Author's Notes: I needed to take a break from studying for finals, you lucky dogs. This chapter got finished way sooner than expected.
"You told people about us? You told them who we are? We're wanted! You understand that, right, brat?"
Now, Fang shouldn't have been surprised. He was always getting so surprised by how everything turned out and, as time progressed, one might assume that he would adapt to the crazy world around him and just stop being so damn shocked about everything that transpired. It turned out, though, that he was just as off-balance as ever with how things were going.
The tiny little hotel room where he and Zelos had been staying was currently holding three people: himself, Zelos, and Genis. The difference between this moment and every moment before when they had all three been inside was that Zelos was conscious. He was also in a fervent rage.
Of course he was. No need to be surprised. Honestly, all Fang had done was walk in after his encounter with Vinny, spotted Zelos sitting up on the bed with a cup of water in his hand and a silver-haired teenager sitting across from him, he, too, also comfortable and cross-legged on the same cot. Then Fang had said to Genis, "I met Vinny. She seemed nice."
Zelos had looked at him with an irritated turn of his head and narrowed eyes. "You talked to a stranger?" he had interrogated.
"She said she was on our side. Genis had already told her about us anyway."
Then Zelos had swiftly kicked Genis so he flipped over and slammed into the ground. Thus bringing everything full circle and to the current situation.
"You told people about us? You told them who we are? We're wanted! You understand that, right, brat?" Zelos was practically hissing at Genis, slamming the glass of water onto the nightstand.
"What the hell! What's your problem?" Genis snarled from the ground, lifting his head and glaring at the red-head who was hunching over so he could scowl right back.
"My problem is the fact you went and told the entire town about Fang and me!" Zelos snapped.
"The entire town is a haven for people against the rule of that imposter," Genis informed Zelos. He puffed out his chest and pulled himself up to his feet, now at eye-level with the ex-noble. "They are on your side." Genis reigned back his disgust and quirked an eyebrow in a smug fashion.
"They are on our side," he revised.
"How can you be so sure that our side exists at all?" Zelos demanded from Genis.
"Is that even a real question?" Genis scoffed.
"We're dealing with something that can disguise itself into completely different people and entities." Zelos was staying serious, still glaring at Genis while he spoke. "How can you safe-guard your side if you don't even know if the people you're dealing with are genuine." No question in his voice because Genis held no viable answer.
"What would you have me do? Catch head-colds and collapse in random hotel rooms with bird-kids?" Genis mocked.
"I am right here."
The exasperation gained Fang no ground.
Zelos grabbed a vase from the night-stand and chunked it at Genis who caught it quickly. "You're the one I'm left with. Of course you are." Zelos sneered.
"Don't sound so thankful that you got somebody at all," Genis retorted.
"Thankful!" Zelos began to laugh and Fang awkwardly stepped away from the two fighting males. "Thankful? For what? For you? For getting you out of everybody else? Not only are you just a child, but you are as big of a coward as I am!"
"I am not!" Genis's arm flung out as if to ironically help prove his point.
"Ohohh! But here's the thing!" Zelos stood up and took two swift steps so he was nose-to-nose with the half-elf. "You are! Anything less than a coward would have been taken over, or even killed like the others were! You think it's a coincidence that we're the ones who were left behind? Heheh."
Zelos rocked back ever so slightly and began to laugh now. "We couldn't hurt these bastards even if we tried. Hehehhh."
Genis pushed Zelos away. "The difference between your cowardice and mine is that I grew out of mine years ago! What's your excuse, Zelos?"
"I don't need an excuse." Zelos's laughter had suddenly died and he was glaring down his nose at Genis.
"Hey hey hey!" Fang raised his hands up. "We're all on the same team! The enemy of my enemy is my friend? You know… All of that…?" he quickly took another step back at the simultaneous whipping of oddly-colored heads and the staring of penetrating blue-eyed glares.
Zelos was the first to turn back to the fight. "Get out, Genis. You're obviously too careless for us to bother teaming up with."
"You are still an idiot after all these years, aren't you?" Genis's fists clenched and he held his arms tightly by his side. "You have nowhere else to go! No one else to go to! What could you possibly expect to achieve by turning away your sole ally? I can guarantee that you won't find any other people willing to fight for you other than those here in Triet and the people here follow me."
