bang bang

David tensed in response to their own tension. As they let his shirt go and their comforting presence vanishes from up against him, he half turned, eyeing them carefully. At the mention of Phila and Chase, he feels a frisson of guilt. “We can go together, but….” He reached for his own cheek, then gestured to where the most of the blood splatter covers their face.

“It might be better to get cleaned up first.”

No need to panic the kiddies after all. 

“Cleaned up–” Angel repeated, voice still quiet. Realization dawned on them, why David would say that. The blood on his hands… where he gestured to his cheek, slowly they reached up and lightly touched their own. It had dried, but it was still an eerie thought…

To have their mother’s BLOOD on them…

Dirty…

Disgusting…

FILTHY…

Angel’s hands began shaking. They were starting to feel sick again, face paling slightly. The memories… they remember the stench of blood… the pen… the look in her eyes and the sound she made.

No no no– no… no… It was necessary… it was…

It was going to make Angel sick again. Eyes shut tightly, their hand moved to their mouth and covered it. Deep, heavy breaths as they tried to calm the churning of their stomach.

“You’re such a snitch,” David remarked, disgusted with his childhood friend. “Niwa-papa would have found out, I just… helped the situation along.” Josh retorted, tone ambivalent. Jerking his head towards the direction of the car. “The two of you should come inside. I’m preparing ginger rice and miso salmon.” Furtively, David glanced over his shoulder to see that Angel is peering out the car window and hesitated momentarily. Josh jabbed him with his elbow. “Don’t be a coward. Go” David started to say something and the other cut him a look. “Alright, alright, I’m going!” Walking over to the car again, he ducked his head half way in. “… I know you said you wanted space but Josh is cooking. So…”

Angel could hear their voices. Josh is a snitch, and whomever this ‘Niwa-papa’ is, would have found out about this situation regardless if Josh told him or not. That doesn’t sound good. Are they… like mercenaries? It would… kind of explain a few things?

Now didn’t feel like the time to be asking. 

David was back at the car and lightly poked his head in, stating that food was being made. Mmm, it sounded good. Made them salivate. It had been a while since they’ve had salmon, what with fish not being something they made often due to Phila’s general dislike and phobia of them.

Angel glanced down to the seat for a few moments, letting silence linger between them before shifting their gaze back up to David. They stare at him with some uncertainty… but there’s no fear. A few more moments pass, and they turn away and proceed to get out of the car. The car door is shut after they get out, lifting up their arms to cover their chest and used the sleeves to cover the bottom half of their face.

Shoulders relaxing a tad, he’s cautiously happy that they admitted to still loving him. He can work with that. He can still fix this…hopefully, over time. Although he’s reluctant, David gets out of the car first, and Josh passed him the cellphone. Well, just fuck him sideways then. Accepting the cellular device, he raised it to his ear, turning his back and said hello into the mouth piece. Closing his eyes, he listened to Chuichi as the older man subtly built up to chewing him out for reckless behavior, the lack of planning, his part in hiding Bunjiro, etc. Lastly ending with the promise of a home visit in the near future.

Angel feels the tension leaving David… which is good. He doesn’t need to be stressed out… neither of them do. Once the car door is closed, the Maiden proceeds to lay back down on the seat and idly play with the gravel and flower petals again.

It’s a mystery where they came from… to Angel, anyways. It smells good… earthy… sweet… comforting. The headache is beginning to dwindle, but that leaves them focusing on other things. The grimy feel on their hand from the vomit and the taste in their mouth. The hunger. 

The wondering… subconsciously aware of Virgo, the Spirit within them… if that moment of blacking out… Angel knows Aries can take over Arin, that’s a fact… did Virgo take over? No… no that’s never happened before, why would it now? 

It doesn’t matter. They need to focus more at the situation at hand.

Something isn’t right with David… if he thinks murder is a solution, something is WRONG. He needs to know that’s not okay. It will never be okay.

They have to be strong… he won’t hurt them… hopefully… hopefully… but they have to be ready… just in case he tries…

Doubt is not healthy for a relationship, they realize… but… murder isn’t good either. Relationships should be built on trust, communication, and…

“Do you want to…” He exhaled quietly. “I can grab some Tylenol for you, if you don’t feel comfortable coming inside?” By the time he went in the house, that would be ample opportunity for Angel to make a break for it, if they really wanted to. 

Again, the urge to apologize is on the tip of his tongue and yet David can’t form the words. 

He wouldn’t sincerely be apologizing for their mother’s death, for their reaction to it now? For letting them see him do it? Yes, he was sorry about that. 

Before he could fully think up something else to say, Josh was knocking lightly against the window. Cutting him a ‘Are you fucking serious?’ look, the younger merely shrugged, slightly apologetic, he made a telephone gesture and mouthed ‘Chuichi’. 

Ice sluiced in his veins.

Holding up a finger, asking for a little more time. Josh nodded and stepped back and then away. 

Turning back to Angel, he almost reached out to touch them, but at the last second changed his mind. “I just want you to know that you’re always safe with me. No matter what, whatever you decide and whatever comes next.” 

They are remembering why David… why him, above all people they’ve met, to try and get to know, to disobey the family and step out of the mold the family had shoved them into.

David had always put them and their comfort first. Above all else, even before himself, Angel was always first. Everything he’s done is for them.

The Maiden hears the light knocking on the window, lifting their gaze up to see Josh just outside of the door. There’s a moment of silence, Josh gestures something, and David tenses. Ever so slightly, but he does. Angel shifts their gaze down to the seat once again, staring at the gravel and flower petals. 

The two of them need to talk… a long, serious talk… but they’re so tired right now. Mentally exhausted. No doubt David is too. They just want something for their headache, some food, a shower… bundle up in warm, comfortable clothes and just… rest.

After all, she only held one year older than his twins.. and if worse came to worse, she had the perfect bribe.

“I would love that Niwa-san. I hope you have a good evening until we meet”  With that parting she hung up very neatly and nodded to herself. She had a date to prepare herself for.

and if she knew Niwa going by what she learnt from ten minutes of browsing his name on the internet? He’d be doing all sorts of digging.

Naturally, Zoya agreed to come along as his plus one and to scope out the person attempting to pilfer her present from her. It didn’t matter that originally the necklace belonged to someone else, it’d been bought with their money and thus it made it theirs.

Dayu had little information to offer about Adriana, though there was more about her family, apparently. It raised red flags for his best hacker, who emphasized a clear head and to be cautious. 

That warning was taken seriously.

He was always cautious but it wouldn’t be terrible to really play it safe. 

By the time the meeting was scheduled to take place, Zoya was dressed in one of her finest outfits; red truly being her color, the earrings  and necklace only making her all the more radiant to look at, to make a statement. He hadn’t escaped her clever hands and went along with allowing her to dress him. The suit highlighted his best features, making him ‘look commanding and debonair’ and the watch, a gift from a business partner last Christmas, was still in style and subtle enough to catch a person’s eye and hold it.