GIZ'ZO

Raven was astonished when the Queen’s broadcasted that a neighboring planet was suffering due to what had happened with the Queens and Krunul. Being a hero she was quite used to things like people picking someone else to pay for your mistakes. But the fact of the matter is that something this serious and planned could’ve happened so close to their new home worried her. Instead of volunteering though she chooses to stay behind just in case. the People of Mera were able to hold their own so long as a choice few stayed behind to protect them. She sighed looking up at the sky as she did normally when thinking of the people who’d taken off no so long ago. “Do you think they will be okay?” she whispered to the person next to her.

*.. Giz’zo looked up, trying to see whatever she was seeing up there. but nothing. “they are probably all dead by now.” he lit the cigarette he had between his fingers and chuckled, the poor girl probably had someone important for her in that mission so he decided not to add anything else. “jokin’. I think Vortua is a bigger planet than dis one, I can’t quite remember. but thing is, they are probably simply busy. can guess ya got someone important there.”

His hand picks up the knife, sliding it into his pocket. RJ pushes himself off the ground, standing at the taller boy’s side now. His eyes looking up at Giz’zo as he talks, and a hand reaching out to grab onto his arm even if just for a moment. “You’re probably right. I need a distraction.” He goes silent for just a moment, but gives the other’s forearm a gentle squeeze. “You would have worried about me? Well — I’m right here in one piece. I’m still healing from the robot attack so, it’s probably best I’m here anyway.” He pulls back slightly, a soft smile on his face now. Whenever they were together he gets that same familiar feeling inside — a warm feeling. “What do you have in mind?”

*.. Giz looks at him and without really thinking about it, he leaned in to kiss his head. just one more thing to add to his ‘what even are you doing’ list. list that only had things he had done for or with RJ. he was probably truly gone. “cute. ya believe I wouldn’t have followed ya to dat mission?” the reason why, he kept it to himself. he couldn’t simply say the other was the only thing he cared about, anyway. at least not when his translator was on. “we can uh... improvise a date? I’ve never done dat, so.”

Kalix stayed where he was, watching Giz’zo’s finger getting closer to the plant and trying really hard not to react. He knew the man didn’t care about his well being and would probably touch it anyway. A groan escaped his mouth and before he could stop himself, he was pushing his friend away from it, knowing a joyful laugh was coming at his behavior. “I swear, one day I’ll stop caring about you and just let you get killed.“

*.. And there it was. Just a matter of time, as always. “ya can’t do dat. ya are too sweet with a soft heart.” he laughed and punched Kalix’ shoulder playfully, his attention now on all the different plants. Giz didn’t exactly pay attention to the things around him most of the time, much less plants or small things like that so having so many of them there for him to admire was a new experience. “so, which ones are a good gift? n’ don’t ya dare ask why.” said while pointing at his friend, though he knew he was going to ask anyway.

His eyes watch as Giz moves around the room, and ends up back at the bed. He was glad for the lack of a distance if they were going to have this conversation. He subtly leans into the touch to his cheek — always starved for affection. “I spent my entire life taking orders — unable to think for myself. You might think it’s a poor decision, but I don’t. I like a little danger.” RJ admits since he wasn’t afraid to be a little reckless. His hand reaches out to rest on the other man’s forearm. “It looks like we’re both experiencing a lot of firsts when it comes to feelings. You know THINKING isn’t so bad. I’m not going to expect you to change who you are — but if me being here helps ground you then that can be something good right?” RJ pulls his hand back after a moment to rest in his own lap. “I was a little scared when I first ended up here, but I feel like I don’t have to be around you. Thank you for showing me around a bit yesterday.”

*.. Giz doesn’t say anything else, simply looking at RJ with his intense eyes. He wasn’t used to any of that and the thing that was complicated for him was the part of him not minding it. RJ was wearing one of his shirts, slept the whole night in his bed and everything he could think of was how cute it was. “I guess it’s a good thang. I can slow down n’ ya finally can do whatever ya want.” he nodded and cracked his knuckles as his shoulders relaxed. it felt good to be trusted. he had done very nasty things in the past, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t have something better, right? “ya should keep da shirt. it looks cute on ya.” said as his fingers tugged at the end of said shirt and then found the other’s hand, feeling how warm it was compared to his hands, that always were cold no matter the place or weather. “I’m touchy and know no personal space shit, so ya tell me if it’s okay to do dis or whatever.”

