A/N: ...This is the longest chapter EVER.
'Cause well, I couldn't really find a place to cut off this whole scene, where everything is happening, and stuffz...
Well, there goes the next chapter. Seriously. I think I only have one more previously typed out one that I can upload...
So... Do you want it sooner? Or later, until I'm finished with at least another chapter to upload?
+.+
I seriously need inspiration for this. Anyone have an interesting prompt, do tell.
Disclaimer: We all know this is the part where you skip right down to the story, so why bother typing it?
"EVERYONE! WE HAVE A VISITOR!"
Ciel grimaced at Matt's reverberating voice around the large building. Large in slum standards, of course. It was a hell of a lot bigger than the place he had to stay in a decade ago, but this wasn't exactly Downer's mansion either.
As the assassin's eyes adjusted to the dark, he began making out forms. The building was wide, not high, so there was space for a couple of rooms, but no second floor. A couple of dingy mattresses and moth-eaten sheets were thrown on the grimy floorboards of what was supposed to be the living room and dining room rolled into one. A teen, sitting on a little stool against the wall, straightened slowly and looked at Ciel, as opposed to the one under a couple of the sheets, who had jumped straight up and eyed the door cagily, waiting for his pupils to properly dilate in the sudden light. Both were blondes, and the one swathed in blankets looked about sixteen, while the other looked more mature, but not older.
"Havoc and Joey," Matt introduced, excited as he ran into the room, pulling the assassin with him until they were in front of the duo. Which was which Ciel couldn't figure out. Shadows on the wall danced as the rest of the orphans entered, one more prominent than others. "This is Ciel!"
The raven-haired teen regretted giving him his first name, his assassin's instincts lurching whenever he hears it. But since Ed had given him their names, he felt compelled to do the same when Matt asked. And besides, if he had lied, Kurogane would've known.
"'Se new?" the one called Joey (or so Ciel had assumed, deciding to go by the order the two had blinked in recognition at the names) muttered groggily. Having determined that there was no immediate danger; he dropped back down onto the mattress and ruffled his sun-drenched hair, closing his chocolate eyes.
"Maybe," Matt answered cheerfully, then continued before Ciel could correct him. "He's Kuro-pyon's friend, so we brought him here!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kurogane thundered from the room he had disappeared into along with Fai. Matt, Fai, and God-knows-who-else's laughter tinkled through the house. Ciel mechanically memorized each cadence, while his mind buzzed through a hurricane of thoughts. These kids and almost-adults were more tightly knit than any other family he had ever seen. Each had their own problems, and simply could trust no one else any longer. Each gave their faith to each other stoically, and each was well returned.
"Well Ciel, nice to meet you," Havoc greeted, smiling and holding out a hand. The teen took it, giving it a few shakes, gauging him as probably older than him. His gaze caught on the dandelion stem dangling from between his lips.
"Have you ever considered that maybe Roy sent you out so us sickly ones could have some peace and quiet in here?" said a grouchy voice from behind Ciel. The teen turned slowly, recognizing the voice as one that came in a snort with the 'Kuro-pyon' episode just moments ago. He knew the owner of the voice had approached, of course, despite the almost inaudible padding of bare feet against the wooden planks. He couldn't stop the vibrations. Blue eye took in the sight in front of him.
The dark-haired one was topless, with a curious sort of brand or tattoo on his right chest. His dark eyes glinted with annoyance, but also with curiosity at the new arrival. "Who's he?"
"Ciel Phantomhive!" Cooro introduced for the assassin, appearing at his side with an uncanny resemblance to an apparition. Husky hovered somewhere behind Matt, who was scowling at the jab. "Ciel, this is Gray!"
Said two teens exchanged brief nods, then fell into a not-so-subtle staring contest. The killer in Ciel could sense there was a certain power in the other teen, but he didn't know what. The phrase 'Ignorance is bliss' flashed into his mind, and he thought dryly of how incorrect it was. In this case, ignorance was making him as tense as heck, and the look in Gray's eyes merely confirmed his agreement. There was suddenly another presence behind Gray, in which another boy with bright pink hair stepped out. The look in his eyes was suddenly like Gray's, and when he growled "Who'r'u?" Ciel knew he meant something else, rather than the words exactly. Matt, however, took it differently.
