Silver took in a deep breath through her nose, still vowing to not cry. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "It was stupid and I should have told you." She covered her face with her hands, willing her heart to stop pounding.
–
Dio found Lackey and Miki sitting silently on the grass. One glance told him that Lackey was fine now, but terrified of interacting with Miki. The girl looked up as he approached, a bright, easy smile coming to her face. "Hey. He didn't kill you." she said.
Dio shrugged. "No, he did not. I am afraid he might kill your sister though. I never imagined tonight could have gone to badly." he closed his eyes, as if willing the memory of the last half hour to disappear. "I thought the worst that could happen would be Benjamin waking up and finding us."
Miki nodded. "Yeah, me too. But, Kissa should never be underestimated. What was up with all that anyway? What did she do to him?" she pointed her thumb at Lackey.
What was up with that anyways.
Ben squints, staring at Gabriel. The more he looked at him though, the more he felt like it was a question to ask him in private.
“Mn. Okay.” Kissa leans back against Ben’s leg and grits her teeth.
He basically attacked me and you just say ‘okay’?
Ben rubs the bridge of his nose for a second, sighing. “Listen. A lie is never a good idea, and neither is doing things behind mine or Violet's backs. I know we’re all cooped up and a new person is exciting, but the way things were done was wrong. I’m not angry with any of you guys right now, but… that was very dangerous. We don’t even know him well.”
"I told Violet!" Silver yelped, suddenly remembering. "That day! When Miki said I was on my period and I wasn't. Violet made me talk to her and I told her I had contacted Dio and she said it was–" She stopped midsentence, mouth hanging open, and stared at Violet. If she told Ben Violet knew about her texting Dio and hadn't told Ben, then Ben would get mad at Violet too.
–
Dio sighed and rubbed his forehead. "From what I can tell, Kissa and Lackey recognized each other from… before. I believe Kissa knows about Lackey and his relationship with my brother and used that to…" he shook his head.
Miki nodded. "She brought it up and sent him into a panic attack."
Dio opened his eyes, watching Lackey, fist pressed against his lips. "Yes."
Miki stood up and brushed the grass off her jeans. "Well. I hope he's okay now. But fair warning; Kissa will totally do that again since now she knows how easy it was. She's kind of evil." She cuffed Dio on the shoulder as she passed him. "And good job not getting killed by Ben."
Dio spun, grabbing her arm to stop her before she could leave completely. "About Benjamin; is he… alright?"
Violet’s face flushes a deep red and Ben turns to raise and eyebrow at her- angrily.
She sighs. “She- I didn’t know they’d invited him over. She’d only-“
“-no no, we’re talking later.” He interrupts.
She nods with a sigh.
Cage purses his lips, the rubs his forehead. “Can we go to bed? I want today to be done.”
Ben sighs and gives a small nod. “Yes. You all are… dismissed. Vi and I will talk over things tonight.”
"No, no, Ben!" Silver gasped, leaping off the couch. "No, she didn't know! I promise! I told her I had texted Dio and she said it was okay and I forgot to tell her about him coming over part. She DID say that I shouldn't invite him over. I just… didn't hear that until she had left." She grimaced, all but falling on the floor at Ben's feet. "Don't be mad at her, Ben. She didn't know. Be mad at me."
–
Miki raised an eyebrow at Dio. "No. He's never been okay. Maybe when he was like–yeah, no, his childhood was crap too. Ben has never been okay in any sense of the word. Why?"
Dio released her arm, pressing his lips together. "I'm worried about him. I'm worried about all of you."
Miki glanced Dio up and down, studying him anew. Let's take a page out of Silver's book and do something stupid. "That's… nice. We could do with someone worrying about us. Someone who doesn't live in the same house." She rolled her eyes.
Dio paused, wanting to say more but not know what to say, or what was appropriate. Ben had already made it clear he was banished from their lives until Ben reached out again. Before he could decide anything, Miki pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Here." she said. "What's your number?"
Ben stands, almost completely ignoring her. Irritation and anger wells up inside of him. The day had been so peaceful and nice but ended so rotten. Figuring out Cage and Mik has gone behind his back happily, Silver had used his phone to call Dio and didn’t tell him, Gabriel was attacking his own sister. He runs a hand through his hair.
“Go to bed.” He coldly and firmly speaks through gritted teeth.
Cages face goes pale and he quickly goes up stairs, Kiss not far behind. Gabriel turns invisible and leans against the wall.
Silver stood in the middle of the living room for a moment, watching him, teeth clenched in anxiety, but finally she deflated and turned toward the stairs, pulling herself up with the railing, her wings trailing on the floor behind her.
