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One Too Many

No Rest for the Wicked

The smell of spring and freshly cut grass, it was so strong and potent the flavor dances on the tip of the tongue in a near teasing way because it's not really there. It wavers, ever changing, the taste is impossible to determine but the thought of the smell brings the slightest hint of the taste. Almost like a faded memory.

This is peace…

Lips curve into an amused carefree smile, brown eyes filled with laughter and crinkle with hidden delight, deep brown hair remained unseen beneath her shawl although a few stray strand dances in the wind, long legs curl underneath the thick picnic blanket.

Mom…

Next to her is man with a worn face, and peppered bright red hair from working long hours into the night, his read glasses hang lowly on the bridge of his nose. The book in his large hand is held loosely (even now he works). The man's thin lips are pressed into a thin smile, he speaks but his words are mute.

Dad…

A teenager with a strict face and sharp features is shouting something – but nothing is serious at the moment, his eyes are frustrated although his stance is at ease. The sword his usually carries is on the picnic blanket, handle gleaming under the warm rays of the sun. The uniform he normally wears (religiously at times) has been replaced for more casual wear. A little ahead of him is a girl with a huge grin running head of him. Her auburn hair fluttering, dancing this way and that, the ribbon that held her hair is being held by the teenager whom is chasing her and a boy with brilliant snowy hair.

He's seven like the girl, he is laughing along with the girl because he is having fun this spring day. They both are laughing, as all kids do when conspiring against their elders. He is having fun teasing and annoying the elder boy. Straining his ears, he could almost hear it…the silent laughter…the giggling of an innocent time…

SLAM!

That. Happened. To be. A. Good. FUCKING DREAM!

If there was one thing Nero hated the most, it was being awakened before he was ready. And dammit all, he was not ready! He pulled himself roughly from his spot on the bed and fumed, glared; threw metaphorical daggers at the annoying talkative bastards that interrupted his long overdue slumber. Although considering the time of the day, he really shouldn't be sleeping but since in a few days he'll be boarding the train in wonderland, he had been cramming down four years worth of magical crap into his skull with a "training" wand (" – we'll make an exception since you're late and need some practice." Apparently they had a magical equivalent to training wheels or whatever, which kind of irritated him to the point of wanting to shove said wand into someone ass, specially the wizard that had handed it to him). It had been his oh so bright idea to wait until the last minute, and pushed aside half of the learning material using the excuse that he was a quick study (he'll learn it later, and hey maybe he won't have to go after all since he don't know shit). Now that he learned the crap all he wanted to do was sleep dammit because he studied his ass off and made a freaking effort – somewhat.

Being perfect about something was apparently the cause of his current irritated state.

"Hey!" He snapped at the group of red heads and one brunette, "Get the fuck out, and have your piss party somewhere else I'm trying to sleep here."

Almost all the red heads scowled in union and glared his way while the brunette looked scandalized at his uncouth statement but at least had the decency to look guilty when she took in his tired bruised exhausted blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, you're usually at the library," she started. "We didn't know you were sleeping, but that's no reason to be rude. Let alone say something so vulgar!" She lectured, hands on her hips looking somewhat similar to the crazy sisters that ran to the orphanage. Is she going to pull out a ruler and smack his face off to next week too?

"Next time you're trying to sleep after nearly a week and half of no rest, I'll wake you and let's see how polite you'll be," he bit back. "Now get out!"

"She said she was sorry," a tall gangly red stepped up into her defend the (bushy haired – now that he noticed) brunette at the same time he finished angry remark. His ear burned a bright red in anger as he drew something hidden in his sleep, and maybe it was all in his head but angry red head had stiffened before he whipped out his weapon of choice. Instinctively Nero's hand moved to Blue Rose that lay hidden underneath his pillow but stopped before he could draw it out. The kid may be threatening his person, but he was still human albeit all little magical – still, he was human all the same.

"Ron!" The brunette snapped before the red head could fully pull out that weak little stick of his. "Look we're leaving, okay. Com'on," she pulled the impulsive red head while the rest followed all looking angry although the twins pulled the youngest one (a girl who had been staring at him with a slight blush on her face for some reason) in from of them protectively much like Credo had done during his training and they were introducing a small fry demon in how to properly fight (and kill) them. Only Credo had stepped closer and gotten an inch in front of him. His gloved hand inching close to his sword in a subtle manner that had Nero quirking a brow when no one else but he had saw it.

He would later figure out that Credo was just being a protective older brother, and it was his way of showing reassuring Nero that he was safe.

Nero collapsed back on the bed, his limbs heavy from exhaustion. His eyes heavy and drowsy but his mind alert informing him that there was no way he was going back to sleep anytime soon. Damn.

Nero stared at the ceiling, his eyes faraway.

That look…

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A/N: Okay good news is I'm officially ahead of my schedule by three or four chapters, bad news is there all handwritten in my notebook in which I don't have much time to type them all up - but I am hoping to have them typed up before the year ends and posted. My mom plans on making like at least 110 tamales (and not just any tamales either, there central american tamales specifically Guatemalan tamales! It's a family tradition for us to make them once a year, they are to die for if I do say so myself (quite smugly too). I usually starve myself the day we make them just so I can gorge myself). But I digress, the second bad news is that I didn't really mark when each chapter ends so I have like pages upon pages to decide when each chapter, good news is that's not really hard :P

On another note, so the world didn't end, eh go figure. *gasp* I knew it; it is an unfinished calender! I bet all those people who decided to forgo christmas shopping are going crazy now. Anyways I'm done, hey I might even update again tonight (like around midnight).