His hand pulls back to rest in his lap when Giz stands up from the bed. He didn’t mean to startle him by the gentle touch — gaze watching him move over to the window. His own body sitting up, and pulling the blanket off of him completely. RJ doesn’t get up as he doesn’t want to make this worse, but how do you properly express your feelings? “I sure hope you’re not dying.” He admits first as he looks down, fingers tugging at the ends of Giz’s shirt that he was wearing. “What did you do all night? Watch me sleep?” He teases, but his heart wasn’t in the joke completely though. “I like being around you more than other people. We don’t have to have it all figured out today, but I feel like I can trust you.” RJ was new to the concept of having a crush, and doesn’t want to ruin it. His gaze looks up again finally over at the boy across the room. “You’re the only person I want to share a bed with.” He wasn’t close to anyone else like that — and he doesn’t want to be. While this was all still very new, he believes in what was said. 

*.. Giz’zo huffed and made his way back to the bed, sitting at the edge but close to RJ. “I did watch ya sleep. it’s not da strangest thang I’ve done.” he looked at the other and without thinking much about it, extended his arm to brush his cheek with his thumb. he looked kind of upset, probably uncomfortable and Giz knew it was because of his reaction. “trust me, huh? ya make very poor decisions, I can see.” he didn’t even trust himself. he was terribly unpredictable and acted on impulse. but the weird feeling of his stomach turning and his pulse practically racing didn’t disappear and actually got worse now that he moved close to RJ again. “ya make me think. I can’t exactly describe it, but ya make me feel present. I have been runnin’ from ma own mind for da longest time n’ ya appear outta nowhere n’ get me like dis.”

This was a new experience for RJ — yet it all came so natural. He spent the night in the other boy’s bed, wearing one of his shirts that was far too big on him — oddly really comfortable so he knocked out easily that night. Normally RJ doesn’t trust people, but he has latched onto Giz’zo rather quickly. He didn’t seem to mind. He sits up hearing the blade thrown to the floor. The bandaged wound hidden by the sleeve of the shirt. RJ sleepily rubs his eyes, and looks over at the other. “What do you mean? I thought we were sleeping. How long have you been up?” He pulls the blankets away slightly, inching to get closer to Giz. “Did I do something wrong? I can go if you want me too —“ His hand finally reaching out to him, and touching his arm.

*.. Giz’zo looked at RJ when he spoke, taking a few seconds to finally shake his head. He didn’t want him to leave, actually, he didn’t know what he wanted. Couldn’t even describe to himself what it was, like his brain really forgot how to act went faced against someone else he liked. Which was his own fault, after driving himself crazy and unable to let people in, in order to be completely efficient. “It’s not yer fault. I mean, it is, it is ‘cause of ya but not somethin’ bad. Like, ya don’t have to leave. I just...” He frowned and touched his torso and then his chest, wanting to find the words to describe whatever it was but not being able to form an explanation. Not that the hand on his arm helped, so he stood up and walked towards the window, his hands brushing his hair back. “I feel weird. I couldn’t sleep, somethin’ is happenin’ to me. I think I’m dyin’, this is it.”

*.. The  went from his left hand to the right, then back to the left and again the same movement for about five minutes. It wasn’t dark outside anymore but it was raining, something Giz’zo remembered RJ didn’t like. “Fuck it.” He shook his head and threw the knife to the floor. The boy spent the night in his house, in his bed, using one of his shirts and somehow he didn’t care. And that was messing with his head. Giz didn’t trust people, he didn’t feel anything for anyone, he was out of touch with his emotions for the longest time after the many things he had to do... And yet - instead of kicking him out, what he wanted to do was touch his hair. It was ridiculous. “What da fuck is happenin’!?”

RJ realizes that he might not be the best person to teach Giz’zo about what Earth was like. He didn’t get to have a traditional upbringing like other people his age did. He didn’t get the white picket fence, coming home to an inviting home, or home cooked meals. There was no video games for his entertainment, and he didn’t get to go hang out at the local shopping center like the kids in movies do. His attention was always on something more serious, forcing him to grow up too fast. 

“I don’t see anything wrong with with sticking to streets like these. I used to do the same when I was back on Earth working and otherwise.” He had also been homeless after breaking free from Hydra. “There are good Humans, but I didn’t know many of them when I was growing up. When I managed to leave the organization I was part of I lived in the streets for a bit. It wasn’t so bad.” He couldn’t miss something he never had. His gaze looks around to some of the other people on the roof, knowing he probably was out of place, but also he wondered if he sort of belonged too. His fingers bring the bottle back to his lips to take another sip of the drink. RJ was captivated by Giz — unable to keep his eyes off of him, but he knew his blushing earlier made it fairly obvious. “Mercenary — that’s cool. I don’t have a problem with that obviously being a trained assassin and all. How’d you get into doing that? I want to know YOUR STORY. Sucks for that guy though, what did he do?” He asks briefly, eyes turning back to look at the scene, and then back to Giz only to scoot closer to him. “I was hungry. I don’t have any money so it was probably stupid of me to look at all.”