Zelos smirked and reared his head back. "I found one in Palmacosta. I'm sure I can find more."
"What happened to the one you found in Palmacosta, eh?" Genis demanded. "Why aren't they here, stupidly following your madness like the bird-kid? Where are they, Zelos?"
Zelos's confidence faltered, thick red eyebrows pulling together into a tight line.
"That's what I thought. Come find me when you've decided to act your age. I'll be leading the rebels." Genis turned to strut out of the room. There was a certain amount of smugness Zelos couldn't bear to let leave unharmed.
"Contain yourself from telling them all of my secrets. I do enjoy being one of the only people with hair this soft and if you go babbling about what shampoo I use, I'll be pissed." Zelos had straightened up and delivered the line like his pride had never been hurt by the reminder of Whidmore's execution.
Genis said nothing except, "You ass," before he shut the door behind him.
Fang immediately turned to Zelos and watched as the red-head plopped down onto the bed and began rubbing at the back of his head.
"You feeling okay?" Fang asked.
"Little twerp. We can't afford any fuck ups. I don't care if he was Lloyd's best-friend, he is being stupid." Zelos was grumbling to himself before crossing his arms and falling back onto the bed so he could stare up at the ceiling.
"So, you seem a little frustrated." Fang wasn't being sincere. He really didn't care how angry Zelos was about Genis. If anything, Zelos had overreacted, and the best way of informing him of that mess-up was by being mocking.
"Damn right I'm frustrated!" Zelos hadn't caught the sarcasm. "He thinks he can just tell them all about us! As if he has the right!"
"I really don't get what could happen that is so much worse than what's already happened." Fang shrugged. "It's not as if we can get anywhere if we don't risk something of ourselves, even if it is just the barest semblances of our personalities."
Zelos's eyes turned to him in confusion.
"She didn't even know what I looked like or my name—just that I'm rebelling with you and Genis. She knew that because she works with him as a confidant, I'm sure." Fang smirked. "You got worked up for nothing. There is literally nothing wrong with what he did, you psycho."
"He's arrogant." Zelos turned his head away stubbornly and glared at the opposite wall.
"Are you feeling any better?" Fang tried again.
"My blood pressure feels a bit high, but, yeah. I'll live, hot-shot," the redhead mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, so suddenly that it caused Fang to jerk back a little in surprise, the redhead sprouted to an upright position and stared at Fang with a huge smile on his face.
"Uhhhhm…?" Fang took another step back.
"She. Her. Sheeeeeeeeee." Zelos held the E out, making it bounce with unseen excitement.
"Yes?" Fang still didn't risk going any closer to the older man.
Zelos bounced up to his feet and closed the distance anyway. "You met a giiiiiiiiiirl!"
Gloved fists closed around Fang's shirt and jerked him down a few inches so he could be nose-to-nose with Zelos.
"Well, yeah. That's what I said when I walked in! Y'know, right before you tore Genis a new asshole? Remember that?" Fang slapped at Zelos's hands but he had a surprisingly strong grip for a man recovering from an illness.
Blue eyes narrowed mischievously and one eyebrow lowered while the other arched suggestively. "So, she was nothing special, hmmmm? She has nothing to do with why you defended Genis's terrible decision making?"
"Are you insinuating something?" Fang finally broke Zelos's grip and tore back with four rapid steps.
"I'm not insinuating nothiiiing." A few more eyebrow quirks and a cocky smile caused Fang to roll his eyes.
"She is just a girl."
"They always start out that way, don't they?" Zelos hummed thoughtfully.
"I am not going to get involved with someone from this… this-" he struggled for the word, "-place! You idiot. That is a bad decision if I've ever heard one."
"Well, compare it to Genis's bad decision and see what you come up with, kid," Zelos suggested smugly as he sat back down.
Fang groaned and took a seat on his own bed.
"What's her name?" Zelos's voice inquired. The redhead was looking at Fang curiously now.
Giving up, the avian-hybrid exasperated, "Vinny."
Zelos suddenly made a weird squeal noise that gave way to giggles.
"What now?" Fang grumbled at him.
"You remembered her name! Guys never remember the names of girls they aren't interested in!" Zelos chimed.
Fang moaned and let his head rest in his hands.
"… Maybe guys like you…"