Hah...
Deep-blue eyes gazed at the cloudy sky above, a wisp of breath escaping pale lips. Snow softly fell onto the dirty, stone ground, covering the street with a white blanket. People passed by, ignoring the boy that sat at the edge of the street, who watched them with a blank gaze.
His white hair, slightly dirtied, shifted as he turned his gaze elsewhere. His stomach growled at the smell of fresh bread being sold, wanting to go the man selling them--but alas, he was immobile.
The snownette sighed tiredly, glancing down at his legs. He frowned mentally.
'If only I could move my legs...'
(O.D.D.- Konichiwa, again! Unbolded with italic will be Italian! :3. Ciao, ciao!)
~~
"Neh, where are we now?"
A greenette turned his head around, gazing with awe at the vibrant town. A rougette chuckled at the boy's exuberance, pulling his fedora lower.
"Venice. Found it while scouting ahead."
The greenette craned his head back to look at the man beside him, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah...and I believe you 'asked' for a place to stay?"
Smirk. "Indeed. I 'asked', and our donor was quite generous."
A blonde chuckled at the rougette's response, wearing a similar smirk. He spoke with a slight Russian accent with his Japanese.
"What poor souls...bring me with you next time?"
"Sure."
The greenette huffed and punched the rougette's arm lightly.
"Oi, don't encourage him, Corvino-san!"
The man, Corvino, simply smirked wider and spoke with mock sadness back at the greenette.
"Why not, Baka-Hito? He needs to learn the right way to get a place to stay."
'Baka-Hito', or Akihito, sighed before chuckling.
"Maa, why do I even try? Izaak is so much like you already, Corvino-san."
The said blonde, Izaak, smirked with Corvino as Akihito sighed tiredly, facepalming himself.
Corvino and Izaak walked past Akihito, sharing the same evil smirk. While Akihito was behind them, the greenette's eyes drifted across the town, taking in the sights.
Then he spotted something, tilting his head curiously.
00(The Snownette's P.O.V.)00
Step. Step. Stop.
I blinked in surprise, glancing up at the person before me.
'...Someone...actually noticed me?'
A greenette was staring at me, watching me curiously. I was surprised when the other gave a bright smile to me.
"Hey there! What's your name?"
I, once again, blinked in surprise at the other, but remained silent, wary of the sudden show of kindness.
00(End of The Snownette's P.O.V.)00
Akihito pouted mentally at the lack of response but continued to smile outwardly. He noted that the other looked malnourished, making him worried slightly. The greenette glanced around before spotting a man selling bread.
Grinning, Akihito jogged over to the baker, leaving the snownette behind for a moment.
00(The Snownette's P.O.V.)00
'So...he just left. I suppose that would be the normal response...he's just like the rest.'
I frowned mentally, disappointed slightly.
'I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up...'
Rustle.
00(End of The Snownette's P.O.V.)00
Akihito grinned at the surprised look the snownette gave him, waving the bought bread in the other's face.
"Here! It looks like you need it!" Akihito laughed sheepishly at the other's wary gaze. "Maa, it's not poisoned! Promise! Here look." The greenette ripped off a small piece and chewed and swallowed, pausing to show that he held no discomfort after eating.
Akihito smiled softly when the other hesitantly took the bread from him, still watching the greenette with a curious, and now, thankful gaze--no longer wary of the other.
Akihito sweatdropped when the bread was eaten in a flash, literally. Akihito was about to give another loaf until--
Smack!
"Where the heck were you?!"
--the greenette was drop-kicked by his furious, blonde friend. A small crowd formed at the sight of a boy that was suddenly kicked by a demonic-looking blonde, they turned their gaze to the greenette. Even if they didn't know Japanese, they wanted to see the greenette's response.
Akihito sat up, rubbing his reddening cheek.
"Hahahaha! Your kicks are becoming stronger Izaak!"
Everyone sweatdropped at the happy response, sans the snownette and Izaak, who was not amused the slightest.
"Don't give me that poop! Knowing you, you could've gotten yourself killed when we aren't watching!"
Akihito gave a sheepish laugh in response, dropping his hand to his side as he stood up, dusting himself off.
"Maa, you worry too much..."
Izaak growled at the other, his dark aura increasing as Akihito sweatdropped at the sight.
"I have a very good reason to worry about my idiotic friend."
The crowd immediately dispersed at the amount of killing intent the blonde was letting loose, quickly walking away to go about their own business.
