could they even try to fix this when they couldn't find him! What was the use of their powers when they couldn't even…
A hand on the back of their shoulder made Viper want to hid away. They knew who it was of course, the only person it could possibly be with their room so deep within the house.
Being a Mist both had it's advantages and disadvantages, one of them being if they were ever taken out before the others, all of their Illusions protecting the house would fall with them. So it was only common sense that their room would be as deep within the mansion as it could possibly.
"Viper.." Finger's toughened from untold hours of hand to hand combat smoothed over their cheek. "Come, Xīngān. Let's go inside before the others see you like this. You'd hate it if you were more cognizance.." Strong arms lift them into a firm chest, before the ground starts to sway. Viper refuses to look at the room around them as they passed the door, pressing there face into the changshan that had always smelled the same, even when the arms had been to small to carry them like this, Viper shivered in dread. Something was different .
"Oh, Skull no…" Fon's whispered words caused Vipers heart to clench in renewed agony. They didn't want to look, but a small tap-tap-tap against glass pulled their face away from the safety of Fon's chest. A small wail clawed its way up their throat at the sight of a tiny Oodako sitting sadly in his travel aquarium. A small tentacle waved and Viper couldn't hold it in any more. Not when the only other person there was Fon and the Animal Partner Skull would have never left if this wasn't real.
Oh god, this was real.
This was real and Skull had left. Skull had cut all ties with them. He was gone, he was gone and it was all their fault. Why hadn't they ever tried to stop Reborn? Why did they never do anything that they should have done? What was wrong with them?! Skull had always been there for them, over and over and over again he'd been there and THEY HAD NEVER HELPED HI-
"-Viper! Viper, wake up! Your illusions are attacking Oodako!" Fon's voice broke through their spiraling thoughts like a sharp knife in flesh. Wildly they half stumbled, half crawled over to Oodako who… was perfectly fine.
Heaving out a relieved breath, Viper hugged the top of Oodako's tank. The small octopus petted the area where Viper's arm was lying against the cold glass. "That was a cheap solution, mou."
Fon didn't smile like he might have at any other time. His expression stayed on what could be seen of Viper's face, and the tears that were still trailing down them without their permission.
"Maybe. But it worked didn't it?" He shrugged half-heartedly. "Your no longer panicking."
"Yes!" Viper snapped shrilly "Because I thought I was killing the only thing Skull left me!" A harsh tap against the glass pulled Viper's attention from the unmoved Fon. The little octopus was looking up at them sternly, it's small arms on non-existent hips as it shook a finger at them.
Viper flinched from the slight admonishment before unscrewing the top of the Oodako's and letting the tiny creature they almost knew as well as Fantasma climb up their arm. "I'm sorry, doko-chan. I know you don't like loud noises when your like this." Viper stroked one finger down the happy creatures head. "Forgive me?"
Viper focused on the tiny version of doko-chan they rarely got to see and tried to ignore the eyes that we're burning un-judgmentally into the side of their head. They really didn't want to get into it with Fon, not the way they knew he wanted to.
"He can't plan to be gone forever if he left you with me. Maybe he's just.. mad?" Viper shook their head confusedly, the thought of Skull actually angry was a strange one. "Reborn can be a dick, and to Skull most of all. "
Doko-chan nodded sadly. Viper tipped their head forward slightly to get a better look at the octopus's face. Sometimes it could be hard to get a read on him, and that nod could mean anything from 'Yes, Reborn is a dick and Leon is too forgiving of it" to "Skull-Mama told me all of his plans don't worry.' It really depended.
Fon blew out a breath that could charitably be called a sigh behind them and Viper couldn't take it anymore. Wheeling around they crossed their arms over their chest defensively and snapped out a harsh, "What."
Fon leaned up from the wall and took a step closer towards them, causing Viper to hurriedly back up again. Doko-chan sensing the mood shifting away climbed up using the back of Vipers robes as a hand hold, towards Fantasma. Who seemed to have been waiting for him because the moment he was in touching distance of the frog they were both floating away towards the slightly open window, disappearing into the night.
Neither human noticed.
Which was just plain sad for the 'World's Greatest.' Although concessions could be made that they were in one of the most well guarded buildings in the world, in their own rooms no less, surrounded by the Strongest the Flame Mafia had to offer. If they couldn't let their guard down here, there really was nowhere they could.
"-We'll just have to find him then!" Viper yelled back at Fon, voice trembling the slightest bit.
"And then what? We drag him back here, kicking and screaming and force him to stay? Make him hate us even more than he probably already does?" Fon asked calmly. You would only be able to tell how stressed the Chinese man was by how tense his folded arms looked.
