Woot I finished fast. But it is short. Too bad. Anyway with this update, my user is now Aiko. This will likely be my last name change. Anyway, thanks Neko. Also, the prologue's done for the fic DP. I am fast. I may post it tonight. Who knows?

This little fragment's kinda sad and probably canon.

Name: Smile

Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: Probably K+ but go for T for safety

Warnings: Slight OOC for Ikki possibly

Summary: He wanted to stay there but in truth he didn't belong.

Fragmented

17. Smile

Ikki wondered about Akito and Agito. He worried about them. He worried a lot. Agito was a bloodthirsty nutcase on his own but that was just how he was. Akito was timid and pacifistic. Yet, he seemed to have no problems after Agito had just proceeded to rip through people's bodies and use them as meals. In fact, he seemed more hyperactive and cheery after that. When he asked Agito, he had just been turned away with a simple "Fuck!" and a roll of the eye.

So he decided to ask the little nut himself. It hadn't taken much to convince the love-stricken boy out on the rooftop. Mikan had snickered at him while Ringo growled, something that he couldn't understand. Maybe it was a girl thing. Who knew?

"What's up Ikki-kun?" The boy's smile was missing, swapped for a shyly tilted head and a curious frown. It was still innocent. It was still disturbing.

"Why are you always smiling?" Oh that was blunt. Real smooth Minami. Akito's expression didn't change.

"Why?" the boy repeated, contemplating the question. "Does it bother you?"

"It's weird when someone acts like a child after he's just seen someone torn to pieces." Wouldn't that bother you?

His eye widened innocently. "Oh, you're worried about that?" Ikki nearly fell off the roof. Was this kid high or something? Does he really not get it?

"Yeah." Duh.

Akito giggled. "Oh there's an easy answer for that: I don't care about it."

Ikki was turned speechless, having expected something completely different. "Uh…what?"

"I don't care about it," Akito repeated, swinging his legs childishly against the shingles. "They are nothing but statistics at the end of the day, why should they affect me at all?" Ikki raised an eyebrow. There was no way the kid believed something like that. He was way too sweet for that... right?

"You're a terrible liar."

Akito shook his head. "It's true. I don't care for them individually anymore. If I did that, I would lose what's left of my sanity. That happened once. Onii-chan got hurt real bad because of it. I could have killed him if Sanao-san hadn't stopped me. And then I would have killed myself, and that would have messed everything up. Besides what's the point of caring about everybody when all they do is bad stuff and you have to punish them? It's no good."

He's such a… kid. That really was the only way to describe Akito, who had started humming innocently to a tune only he could hear. He spoke so childishly, acted as though nothing was wrong even when he knew it was, and kept this up for something that shouldn't have been. He was smiling but the eye Ikki could see seemed as though it were blank. What is left of your sanity? You've been killing people and raised in a cage? Are you even able to say you have sanity anymore?

"Besides, Agito is happier when I smile." Ikki blinked. Thinking of Agito as a happy person was strange.

"Really."

He got an enthusiastic nod. "Uh-huh! He likes that a lot. That's because when we first met I cried often and was always sad. Now I'm not and that makes him better too. So, as long as I smile, everything will be just fine. Even if I'm not happy, it'll be okay."

"Why?"

Akito paused and looked away from Ikki, his stare flashing to something utterly empty, as though caught in a flashback you just shouldn't have. "Happiness… it doesn't last forever. Something like that isn't even possible, I know. But if I pretend, if I believe it will be, then maybe…" He trailed off before forcing himself to finish.

"As long as I smile, people will think it's okay." Akito stood up, believing the conversation was over. "G'night Ikki-kun."

"No."

Akito paused curiously. "Eh?" Ikki's arms wrapped around him and he felt his body moved back down. All Akito could hear was Ikki's continued denial, feeble and empathic. No because he was only fourteen and broken beyond repair. No because he was being undeniably selfless in a selfish world. No because, damn it, it wasn't fair that he had already given up hope for himself.

"Ikki-kun… it's okay." Those three words shut him up better than any love confession. Akito squirmed away from him in a sad sort of manner. He looked up at the moon almost wistfully.

He wanted to stay there but in truth he didn't belong.

There was so much Akito could tell Ikki, so much he wanted to say, but he ran out of words. Instead, he did what he did best.

He smiled and said. "Good night Ikki-kun. Sleep well, okay?"