"Geez," he sighed. Cooro offered a sympathetic look while Husky just rolled his eyes. "I wish you'll all just stop asking that. EVERYONE GATHER RIGHT NOW!!" Everyone jumped at the boy's sudden yell, and the trio finally broke eye contact (how Ciel managed to keep both of theirs was a mystery), though still completely conscious of each other's presence.
"Mail… I hope you know that we are all sick here, and would appreciate some sense of serenity…" A black-haired male stepped forward a few seconds later, walking out of a room near the back. In an instant, Ciel knew this must be the Roy Mustang that Ed and Mello had mentioned. For those two obviously-proud boys to speak of the almost-adult like that… Well, the assassin now knew why. Roy positively radiated leadership and something akin to aristocracy, with his haunting good looks and scheming dark eyes; something many nobles cannot achieve in a lifetime. He was obviously the leader of the whole 'family'.
"Don't call me that," Matt snapped, instantly forgetting his cheerful mood. Ciel immediately took this information to heart. Mail? So Matt wasn't his real name. Roy merely cocked an eyebrow.
"Then please, behave yourself. Lenalee is still incredibly sick, and I think Tori's caught whatever she had. Joey's showing symptoms as well."
Matt scratched his head in what Ciel assumed to be guilt, pulling apart the thick tresses enough so that the teen could see a pair of orange goggles perched on his crown. Hm. Strange.
"And you are Master Phantomhive?" Roy asked, turning his attention on the raven-haired teen. That turbulent gaze was cold and unyielding, like its owner has been betrayed one too many times for him to ever trust again. Ciel knew what that was like. But all this was information gathered immediately after the one thing that drew his wary attention in the first place: his tone.
"You know." It was a simple statement of fact. Nothing more, nothing less. Despite that, Roy still nodded, sending Ciel's thoughts into chaos mode, wondering how the heck he knew.
"Know what?" Gray asked suspiciously. The almost-adult turned his eyes on him, but not before silently asking permission to answer from the teen. Ciel only nodded absentmindedly, all thoughts still focused on Roy Mustang. Only when Ed glared poison and silver daggers at him did he snap out of his thinking mode, and did his best to cover up his momentary slip.
"Master Phantomhive here is the known assassin Cross," Mustang answered evenly, either not noticing, or choosing not to notice the little encounter to his side. A small look of realization crossed both Gray and Natsu's faces, and then to Ciel's surprise, simultaneously turned into huge grins.
"No wonder," Gray laughed.
"Yeah." Natsu moved forward and clasped him on the back, taking over Matt's previous spot. "Thought you were like, a renegade mafia member or something."
"Like Mello," Joey added, a huge grin on his face. He looked more awake now, if not still a bit tousled. "And I think it's just a cold Roy. Nothing serious."
The addressed teen just nodded and shrugged a bit, concurrently. "If you're sure. Can't really spare the medicine right now."
"Hiiiiii~!" a high-pitched voice abruptly squealed from behind Roy. Said offender of various eardrums turned out to be a teenage girl, wearing a black spaghetti strap with a faded, broken red heart in front, along with a crimson fringed skirt. Her once-black tennis shoes and red socks were dusted over with dirt and age. A head with long light-colored hair and sparkling olive-colored eyes peaked out from beside Roy, and squealed again when she saw Ciel, then to the assassin's utmost horror, skipped forward and threw her arms around him. It was all he could do to not throw her across the room at the sudden close proximity. "Eep~!! Winry, don't you think he's just adorable~?"
"Stop glomping him Misa," giggled another blonde girl. Her hair was longer, and her eyes were bluish slate. Despite her words, however, she still came over and gave a dazzled-eye look at Ciel. "Wow. Misa's right. He's as pretty as Husky!"