"No! That's not-"
"Then what else could it be? I was the last one awake besides Lal, Viper. When we all started falling, I felt him just as clearly as you must have, maybe even better since I had a suspicion on what was happening." Viper's lower lip wobbled but he continued dispassionately. "He felt trapped. Like a beaten dog in a cage, he was going mad from the way we've all treated him throughout the years."
Fon stepped to quickly into Viper's space for them to do anything other then try and smack him weakly, but he just took their hands and held them to his forehead. Head bowed as if to ask forgiveness about what he had to say. What Viper had to hear before they made any plans.
"If he would have stayed, Skull would has imploded."
A kiss to Viper's knuckles, eye contact they didn't think they could stand right now.
"And he would have taken all of us down with him. You know he'd never want that."
Viper curled their own fingers around the hold Fon had on their hand and clung with all their might. Their voice held all the fierceness it'd had before but none of the self pity.
"He can't be alone, Fon. Not Skull, he doesn't do well when he's alone. What's going to happen when he gets into trouble and we're not there to bail him out? What happens then? He may not be able to die but we both know that's not the worst thing that could happen to people like him."
"Viper, he's gone. Skull is gone. He broke every bond he had to us, he broke Reborn's bond, he broke yours. If this doesn't show you how badly he wanted away from us all then nothing will."
"But we have to do something!" Viper begged.
Fon just shook his head tiredly and squeezed Vipers hands hard between him. "We can't. There's nothing we can do right now."
"We have to try Fon. We have to! He's one of us no matter what he thinks, and we don't leave each other to die alone!
And that's exactly what will happen if we don't bring him." Viper didn't know how to get though to him that just leaveing Skull on his own wasn't an option.
"Viper.." Fon whispered heartbreakingly softly. "He doesn't want you."
Viper flinched back in shock and pain. They tried to wrestle their hands free to get away from Fon, from the truths they didn't want to hear, but with his superior physical strength it was a losing battle from the start. He let them fight for as long as they could but eventually Viper gave up and allowed themselves be enveloped in his warm arms.
"He left you." Fon said into their hood. "He left you and me and everyone."
Curling up tighter against him, Viper tried to block out the words. They weren't successful, every softly spoken word was like another knife in their heart. "Bringing him back won't fix anything. Won't fix all of us."
"….why did he leave, Fon? Where we really that bad?" Viper asks the question they'd been wondering since that first soul wrenching pain had hit them. "We.. we couldn't have been ..right?
Fon doesn't say a word, just holds Viper even more tightly in his arms.
And Viper breaks.
Viper cries more tears that night in their lovers arms then they had in all the time they'd been cursed. Great, giant grieving sobs for all the times they could have stopped this, could have stood up to the others, could have just helped Skull. Repaid him for all the times he'd helped them without any kind of ulterior motive.
Because Skull was kind.
He'd always been kind. Even when they didn't deserve it.
They loved him like a brother and he'd never known. Because they'd never told him or showed him. They could have stopped all this from happening but they didn't and for no other reason, then because it was easier.
It was a well known fact Skull couldn't die. So what did it matter if he got hurt a few thousand times?
Viper grieves into the earlier morning with Fon's arms wrapped solidly around them, his own tears soaking into the neck of their robe.
Number two, why would you try and play me for a fool?
I should have never ever ever trusted you
I have questions
My name was safest in your mouth
And why'd you have to go and spit it out?
(Six Months after Reborn and Skull's Falling Out )
Reborn looked up from the beautiful woman on his arm, all long dark mulberry colored hair and glittering blue eyes ( they were just a shade shy of lavender) to met the gaze of Sku- The Lackey. He'd been forced into another suit, this one a beautiful suede number with subtle dark, almost black plum highlights. It darkened his hair and made his eyes glint mischievously in the low light.
Fon was hanging off his arm again, the unlucky one picked to make sure Skull didn't sneak away again before the night was over. If the look on Fon's face was any indication it wouldn't be long before the Storm lost the free spirited Cloud for good. The kid already looked like he'd rather be chewing his own arm off then listen to another one of the Mafia princesses that surrounded him.
'Or rather' Reborn thought while he tucked a piece of hair behind the ear of the blushing woman beside him, 'He looked like he might start biting someone else's arm off if they didn't stop soon.'
Reborn ignored the woman's arm wrapping around his waist to stare amusedly at the suffering pair. She was a nobody, someone he didn't mind offending since she had no real contacts that could go up against an Arcobaleno. She'd been an amusing distraction ( Long legs, hair isn't right, eyes just a few shades too light, boring conversation, what was he even doing? She didn't look anything like-) but that was all.