*.. Giz looked at the scene happening some meters from them, the man apparently being able to sit and other people helping with apparent deep wounds. “I don’t know. It can be many things” he shrugged “nothin’ good, I can assure ya. All of us have dark reasons to be here, but some get into very... Uhm. Complicated stuff.” He huffed and watched how the smoke coming out from his mouth disappeared slowly, before setting all his attention on RJ again. To go with the real story or make something up like he always did, that was the question. Though something pushed him to tell the truth, for once. “My father and uncle were immersed in dis ‘world’. Da big idiot got into some dirty business, with drugs and all that stuff... Lon’ story short, he was killed some years ago n’ then my uncle was killed too, some months later. I knew they were goin’ for me next, so I ran away with nothin’ more than da clothes I was wearin’ because I was fuckin’ scared.” He chuckled before drinking half of the bottle in practically one gulp. Fear was something he had forgotten since then, just one of the many things he learned on the streets. “I slept in alleys for some time, until I saw someone sellin’ somethin’ at midnight. I followed him n’ found myself here. One of da oldest mercenaries back then kind of explained everythin’ to me and I thought ‘Why da fuck not? I’m hungry’. Now I’m best friends with a bat wrapped in spikes and a knife.” Giz noticed how the other moved closer, leaning to rest his elbows on his knees. “Ya still hungry? We can go to my place. Swear I’ll cook ya somethin’ good.”

“Remy can work with dat.” Gambit said, as he held open the door to the convenience store, so the kid could walk out in front of him. “My names Remy LeBeau by de way. I work with de X-men on occasion.”

*.. Giz’zo played with the bat while he walked, his hand wrapped around the spikes to superficially mark his hand without hurting himself. “X-Men? Is dat a secret thang or somethin’? For da ‘x’, I mean.” He frowned. “What even was goin’ on on Earth, huh? Teams, people jus’ appearin’ here, weird ass abilities... Ya guys had problems.”

Damian eyed the bat as the guy played with it. He wasn’t worried about it, just thought about being conscious. “I wouldn’t say good. I guess I would just say that I’m trying my best. There’s a difference.” He said as he shrugged, finishing his drink. “Is it dumb if I admire those morals and choose to take them for myself? It’s like setting rules for myself. I think of it as creating discipline.” When he poked the guy, Damian tossed his drink in the trash. “See now that wasn’t so hard. We didn’t need two people going to the hospital tonight.” 

*.. Giz shrugged. “I guess. I mean, sounds more like yer daddy or mommy have some rules. But, yer thing, ya rebel lil’ human.” He smiled and leaned on the bat that he had still on the man’s chest, his weight adding the pressure necessary to break a rib as he tilted his head to rest in on his hands while not breaking eye contact. The man could wake up at any moment, which would make his little trip a little longer than expected. “Is dat a threat?” He laughed, though not sarcastically but because it was funny for him. It meant a game. And he liked games. “‘Cause, ya know, I count one.”

The boy didn’t expect there to be so many people on the roof, but there seemed to be enough space for everyone to coexist. He was observant so he pieces together the fact that they probably all know each other. The only other people his age he knew growing up were the other trainees back when he worked for Hydra. There’s a certain smile spreading over his face, a subtle one as the taller one is standing behind him like he was protecting him. While RJ could defend himself he does appreciate the gesture — it left him feeling something to be described as warm. He moves to sit where Giz’zo pointed out, plopping down on the seat. He opens his own bottle, taking a sip of it. “My parents are dead. I was forced to work for an organization back on Earth. My handler was abusive — hope he doesn’t show up here. I like animals. My favorite color is red. I think you can put a lot of trust in a good knife. I hate when it rains.” His eyes stay locked onto Giz as he talks. 

*.. “Forced? Huh. Humans sound awful.” Said with a shrug. Not that he had a whole idea of how Earth worked, but so far what he knew was: they meant trouble. And that was something Giz liked, true, but that was because he wasn’t one. “I keep myself in da low streets, like these parts. So, ya are one of da first humans I’ve seen or talked to. I don’t think they are all cute and nice like ya, tho.” He winked and leaned back, holding the cig between his lips while his attention was placed on the people around them and then RJ again. There was something in him, something that somehow got him interested and attentive. Giz’zo was easily distracted - something he couldn’t really help, his mind was too loud and constantly in another place, but this boy managed to keep him on the same state for minutes now. His eyes were practically fixed on the other’s, like he wanted to find something, know something. “Red is my favorite color, too. I think dat is why I do what I do” he took a sip from the bottle and then hit his head with three fingers “duh. Did I forget to tell ya, I’m a mercenary? ‘Cause it explains da bat and such. Also why dat guy is... Probably dyin’.” Said while pointing at one man that was lying on the floor and being assisted by others, but not really. Most of them were on their own. Giz chuckled mindlessly before shaking his head, eyes back on RJ. “It was rainin’ earlier. And this place isn’t da most secure. So, can I know why were ya in that store?”