"I'm not pretty!" Husky hissed upon hearing his name. But no one seemed to have heard him. Ciel was too busy thinking of a way to politely asking Misa to get the fuck off him to notice that Kurogane and Fai, wherever they had disappeared off to, had returned.
"You said something about Avalon?" If Ciel listened hard enough, he could just make out the worry in the older teen's tone. "'Se sick?"
"No, Avalon is not sick, thank you very much Roy." The assassin wasn't surprised at the amount of people in this house, but was at the fact that all of them were, quoting himself, tightly knit enough to speak so openly with each other. If he turned his head just that much to the right, he could see through the thick blob of Misa's hair, which smelled a bit like apples. A tall tanned teen walked out of a door parallel to Roy's with short coal hair and brown-gray eyes. Ciel seriously doubted his proposition though, by the deep shadows under his eyes and the dark flush across his cheeks. The thick (compared to the rest) blanket wrapped around his shoulder spoke volumes as well. And if Ciel just focused his vision that much on long legs, he could see them wobbling slightly under the unfamiliar weight. "Just a cold. That's all."
"A cold with a 105 degree fever is not a cold To-ya," came a criticizing voice. A pale teen with sterling hair and hazel eyes walked up besides Tori, who scowled lightly at the new arrival.
"Lookit Julian, that thermometer's defected." Despite his words and demeanor, his tone was unexpectedly soft towards the other teen. Ciel immediately understood that they had a special connection. Like Kurogane and Fai. Like Husky and Cooro. Like Ed and Al. And now, as he watches Ed's gaze on everything else but Roy and the older male's teasing sideways glances at the blonde, and knew that the bond too connected Ed and Roy. "I feel fine. I am fine."
"Listen to Julian…" said one of the two girls that appeared out of the room Misa and Winry came out of. Her hair was like Misa's; golden in color and tied up in a cute fashion, but her eyes were amber, currently thick with anxiety. "Lenalee's really sick, and we wouldn't want you catching whatever she has."
"I could knock him out if you want Lucy, Julian, Roy," said the other girl. She was tall and beautiful, with long luscious crimson hair that went down to her thighs. The girl screamed the same thing as Gray and Natsu. Power. Most certainly so. The redhead's sharp hazel eyes traveled to, then locked with, Ciel's cerulean. Then, for a split moment, the assassin saw them flit towards Natsu and Gray, then was apparently satisfied by their relaxed manner. She turned to Roy to offer once more. "I could."
"We don't doubt you Erza…" Tori muttered, eyes narrowed. He walked forward, surprisingly steady for someone that's sick. "I'm fine. Now, exactly, who is he?"
Of course. Ciel had forgotten the purpose of Matt gathering everybody.
"Alright everyone!" said boy called out. "This is Ciel Phantomhive! He's a friend of K-"
"KUROGANE!"
"-kun and he's visiting for the day!"
Misa started pouting. "Awwww… Why can't he stay? Is it Roy? Is Roy being mean and kicking you out?"
"No Misa…" Roy sighed, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and middle finger. "He never meant to stay in the first place…"
"That's right," Ciel confirmed. "Just visiting."
"Okay Ciel," Cooro started. "I'm Cooro, that's Husky, that's Matt, and Mello, and Near. And then…" Here he took a big breath. "Roy, Jean, Joey, Ed, Al, Tori, Julian, Misa, Winry, Erza, Lucy, Fai, K-rin, Gray, and Natsu. Got all that?"
Perhaps it was Ciel's practically-photographic memory, or the interesting people that surrounded him, for he remembered all twenty names at once, and the faces to go with them. He could probably estimate all their ages as well, if he wanted to. It all comes with being a trained assassin.
"…You're also Cross, right?" Ciel nodded to Tori's question, slightly suspicious as to how he knew, but momentarily waved it away as simply overhearing him and Roy's conversation. The way he had spoken, however, was somewhat like Roy's; slightly haughty and filled with self-esteem. Though not on the same level, of course. The teen's understanding tone played the Good Cop to Kurogane's forceful growl; the Bad Cop.
