On usefulness and the passage of time
Written for the word prompt "winter" over at the KHR Fic Meme, with a title taken from the 31 Days theme for April 11, 2008. Special thanks to Nikki for doing the REAL archiving for all of us~
Squalo Superbi is the overgrown puppy that is always curled up in one of three places, depending on the circumstances:
1.) On his bed, usually naked as the day he was born.
2.) On the floor of his room, specifically on the Persian carpet by the fireplace.
3.) On the space between the accent piece and the door to his office, right up against the tacky wallpaper that Lissuria insisted on covering all the hallways of their headquarters with.
Squalo is currently occupying Potential Area #2, lying on his side in the same black leather that he was wearing the other night, muttering in his sleep. The light from the fireplace sets his hair aglow, like white fire. Xanxus knows, from personal experience, that it's soft and cool to touch.
Their normal routine involving Potential Area #2 is Xanxus nudging Squalo awake with the toe of his boot (or kicking him awake in the stomach if that doesn't work out) and Xanxus then stalking off with an imperious demand, to which Squalo will hastily comply (but not without a hell lot of cuss words and a good number of "VOI"s). It's been years, however, since Xanxus' second awakening - good, long years. Xanxus is kind of really tired of all this "I'M THE FUCKING SUCCESSOR" business. Squalo is still in place, still growing his hair out. There should be something wrong with that, but Xanxus can't really think about what it could be.
Xanxus marches over to the cabinet, whips out a blanket, marches to where Squalo's sleeping and throws a blanket on him before stalking off to bed. He tells himself that it's because it's cold tonight – Christmas is just around the corner. Squalo whines too much when he gets sick, so might as well make sure that he doesn't get sick at all.
In the meantime, from Potential Area #2, Squalo snuffles and mutters a little more in his sleep.