Have you ever had that awkward moment where no one knows what to say and it feels like you can just cut the air with a knife because the tension is just so thick? Well, that's exactly what was happening between Lifty, Flaky, and Flippy.

After the mental battle to the death that the two boys had had, Flippy had gotten a hold of himself and—with a fake smile—said how nice it was that Flaky was helping someone. Actually, his real words were "How nice, Flaky's doing charity work. I guess it's never too late to take an orphan in." or . . . at least that's what Lifty translated it to.

The librarian had led them inside and said that they could talk in private at one of the tables; he had lied. There wasn't much talking going on now as Flippy stared at Lifty without blinking, or even breathing it seemed.

Lifty and Flippy were sitting straight across from each other at the ends of the table, Flaky in the middle of them with a confused smile that made it all the more awkward.

Despite the size of the library, the fact that there was no one else inside and thus no noise to distract them made everything else sound louder, the sound of the ticking clock in the background sounded like pebbles being thrown in a metal bucket. Lifty's tapping foot on the floor matched the moving hands with every tick.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Eyebrow twitching, Lifty looked away from Flippy and decided to admire the 'No Talking' sign. Adding to his foot tapping, his fingers started hitting the table nervously as he glanced back at him, "Can you stop staring at me? I feel like you're looking into my soul or some crap like that, knock it off."

Flippy glared at him, a darker shine in his eyes than he had any other time; the shine that marked jealousy. He didn't respond to him, but rather turned to Flaky, the look disappearing as it was covered up by his normal politeness. "So, Flakes, what was the reason for you bringing this . . person to me?"

"Oh! Oh, u-uh," Flaky hadn't enjoyed the silence at all; though she liked it being quiet sometimes, she didn't like it being filled with . . just nothing, "I thought that maybe you would be able to g-give him some pointers on how to be . ." She scratched her head as she tried picking a word that wouldn't offend the masked boy. "How to be . . How to choose w-wiser decisions? Like, um, maybe something simple . ."

"Alright, I think I understand what you're saying," Flippy reached into his jacket pocket and took out a brown leather wallet, waving it in the air while he got up and walked around. "Alright, Lifty, let's start out with something that you have to control since you're you and everything."

Lifty stared at him with an annoyed face, taking some offense to his remark. "What is it."

"Okay, let's say you're walking down the street when you suddenly see a stranger," he pointed to himself, "drop their wallet," dropping the wallet, he continued strolling away like he hadn't done it on purpose, "what should you do? Why don't you show us what would happen in a situation like this."

Getting up, Lifty grinned and walked over to pick it up, already knowing what the right answer was. "Eh duh, you find that person," he walked over to where Flippy had stopped at, "and you give it back," he handed it back smugly. "You're welcome."

Flippy took it with a straight face, and, without checking inside it, said, "Great, now give me back my twenty dollars."

Lifty's smug face dropped as he scowled and held out the bill which he had expertly fished out of the wallet and hid in his glove. Flippy didn't actually believe that he would pass by an unwatched wallet and just give it back, did he? It was like passing by a person who was screaming out that they had free money and they were just throwing it everywhere; it was impossible.

Stiffling a laugh, Flaky tried to be serious about it, but she couldn't help but think that her new friend was such a good pick pocket. "L-Lifty! Seriously?"

"It was begging me to take it, probably knows that this loser isn't gonna spend it," he mouthed a sarcastic 'oops' after he said loser and smirked. "So sorry, I meant to call you something else."

"Yeah, whatever," Flippy brushed it off, not going to give the thief the satisfaction of getting on his nerves. "Anyways, why don't we try a new procedure to get you out of that bad . . habit." His green eyes said that he wasn't going to put up with the twin's shenanigans from here on out, so he was expected not to do anything that was considered stupid, sneaky, or cocky.

Throwing his wallet on the table, he went on the other side and knelt down on the floor, nodding for Lifty to step forward and try to grab it.

Of course, Lifty didn't trust him with a bit of his being, so he just had to ask in his suspicion, "What's gonna happen if I do reach for it?"

Flippy shrugged lightly, "I don't know, why don't you find out?"

Suspecting the solider and what might happen, he reached out and laid a finger on the warm leather before—

Smack!

"Ow!?" Lifty took his hand back, hissing quietly at the reddening line of skin that was about one inch wide and went from his knuckle to the beginning of his wrist. Emerald eyes narrowing, he looked at the flexible ruler the veteran was idly twirling around, the thing that had caused him pain. He rubbed his hand, growling out, "What the hell was that for?!"

"It was implied for you not to touch it," he answered innocently, his lips curving into a smirk that showed that he fully intended for Lifty to do touch it. Flexing the ruler, he paid no attention to Flaky stammering out if that was a good idea; pain wouldn't do anything! Would it?

"Well," determined to beat Flippy at his own game, Lifty decided to annoy him further and touch it again, "guess who's touching it~"

Smack!

"I didn't even feel that~"

Smack!

"I'm still touching it~"

Smack!

"Wow, you really want to cause me harm, huh?~"

xXx

Lifty was staring out the car window, watching the passing houses and trees as the sun reached the middle of the sky. He was holding his permanently red hand to himself protectively, the stinging still there. Did he regret it? Maybe. But did he enjoy seeing the frustration on the soldier's face as he continually tried to get a reaction out of him whenever he brought the ruler down? Hell to the yes.

Flaky was hunched over the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road as she let the awkward silence come back and hang in between them. ". . . What did you learn?"

"That it's funny to see that idiot bust a nut while trying to get me to not steal his wallet."

"Uh . . m-maybe Lammy has a book or something that you can read for manners . ."

:p Still not in the writing mood, but enjoy I guess. Crystal is now in debt to me for three updates lololol~