Kurogane? The understanding of the orphans' chain of command came in the form of sudden, clear, explicit nirvana. It was Tori and Kurogane who 'ruled' below Roy, their overall leader. If asked who came next, Ciel knew he would undoubtedly say Erza. At least at the moment. But he had the feeling he wouldn't be changing that opinion anytime soon.
"How long are you going to stay, Ciel?" Havoc grinned, wiggling the stem up and down along with his eyebrows, apparently not at all affected by the disturbing news that they were in the same vicinity as a well-known assassin. Said assassin's got to respect him for that. "We'd love to have you."
Ciel smiled. Just barely, but it was definitely there. Everyone here was incredibly kind to him (ignoring the slightly hostile glances from a certain Husky and Mello, with a blank stare from Near), if not a bit eccentric, and he hasn't received that sort of warmth for years. It made him remember what having a family felt like. What it felt like, before it all came crashing down. But he knew, of course, of how stupid it was to feed your own vulnerability. So, it was best to cut off all ties right now, right…?
"I'm sorry you guys, I can't stay long," he said softly. There were disappointed pouts and slight frowns (well, a huge one in Kurogane's case, but that was always there) at his answer.
"But when do you have to go?" Cooro whimpered. Ciel couldn't help but feel his heart clench painfully at the simple, clear pain in his tone.
"I need to be at my employer's house by seven tonight."
An awkward, disappointed silence fell on all the children, and no one knew exactly how to break it. Roy was a leader, not a fatherly figure. He ordered, not babysat. Kurogane was better, perhaps, but he had to save his handful of trump cards for the harder moments. So for now… They both glanced faintly at Tori, seeing that he's their best bet. With an exasperated look and a roll of his eyes, the teen stepped in, gaze flitting subtly towards a black watch on his wrist. The surface was covered with long, rather than wide, nicks.
"It's only 4:15 right now." His simple words cut through the stillness like a hot knife through butter. When Cooro started to smile again, the assassin felt a sudden wave of fondness for the "good cop", standing there in all his cool silence. He never said too much, but just enough so that you know he cares. Roy stood off the side, with a "Why didn't I think of that?" expression on his handsome face.
"Tori's right," Fai said gently, laying a pale, thin hand on Misa's shoulder. She leaned into the touch for a second, then instantly perked up, pouncing around Ciel's middle.
"Okay! Let's go meet Lenalee!" she yipped like a puppy on high, pulling Ciel up onto his feet. Despite all his training to remain emotionless, the young assassin couldn't help but feel warmed by Misa's unprecedented friendliness. She didn't segregate anybody, it seemed, and it would forever be that way. Everyone was themselves, and she knows how to appreciate that. "She's reeeeaaally sick right now, but we don't think it's contagious! Well, until Tori came along. But that's okay! We're waiting to check his symptoms!"
"Glad to know I'm useful as a lab rat…" said sick teen muttered somewhere behind them. There was a chortle of laughter, and then footsteps as everyone went off to do their own thing. Most, Ciel idly noted, were following him.
Misa pulled him into the room the girls shared. Once upon a time, this had been the master bedroom of what was considered to be a grand house, with its own private little bathroom on the side. There was no bed, only three different sized mattresses laid on the floor. A walk-in closet was at the right corner of the room, and adjacent to that was a vanity that gleamed in the dim light from the small chandelier above.
"We have the biggest room." There was a sad note to what Winry had said. "This was originally shared by Ed, Al, Jean, and Joey. But when I came along, the girls…" Her voice trailed off into a sullen note, and Ciel felt suddenly compelled to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, saying it's not her fault. He kept his brotherly self at bay, though, and was thankful Misa continued chattering on like nothing had happened.
"Lenalee has a fever! We don't know what kind of sickness she has, but it's like a very serious case of the flu! Fai has a friend hat knows Lenalee's brother, and we offered him to let her live here! Me and Winry knew Lenalee before she got sick, and we were totally best friends!"