Reborn withdrew from woman, ignoring her questioning look he took her slim, soft hand (not even that was right) in his own calloused one and drew her towards the other Arcobaleno. When her head turned to look at where he was taking her, Reborn could feel the resistance of her outrageously tall heels (much to short) dig into the tiled floor.
That wouldn't do if he wanted to use her the way he was planning.
"Tell me, mio caro. Have I ever introduced you to my colleagues?"
The woman's face paled even further than the makeup made her appear. "N-no Reborn, I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure.." Her mouth turned down at the corners, making her purple lipstick look more like a dark, glossy bruise then the soft plum it was meant to be.
He slightly jerked her hand in his, his other arm reaching around to snag around her waist so she couldn't escape. "That just won't do. I'm sure they'd love to meet you just as much as I did, angelo."
They were half way across the room when the woman who he'd never bothered to learn the name of started to really struggle. If anyone around them noticed no one made a move to acknowledge it. She really didn't have many options if she planned to stay at all undercover for the rest of the night, she couldn't make too much of a spectacle of herself. Dodging an elbow to his throat, Reborn activated the skin at the very tip of his fingers where they touched the woman's bare waist with Sun Flames. She stiffened up the moment she registered the pain, and Reborn hid his smirk with the edge of his fedora, leon's tail peeking over the rim.
It always interested him to know how someone would react to him activating the chemicals in their flesh that made them rot. It wouldn't kill her, not anytime soon, but she could clearly feel where his fingertips squished into her unnaturally decaying flesh.
A wash of weak Sun Flames tried to fight his own, before realizing it was an impossible task and focusing on not letting the rot that was inside her now spread any more than it already had. Reborn purred against the side of her soft hair, " No really , I'm sure they'd love to met you." She whimpered, sweat gathering at her ( It really wasn't even close to the right color, was it? Sloppy of him) hairline.
Skull had looked away since he'd caught Reborn's eyes minutes ago, but he hadn't changed his expression from boredly suffering either. There was a tall, black haired woman to the side of him now with her hand on his face, turning him away from Reborn and he definitely wouldn't allow that to stand.
(Why won't you look at me anymore? Why don't you see me anymore? What do I have to do to make you look my way with those impossible eyes?)
Letting go of the woman's most likely numb hand, Reborn smoothly interjected them both into the quickly dissipating group surrounding Fon and The Lackey. "Excuse us. I hope we're not interrupting." He really didn't care if they were.
Fon's eye's went wide, his 'why me' look meant he already knew what was probably going happening and he already knew he couldn't stop it., Skull hadn't turned from the dark eyed woman who was whispering in his ear now. The side of his painted lips, being the only man in the entire ball cocky enough to wear makeup and damn whatever the hyper masculine Mafia men thought, tugged up at the ends.
"No, Reborn." Fon sighed "You know your always welcome with us." Fon already sounded resigned on where this trainwreck was headed, one way or another. His shoulders drooped down slightly when his eyes followed where Reborn was looking. Skull wasn't even paying attention to who had spoken.
This wasn't going to end well.
Reborn's eyes narrowed as a spark of annoyance shot through him at being ignored for some easily forgettable floozy. Snatching a hand out he gripped the back of Sku- The Lackey's annoyingly soft hair and pulled .
Skull yelped at the pain when he was dragged in front of Reborn, his hands already tangling with Reborn's own to try and force them off. "Fon! What the hell man-" He choked off when he ran head first into Reborn's date.
She screamed. Skull screamed, Reborn smirked and Fon pleaded with his eyes towards Viper who having noticed what was going on, turned the way they came from and booked it out of there. Either they were going to find Luce or they were getting as far away from the incoming blast radiance as they could be for the inevitable explosion.
None of the party-goers so much as twitched in their direction. The crowd itself radiated a powerful sense of 'Intense Ignoring Of Any Oddities.' This was a Flame Mafia party, after all. Someone was going to scream at some point.
Reborn kept a tight hold of Skull's hair as he dragged him up and away from both woman, the black haired one ( And oh, now don't those dark espresso colored eyes look very familiar?) taking one look at Reborn's challenging stare and gracefully bowing out of the Game. The purple haired one Fon helped up, but kept a tight hold on. He smiled placidly down at her when she whimpered and turned prettily watering eyes up at him, she wouldn't be getting any help in that direction. And she seemed to realize it too, if that nasty scowl was anything to go by.