Izaak blinked, his anger fading slightly before noticing the bag of bread in Akihito's hands. The blonde then noted an energy signature next to him; he turned his head and snorted mentally, taking in the sight of the malnourished snownette beside him.
'Leave it to the idiot to go and help some random stranger while our backs are turned...it's so like Akihito to do such things.'
When Akihito walked up to Izaak's side, the blonde whacked the greenette on the head--none too gently.
"Owie!"
Izaak continued to scowl at Akihito before smirking sinisterly.
"Just wait until Corvino-san finds you~!"
Akihito laughed nervously.
"O-Oh...I was wondering w-where he was. So you guys split u-up?"
"Yep~you're so dead, Akihito."
Akihito sighed in defeat before turning to the snownette, who watched the entire scene with an air of amusement.
Akihito gave the entire bag of bread to the snownette before turning back to Izaak.
"We should bring him with us."
"Fine."
Akihito grinned at the other's response. No hesitation at all.
The snownette glanced up at the two, finishing the last loaves of bread. He was surprised when the two suddenly grabbed him, panicking slightly.
Akihito laughed good naturedly before giving a bright smile.
"Hey! There's no need to worry! We just need to go find some shelter; you're coming with us."
The snownette relaxed slightly, and Akihito noticed that the other wasn't standing--or couldn't stand. The greenette frowned thoughtfully before hefting the snownette onto his back, giving a piggyback ride for the other.
The snownette blinked in surprise before relaxing, lulled by the warmth that came from Akihito; he fell asleep.
~~
"Hmm..."
Deep-blue opened and blinked, taking in the sight of the cream-colored ceiling above.
"Ah! You're awake!"
The snownette shifted his gaze to the greenette that sat on the side of his bed, blinking in mild surprise. In return, Akihito grinned.
"I'll go get you something to eat! A proper meal should be in order, no?"
The snownette tilted his head before giving a shy nod in return. His deep-blue eyes blinked curiously at the bumps that were present on the greenette's head.
'Were those always there...?"
Akihito seemed to catch the gaze and grinned, laughing sheepishly.
"Ehehe...Dad really did a number on me this time--although I did deserve it in the end..."
The snownette let an amused smile crawl onto his face as Akihito pouted at the other.
"So you think it's funny...wait, I didn't get your name! I'm Akihito Kaede by the way! It's nice to meet ya'!"
The snownette tilted his head before responding.
"Cielo Albero is the name. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kaede."
Akihito smiled, waving his hand dismissively
"Maa, call me Akihito! We're friends now, right?"
Akihito jumped off the stool he sat on and dashed out of the room, leaving a baffled Cielo behind.
"...Friends?"
~~
"So he's awake?"
Corvino took a sip from his espresso, sighing contently.
"Yep! I'm just about to make something for him!"
Akihito grinned.
"Hm...you know..."
"Yeah?"
"...I still haven't forgiven you about suddenly disappearing yet..."
The hitman took out one of his black pistols, cocking it threateningly; Akihito sweatdropped.
"E-Ehehe...I-Is that so?"
Corvino smirked darkly.
"Those hits to the head was me going easy on you..."
Akihito laughed nervously as he slowly backed away from the other.
"M-Maa, violence isn't always the answer, Corvino-san."
The said rougette only smirked wider.
~~
Bang, bang, bang! Crash! Clatter. Smash!
Cielo sweatdropped at the amount of noise that was occurring outside of the room he was resting in, straining his ears to catch a few words here and there. Although he was a full-blooded Italian, he learned snippets of Japanese to understand most of the conversation.
"Stop dodging, Baka-Hito."
Bang! Crash!
"Why would I do that?!"
Clang! Thump. Thud.
"'Cuz can."
Bang, bang! Smash!
"You're not making any sense, Corvino-sa--Bang! Guah! That was really close!"
Cielo chuckled softly, leaning against his propped-up pillow.
'What a strange bunch...'
Click. Creak.
The snownette blinked, turning his gaze back to the door; deep-blue met electric-green.
Izaak sighed, grabbing the stool that Akihito once sat on, sitting on it as he rested his chin on his palm.
"Yo. Cielo, right?"
The said snownette tilted his head curiously, nodding as he did so.
'He speaks with a slight Russian accent...'
Izaak inclined his head before yawning, cracking his neck as he did so.
"I thought it would be nice to greet our new guest...so...welcome to our little band of travelers."
Izaak gave a lazy wave of the hand as Cielo quirked an eyebrow.
"Is that what you people are? And do you save any random person on the street?"
Izaak sighed again, running a hand through his hair.