Lenalee was a small girl, thin from malnutrition, like many others in this house. Her long black hair was fanned out on a grimy pillow placed under her head, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut from pain. Her breath came in short, painful gasps as her cheeks flooded with color, then paled once more. Her skeletal frame trembled from the cold underneath the thick layer of many blankets decked on top of her. Ciel almost stopped Winry from reaching out to feel her icy cloth-covered forehead, in fear that she might shatter to pieces at the slightest touch. The impulse sort of scared him a bit. How could he become so attached to a group of practically strangers in such a short time? The answer was obvious, but he didn't really want to face it right now. Instead, he just shook it off, focusing his attention back on what was happening in front of him.
"She's still burning…" the girl murmured, concern clouding her eyes. Winry turned towards a boarded up window and expertly pulled a plank out with a rusty hammer. She reached out into a tin can packed with snow and dug out a gray towel, covered in a sheet of clear ice. Another piece of fabric was wrapped around that and then replaced the old icepack. Lenalee muttered something as her shuddering stopped, then sunk back into the mattress with less pain-lines around her eyes.
"We don't have enough money for a doctor," Natsu said indignantly from the doorway. It was crowded in the room already with Ciel, the girls, Cooro, and Husky who seemed to follow his dark-haired friend everywhere. Natsu and Gray, who seemed likewise inseparable, leaned in the doorway. The blue-eyed teen indolently compared them to something akin to Light and Shadow, but figured that no, the two did not exactly contrast so drastically. If anything, they were actually quite alike in senses. There should be a better comparison. "We barely have enough to buy food for all of us…"
Ciel felt obligated to respond; something that's been happening to him a lot in this house. "I could help you get jobs in town…"
"They never take us." Gray shook his head resentfully, stressing the last word. Ciel took in the scruffy appearance of both teens, and despite their handsome faces, he couldn't help but understand the employers. "They don't like the way we dress, where we live. Until we can get new clothes and appear civil, they won't hire us."
"…Is that your plan then?"
"Yeah, that's what Roy's trying for right now," Natsu nodded. He tugged at the yellow scarf around his neck and then the off-black vest underneath. "We don't get our allowances like usual right now, since he's saving them up for new clothes. Tori, Roy, and Kurogane are the only ones with jobs right now. All the money Roy gets goes to buying painkillers and cough medicine for Lenalee, and Kurogane and Tori's get pooled together to buy food."
"We're one of the richest folks in the Slums, Ciel," Erza said, voice carefully neutral. The assassin watched her take Lenalee's small hand in her own and holds it close to her heart. "And we can just make it to two meals a day. But Tori's employer is being so… difficult lately…!" Natsu snorted here, and muttered something that sounded like jackass, earning himself a sharp glare from the redhead. "We need means to get money. Fast."
Ciel really considered giving them half of the Euros jingling merrily in his bag. Or at least the thirty thousand. But somehow, he doubted ones as proud as these orphans wouldn't take his handout as an insult. And besides, he needed it too.
"You still want to go to town, Cooro?" Husky suddenly said. All eyes fell on him as he stood up from his crouching position and walked out the threshold. He paused then, glancing back over his shoulder. To Ciel's surprise, his eyes met his. "You can come too, if you want."
Aforementioned two standing up was a simultaneous action, as was the relieved and appreciative smile (in Ciel's case, an appreciative look) each had.
"Sure Husky! Who else wants to come?"
Joey appeared in the doorway as if on cue, a big lopsided grin on his lips, which the assassin found a bit contrary compared to his sharp gaze, reminding him quite a lot of a… dog. A happy puppy, at least.
"Mind if I come too?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck. "I might feel better with the fresh air 'n' all."
"Sure!" Cooro grinned, then threw himself on Husky, who just barely remained standing. "Let's go Husky!"
"Why don't you girls come too?" Ciel asked kindly at the hopeful glimmer in Misa's eyes. She eeped, then jumped up, pulling at Winry.
"C'mon Winry! Let's go!"
"You should go too, Lucy," Erza said, smiling fondly at the blushing blonde. "Get some fresh air. I can take care of Lenalee."
"A-are, are you sure?" Lucy seemed torn between keeping her friend company and finally going outside, but her decision was made for her as Misa grabbed her too. "Alright then Erza. We'll be back soon!"