But Reborn was more interested in Skull's reaction then the woman Fon would hold for him until she was needed again. Reborn leaned the slightest bit over Skull, using his superior height in such an unsubtle display, that if any of the others had been there they would have checked him for Mist Flames. But it was just Fon, who (unfortunately for him) knew exactly how unsubtle Reborn could be when it came to Skull. The man was a subtle as one of his famous Chaos Shots, all bright color and overwhelming intensity or his penchant for Sadism in the work place, known and feared.
"You shouldn't ignore your betters, Lackey." Reborn pulled Skull's head back to face him so fast the pop of his neck was audible. But he wouldn't let Skull stand up, he was forced to stay on his knees where he'd landed when Reborn had first dragged him into the woman. "You never know who might take offence."
Skull's eyes started watering from the pull of his hair that Reborn held in a tight grasp, "But Re- Sempai!" Reborn twitched involuntarily at that… title. "I didn't know it was you. Skull-sama would never ignore the Great Reborn-Sempai!" Skull whined up at him.
Reborn could feel the annoyance starting to build up in him. "Sk- Lackey. How many times have I told you not to call me Sempai." Reborn tugged harshly at Skulls hair.
Skull screamed dramatically of course, and the Intently-Ignoring-Everything crowd seemed to collectively move as one even farther away, all without stopping their own conversations.
Batting at Reborn's hand Skull looked up through his dark lashes, mascara running in rivets down his face, cheeks pink from crying and pouted. "But… What else am I supposed to call Reborn-Sempai?"
Reborn stared down at Skull for a few very long, silent seconds before turning his head away, one hand going up to cover his mouth. It was very hard, even for a genius like himself to think of something intelligent to say when the only thing going through his mind was 'pretty...'
To the immediate right of the couple in their own little world was a face-palming Fon and the unnamed woman, who looked ready to do battle herself. "You have got to be kidding me."
Fon sighed "No, their really not." The arm not holding onto the woman scrubbed at his face tiredly.
The woman continued, outraged. "What are they even doing? Do you know how long it took me to get any amount of attention from Reborn? And then he just- he just appears and woosh! Gone! What the hell?!" Fon tried to calm her down, even though in his honest opinion, she really did have reason to be annoyed.
"Believe me, I understand..."
"I'm so much prettier than him!" She protested, free arm waving in Skull and Reborn's general direction. "It took me forever to find such an unique shade of purple hair dye! Is this why he only goes after woman with purple-ish hair?!"
Fon awkwardly shifted, "I..couldn't say for sure…" Fon tried not to think of the little pinkish-purple haired girl Reborn spoiled outrageously, or how if she reminded him of a small, childish Skull, then she must really remind Reborn of the same. ( Do not think on how she would be a perfect mix of both of them, Fon. Do Not.)
Now he really hoped those two finished this soon, or maybe, hopefully a bolt of lightning would hit the mansion and they'd all be able to leave. (Wait, no, then he'd have to sit in a dark car with both of them. Together. Fon had taken Skull in another car away from everyone else for this exact reason, but there would be no unlatching Reborn away from Skull now that he'd gotten his claws into him tonight. )
But the woman clung onto his uncertainty with all the tenacity of a Bulldog. "It is!" She crowed angrily "It totally is!" Smacking Fon's arm desperately she looked up at him and point blank asked, "Is that even flirting? I have no idea if that's flirting! I have no idea what that even is."
"Yeah." Fon said looking forlornly at the door of the manor.. "We don't really know either."
And then, like a Goddess of Mercy, Luce swept down from the heavens (Or the stairs they were conveniently by) and started trying to separate a crying Skull and annoyed Reborn. Who still hadn't been able to 'convince' Skull to stop calling him Sempai.
Fon shook his head as he handed off the still ranting woman, an assassin after Reborn's Genes if he wasn't mistaken, towards Lal. It always stupefied him to watch how such a smart, crafty man could continually get played by Skull. Everyone knew he only ever called Reborn 'Sempai' because it pissed him off.
Ever since he'd popped back up after months of being missing, Skull had taken to passive aggressively trolling Reborn any chance he could. And Reborn, for all his.. Well, everythingness, never seemed to realize that was what Skull was doing.
It really did boggle the mind what love could make a man do. Now, if only Reborn could actually talk to Skull instead of trying to impress him in ways Skull had no interest in...
Then they might actually get somewhere.
Oh, your voice, it was the most familiar sound
But it sounds so dangerous to me now
I have questions for you
Chinese; Xīngān - Basically an endearment meaning; My Heart and Soul, Someone I can't live without. Very serious.