"Well...that's all the idiot's doings..."
Cielo chuckled.
"I am guessing that the idiot is Akihito?"
Izaak smirked in return, chuckling as he set his hand back into his lap.
"Heh, ya' get my drift."
Slam!
"Sheesh! I swear, you have some sort of infinite supply of bullets, Corvino-san."
Akihito walked in, carrying a tray of green tea and ravioli. Said rougette came sauntering in, smirking.
"You deserved every single bullet. Plus...it helps with your dodging skills."
Akihito gave a wry smile.
"I swear...you're trying to kill me."
Corvino gave a mock gasp of disbelief, placing a hand on his chest for emphasis.
"You're my sweet, dear son--how could I kill you?"
Akihito chuckled, pouting childishly at Corvino.
"You're right, Otou-san! How could you kill me? With an infinite amount of bullets being shot at me? Nope!"
Corvino smirked again, leaning against the wall of the room, crossing his arms across his chest. Akihito sighed before smiling brightly at Cielo, bringing the tray over to the other.
"Hey, Cielo! I made ya' some ravioli and green tea."
Cielo blinked in surprise before taking the platter, nodding his thanks to the other. He ate the food a bit slower this time, since he wasn't starving to death.
Akihito smiled once before frowning thoughtfully, gazing at the other's immobile legs. Cielo caught the gaze and looked at the greenette.
"What is it?"
Akihito blinked in surprise before laughing sheepishly, ashamed that he was caught in his staring.
"Ah...well--I....it's a secret~!"
Cielo and Izaak sweat-dropped as Corvino raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Akihito gave a wide grin before leaving the room.
"Be right back~!"
The greenette left the room, leaving the others to converse with each other.
~~
The day passed and there was no sight of Akihito again. It was in the morning that Corvino went into the greenette's room.
The hitman blinked in confusion before sighing exasperatedly.
Akihito was sleeping over a desk, grease smearing his cheeks and forehead. A pair of orange goggles were set on his hair, pinning a few bangs back. Corvino shook his head.
'Looks like the idiot was inventing again...an allnighter?'
The rougette frowned and went up to Akihito, about to shake the other awake.
Blink.
Akihito snapped his eyes open and quickly threw a nearby wrench at Corvino, who widened his eyes slightly before sidestepping the attack.
"Oi!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Akihito froze holding the next object he was about to stab the other with--a screwdriver.
Corvino stared at the screwdriver that was just hovering over his throat.
'That could've killed me...'
Akihito blinked, getting the sleep out of his eyes before widening them.
"C-Corvino-san!"
The greentte immediately dropped the screwdriver and scrambled backwards. Akihito groaned, smacking his hands on his cheeks.
"Aah! I just did it again!" Akihito looked up at Corvino, concern lining his features. "Sorry! That's my defensive reaction when people are around me when I wake up. I didn't hurt you, right?"
The hitman snorted before whacking the other on the head.
"Ittei!"
"No, I'm not hurt. You paranoid light-sleeper."
Akihito laughed sheepishly. Corvino sighed again before looking at the greenette's work-table. The rougette raised an eyebrow at the sight of black strips of metal there.
Akihito caught the gaze and grinned widely, eye sparkling with excitement.
"I found a way to make Cielo walk again!"
Corvino blinked in surprise, his other eyebrow up joining the other.
"May I ask how...?"
Akihito gave a bright smile before grabbing the strips metal, carrying it out of the room to Cielo's temporary room; Corvino followed the other.
The greenette went into the room and saw that Izaak was already conversing with Cielo; he grinned.
"Hey, Cielo!"
The said snownette craned his head to look at Akihito, noting the other's dirty appearance.
"What happened to you?"
Akihito laughed, walking over to the other before tugging the blankets off.
"I'm gonna make you walk, Cielo!"
The snownette blinked before widening his eyes, nearly gaping at the other.
"H-How--?"
Akihito gave another grin before attaching the black strips of metal to the other's legs. Cielo and the other occupants of the room watched as Akihito closed his eyes, his eyebrow creasing slightly; a sky-blue light filled the room.
It was faint, but Cielo could've sworn he saw a small, brown finch on Akihito's shoulder. The finch seemed to gaze at Cielo before disappearing; the light dispersed.
Everyone blinked before looking at Cielo's legs; the black strips of metal were now glowing a sky-blue.
Akihito smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his right hand; he held his hand out to Cielo.
The snownette took it.
He stood up...
Step.
...and made his first step...on his own feet.