"You guys go too," Erza ordered. Ciel didn't have time to ponder who she was referring to before both Gray and Natsu gave shouts of denial, but was silenced by a single look from the apparently really powerful redhead. "Watch over them. Don't let them misbehave."
"Why do we have to be babysitter?" Natsu continued to argue, while Gray just walked out, mumbling rebelliously. But soon, Ciel, Cooro, Husky, Misa, Winry, Lucy, Joey, Gray, and Natsu walked out into the open air, the latter most supporting a big lump on his head.
The sky dwindled between day and night, pastel-colored light filters lining the sky to multicolored hues. It had started snowing while they were inside, and Ciel watched as the minute tuffs of crystallized water drifted down from seemingly nowhere. A thin blanket had gathered on the dirt floor already at its most aggravating height; just below Easy to scoop up level and just above Easy to walk through level. Footsteps of all sizes followed the procession of adolescents, from the smallest, Husky, to the largest, Natsu. Cooro and Husky led the convoy, the former talking in an excited tone while the latter opted to listen with a faint smile. The girls bunched in the center, voices hushed but in excited whispers. Fire and Ice (so Ciel have decided) traipsed behind them at a safe distance, and the assassin's keen ears could just hear what sounded like a muted argument, insults traded back and forth. Joey brought up the line with Ciel, the two walking at a comfortable gait, in easy silence.
"It's so strange, right?" The blonde had his arms crossed in front of his chest, keeping the black trench coat he had donned pulled tight together. "All of us… We're so different… Yet we're still a family somehow…"
Ciel smiled at this. One with genuine affection. His silent reaction prompted Joey to go on.
"You know… It wasn't always like this. It didn't start out the way you think, either."
"What is the way I think, if you don't mind me asking?" the raven-haired teen jokingly said. Joey only smiled softly.
"That Roy went around, gathering us up?"
"…Am I that predictable?" Despite Ciel's teasing tone, alarms were trilling within him. Was it somehow possible that the blonde teen had somehow seen past his defenses and did something akin to reading his mind?
"Nah. It's just the clichéd answer everyone comes up with," Joey laughed, lifting a weight from the blue-eyed teen's chest. "It was a wild guess. But most of the time, it hits the mark."
"So it's not like that?"
"Nope. Not at all. Roy's one of our earlier members, sure. But believe it or not, I was actually here longer than him."
Hm. Perhaps Ciel was wrong to assume that Roy was the beginning. The leader, sure, but not the one who gathers everyone together. "So who started it then?"
"Take a guess," the blonde breezed. The assassin wryly compared him to a dog, playfully hanging onto the stick he had gotten, and could easily overlap the two images, for some reason.
Ciel then thought back to every member of the house, and couldn't help but keep going back to the dark-haired teen. No, that wasn't right. Perhaps he was thinking in the wrong perspective. The house then. Perhaps that was the correct viewfinder. It struck Ciel as strange that they were living in a place that was better conditioned than most slum housing, much less a house at that. So… there was someone in the twenty that had connections to the ownership of the house. No land went past their owners without care these days, no matter how rich one is. Ciel was sure of that. So who…
An image of a pretty blonde flashed into the teen's mind. Her look of reminisce… Peeks through the corners of her eyes at certain spots in the room without ever straying her gaze, as if something that was there wasn't anymore… It all became crystal clear to Ciel.
"Lucy."
Joey was impressed. "Wow. That's the first time anyone had ever guessed right. But I don't think you guessed though… You seem too sharp for that." Ciel wasn't sure whether to be smug or be awed by the blonde's observation. "Anyways, you're right. The house was Lucy's dad's, and she stole the deed for us."
"I thought you were all orphans…?"
"Well, we all are, in a sense," he said carefully. "We don't have parents, whether they don't live anymore or we don't acknowledge them." He stopped then, as if unsure whether or not he should go on.
Ciel simply answered, "Yeah." He understood – absolutely – and didn't feel the need to elaborate. Joey seemed satisfied by his one-word answer and continued with his tale.
