Chapter 16

It was the start of October. Angela decided to take Drax out to look at the schools near by. Despite Snek's best attempt to try and convince her to move to City Z, she only said she would think about it.

Snek was home alone as he turned on the news. It was breaking as it unfolded. "The Blue Serpent has revealed himself to be none other than Amai Mask!"

The coffee he was drinking sprayed out all over the floor. Snek couldn't believe his own eyes as they showed footage from fans as Amai took off his hoodie and sunglasses, revealing to the world in City R that he was the blue serpent.

"Holy shit" Snek muttered.

He ran out of the apartment, he caught the next train to City Z and ran all the way to Garou's! The stairs didn't stop him, nor the incline he was force to run up. He had to see if the family put Sweet Mask up to this! By the time he got to the house he was out of breath but had the strength to knock. However, he couldn't wait for someone to answer the door. He barged in, still trying to catch his breath. "Did…. You… see… the…. News?..." he said between gasps for air.

When he finally caught his breath, he noticed the look on everyone's faces in the room. It was like someone had let off a fart at the worst possible time in the worst possible way. "Okay… I may not be able… to feel things through the floor right now… but shit just went down here! Anyone want to fill me in?"

No one could speak, not even Garou! "I don't even know what to tell you Snek, I really don't" said Melee.

Snek however caught a chill running all the way here. "Mind if I use the hot springs then?" Melee nodded as he went to the springs, yet, he found himself being followed. He turned and saw Amai trailing close behind him. "Oh? Going to use the springs too?"

Mask was silent. So Snek didn't bother pushing the conversation. He undressed and slipped into the water as Amai slinked into the larger spring. There was an upset look on the idol's face, he kept turning and glaring at Snek before uttering. "This is all your fault."

Snek laughed it off. "Okay, the guy who isn't here gets the blame huh? Fine, fire away! What's my fault?"

"WHY DID I HAVE TO SWITCH PLACES WITH YOU!" Amai roared as he struck the water firmly. A good wave came from the strike, almost startling Snek. "Of all the M Class, I had to switch places with the likes of you!"

"You came at me the hardest asshole! You tried to eat me!"

Despite the tension between the two, Snek got the full story as to what went on back at the house. He revealed to Melee that he had loved her and sounds like he still does. Yet, he is upset that he never got her, and pissed off that Garou did. "Why am I even thinking this now? Why am I confronting the notion of my feelings for her?" Amai muttered.

"Ah, you got to the point where you ate so much you couldn't move. Then you start reflecting on your past actions… Oh, I've been there."

Amai paused as he turned to Snek, almost stunned to the realization. "You have, haven't you?"

Snek nodded. "You probably didn't hear, but Angela, the woman I am seeing… we use to date back in the day. She was my one and only at the time until I got stupid."

Amai was all ears. "What happened?"

"The rank went to my head," he explained. "Did you know I thought I had a good chance of being in the S Class? Well, that got knocked down quite a few pegs after my encounter with the Deep Sea King. I realize then and there, I wouldn't make it very far in the A Class. I was proud to be in it, yet knew I wasn't going to amount to much more. Back then though… I thought I was the shit. Angela… left me after she asked if I would consider having a family after my promotion. I laughed at the idea. After all, I thought I had bigger and better things to do."

Amai was all ears as Snek explained his past love and loss. It was similar heartache that he must feel. "What will happen next?" Amai asked.

"I don't know. I hope she stays, it's all I could ask for. But, would she want to be with me when I turn back? Her son wants me in his life… if you can believe it, he thinks I am like a father to him. I want to be that… even after I become a serpent again."

The two sat and soaked for a while, talking and listening to one another. Snek didn't think he would reveal so much of himself to Amai, more shockingly though was the fact that Amai listened.

After a while, Snek began laughing aloud. Mask was a little confused. "What's so funny?"

"The fact that all this is happening. Everything is bombarding the both of us at once and neither one of us has it easy! Look at you, you're that, contending with thoughts and feelings you have had and not to mention showing the world that you've become that! Then look at me. I regain the love of my life, however have to try and understand what the hell I am going to do next, worrying if she will even want to be around me after I change back and a kid that sees me like a father and wants me in his life… A vacation my ass!"

Suddenly, Amai began to laugh. "I never saw it that way… We're both miserable!"

"And how!"

The two snickered, despite what has happened between them, they both found the humor in their situation!