"Lucy and Erza met with Matt, Mello, and Near when they were on their way here, I think. The trio had met with Julian earlier on, I've heard, so when they moved in the house, Tori and Julian were with 'em.
Winry joined when Tori saved her from the gangs who wanted to know where her mother hid the "treasure" in their house."
Joey's eyes strayed right then; a common sign of one trying to recall a distant – or somewhat, at least – memory.
"Kuro 'n' Husky came along when Near found 'em passed out in the woods, Kuro bleeding on the brink of death and Husky exhausted beyond belief. And both were soakin' wet. Apparently, Husky swam upstream from Amante all the way here carrying the unconscious Kuro." Ciel blinked in shock at this. Amante was a good few miles away. Joey smiled understandingly, then continued.
"Jean and I joined next. We knew each other 'cause my dad's always at his dad's bar in the old days. When it burned down and they both died, Julian brought us here. He has a bad scar on his left arm from a burn." Joey took a breath, looking darkly at the ground before continuing.
"It was a while b'fore Natsu and Gray appeared. When they robbed a store, Lucy happened to be in it and was held for hostage by Natsu. When they brought her along after their failed attempt, Gray was shot in the leg. Lucy offered for 'em to come and well, they stayed after that.
Next was Misa. She's the daughter of one of the servants of Lord Yagami, and was kicked out when her mother died. Jean, who got free food from her mother in the past, offered her a place here.
Fai came next. I don't know much about his past, only that when Erza brought him here he was all dark and moody. He started lightening up since he met Kuro though. He got pretty close to Julian and Tori as well.
Roy followed soon after. No one knows much about him either, just that he knew Jean from before. I think I've seen 'im before as well, but fergot.
Ed and Al were with 'im when he came, Al with high fever and all and Ed an arm an' a leg missing. They never told us what happened. It took a lot of money to fix 'em up decent.
Cooro came last. He was thin as a rod, pale and shivering when Natsu found 'im. Ran from his village that thought he was cursed, he said."
Ciel silently absorbed the blonde's accented words. Everyone he met up with could've passed for a regular old kid about to attend school or work the next morning. It didn't seem possible – or even likely – that they all had such pasts. But he knew there was no point feeling sorry for them. What's done is done, and when you live in a world like this, you will undoubtedly have a past, whether sooner or later. Still though, the happy and cheerful Cooro? The always-grinning Joey?
"…And Lenalee?"
"Lenalee's brother is a friendof Fai's friend," he answered carefully. "I don't know her brother's name, seeing we've never seen him before, but Azrael – the friend – left her here and is working for money. He comes as often as he can, but only like, twice a month."
"Where does he work?" Ciel asked neutrally, the name Azrael ringing many bells as a famous assassin-for-hire, like himself, in the underground world. Of course, this may just well be a coincident. But how many people ran around with such a name as Azrael, Angel of Death?
"Uh…" Joey scrunched up his eyes, nose wiggling slightly, that the raven-haired teen could just barely hold back a snigger. "Over at… a lord's place, I think?" The blonde glanced over at Ciel, and took his strange expression as something else. "Oh, he tried getting jobs for us there, but the lord already said no, so…"
"…I see." Ciel saw no point in correcting him in his actual thoughts, so he left it at that.
"How 'bout you?" Joey asked suddenly. Despite his nonchalant tone, Ciel could sense urgency in his words. "How come you know Kuro?"
The assassin resurfaced again, warning Ciel of how risky it was to tell someone about his past, but seeing Joey had probably just bent a few rules to tell him theirs, how could he not do the same? He couldn't really find it in his heart to lie either. So he'd have to compromise between repayment and certain death: half-truths.
"We were both at Amante," he answered. Completely true, so far. "We were in the same bunch before I got taken out by a noble." Ciel carefully breezed by the word noble, not giving any names. Joey didn't seem to have noticed, so he continued. "He… was killed…" By whom, Ciel didn't say. "But he had taught me some skills before that, so now I work as Cross," he concluded.
Joey nodded, eyes on the snow blanketing the ground. He opened his mouth to ask something, but was cut off by a loud screech in front of them. The assassin's head automatically turned; an instantaneous action to Joey's. Both of them were tense, adrenaline pumping through their veins, eyes seeking the danger that was inevitably the source of the scream. They searched diligently, only to find…
"NATSU! I'M GONNA MURDER YOU!"
…Gray wielding a handful of snow, chasing after the loudly guffawing Natsu. Some of the white flakes were still finding their way out through the bottom of Ice's t-shirt. Ciel watched in surprised amusement as Gray finally managed the jump on his frienemy, and dump the pile of snow into his pants. Fire gave a loud howl, then started hopping around, tugging at his waistband, prompting the frozen flecks to drop out. Gray just stood off to the side, a smug expression on his face while he gathered another handful of snow, this one rolled carefully into a perfect sphere. Ciel watched as he took aim when Natsu started to slow, then let out the ammunition.
"Pleh!" Natsu spat out the mouthful of snow, looking for a moment confused as to how it got there. Then, he finally noticed Gray, rolling on the ground laughing. With a growl, he charged out and tackled Ice straight around his middle, sending them both tumbling into a particularly deep snowdrift. For a second, only snow fell, swirling around everybody on the paths of the light breeze. Then, the two came bursting out, now in a full-fledged battle to the Frozen. It would appear that Natsu had the upper hand, waving Gray's shirt like a flag above his head. But a red tinge had flooded the bridge of Fire's nose, whilst Gray didn't seem affected at all. Laughter echoed around the road, and it took Ciel a while to notice that his own was mingled in with everyone's. Apparently, everyone else noticed too, and promptly stopped to look at him in surprise. The raven-haired teen never had time to be embarrassed, however, since two snowballs hit him flat in the face.
Next thing he knew, everyone was running and laughing, chucking poorly made snowballs at each other, Ciel not excluded. It was the most fun he has ever had in what seemed like forever. Soon, they arrived at the edge of the town, everyone soaked to the bone and shivering madly, but all with a wide grin on their faces. A sharp cerulean eye spotted a vendor selling white popsicles to a couple of kids, who glanced at the nine curiously, before trekking off.
"Popsicles?"
Cooro and the girls' eyes widened at the thought of the luxury. Morals seem to dissolve as they could barely hold back awed grins, while Ciel could barely hold back a smug grin of his own. Without waiting for an answer, he walked towards the stand, leaving the weakly protesting group to follow him. He quickly ordered eight (deciding he didn't need one), pulling money out expertly, without making any noise to indicate the actual contents of the bag (it was one of the first tests in his training), and paid.
Joey looked at him, worried doubt lining his brows. "Are ya sure 'bout this?"
Ciel didn't even merit that question with a look, instead simply stuffed one of the icy treats into the blonde's hand.
They continued walking down the road, each of them merrily licking at their popsicle, chatting through half-frozen mouths. The assassin found himself relaxing; something proven fatal to all of his line of profession, but simply couldn't bring himself into caring.
He made his first mistake there.
By the time Ciel looked up and noticed, Artemis had already gotten rid of any traces of a surprised expression on his face, established the situation, figured out how to work it to his advantage, and put on one of his trademark cat-got-the-canary smirks.
All within a span of twelve seconds.
Blue eye met with blue and hazel, and the slightly disgruntled one caught the infinitesimally minute beckon of a pale hand, and quickly excused himself to follow his employer into a rather questionable-looking alleyway. But Ciel figured there was no immediate danger, since the large bald man who seemed to follow Artemis everywhere he goes was living up to the assumption.
"Wait here for a sec, will you?" the assassin muttered. Then, without waiting for a reply (once again), he sprinted forward and around the bend to face the lord, Dreads filling his heart and then some.
A/N: So... how was it?
I was particularly... well, not really. Cold indifference towards the ending.
The characters? I needed to introduce Joey more, 'cause... he's gonna have a part in the upcoming plot.
*GASP!* Yes, there's actually a plot.
x33
Review? Pretty please? I'm getting kinda worried for this fic...