–
Miki repocketed her phone, now containing Dio's contact information, and gave him a final nod. "Well. I don't know what I'll contact you, but I'm sure I will. Goodnight." she waved and headed back toward the house.
The closer she got to the door, the more in dawned on her what had probably transpired while she was gone. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Well, here we go.
She opened the door and stepped inside.
Ben turns, looking eerily calm. “Miki.”
Violet gulps.
Please don’t start burning Ben. She’s stupid, but just be nice.
Miki stood in the entry way, seeing the dark and almost-empty living room. Apparently he'd already roasted everyone else, and she was the finale. She took her shoes off and stepped into the living room, sliding her hands in her pockets and facing him. "Ben."
He clenches his jaw, willing himself to not set her on fire.
He didn’t really have the words to say, mostly because the ones he thought were not kind and definitely didn’t need to be spewed.
“You’re an idiot.” He growls.
Violet rolls her eyes.
At least he’s not cussing yet.
Miki raised her eyebrows, genuinely surprised. That's what he accuses me of? Slowly she nodded, eyes wide with confusion. "Yeah. I am. We know this."
He glares.
“I would expect something so childish and stupid from Cage and Sil, but you? You know better. You’re an adult. I know you can think more than this. What were you thinking? That guy isn’t safe!”
Miki blinked. "Yes. To all of those things. Except for the last. Why do you think he's unsafe?" she lifted her hand to ward off his explosion. "I'm just asking, Ben. I don't mean to be disrespectful. I honestly would like to know why you think he's unsafe."
He takes in a breath, almost angry she didn’t snap back. “We don’t know him well. Airrow had been trusted before as well, he was on the Board. Dio could be the same. Especially with his ties to Etienne and his involvement in the experiments. He helped with all of this for all I know. Despite the obvious fact that he was cool and fine with going behind mine and Violet’s backs to meet with you guys. Is that not suspicious? And he brought that looming dark thing!”
Miki stared at him, then pulled one hand out of her pocket and rubbed her lip. Damn, if you thought all of that why did you invite him to the freaking house? "I'm sorry for going behind your back and hatching a plan with Cage and threatening Silver into being quiet. As for 'what was I thinking', I was thinking that if you had invited him here once already, he was pretty okay. He knows where we live, Ben. Inviting him back couldn't do any more harm. If he was gonna come back for us, he could do that without an invitation. Also…" she glanced around the room, habitually looking for an invisible Gabriel. "We have a dark looming thing too. Just saying."
“I didnt invite him over! And it’s not my fault he knows they’re here! I was stiLL FIGURING OUT WHAT THE HELL MY NEXT MOVE WAS.” He takes a deep breath and pauses, actually feeling a little better after having yelled.
Violet blinks.
Thanks. Throwing me under the bus.
He runs a hand through his hair. “You all aren’t making this any easier. I’m trying to keep us… alive.”
Miki blinked, glancing between Ben and Violet. Realization dawned and she stared at Violet. "Wait… Ben didn't… Violet, YOU invited him??" She let out a huffing laugh. No wonder Ben's been freaking out over this whole thing. He lost control of it. She shook her head, then looked up at Ben. "I know. And you're doing a really good job, Ben. Honestly. It's been two years and a move half way around the world and tons of other crap and we're all still alive and safe and well. I'm sorry we're so awful and make it harder for you, but you need to give yourself a break. You've done really well through all of this." And that's why you're starting to crack now.
“That’s not… that’s not going to happen and you know it. If I give myself a break you’ll all get caught. I turn my back for a few minutes and things go wrong. I can’t.”
He runs a hand through his hair again, and violet sighs, heading upstairs.
“Miki, you know something bad would happen.” He mumbles.
Miki swallowed, putting her hand back in her pocket, and rubbing the floor with her foot. "So what happens when you break? Not, take a break, but just break?" she looked up, her eyes on fire for the first time since she came in. "You're only human, Ben. I don't care what they did do you or what you can do now, you are still. human. And if you don't chill out every once in a while you're going to burn out and then we won't have you at all. What happens if something happens to you? Because you're too freaking stubborn and care so freaking much you can't take care of yourself for five minutes, one day you're going to just break. And I'd bet a lot of money it's gonna be soon, cuz you've been getting worse almost every day over the last several weeks. You're too hard on yourself, you're too hard on the kids. You worry too much and I know. I get it. I know you have a lot on your shoulders and it's stressful but stressing yourself out doesn't make it better. Stressing more doesn't make us safer. It's just gonna wear you down until there's no Ben left and then what will we do?" her voice slowly rose until she was almost shouting.
“What do you expect me to do?! I take a break and you all get killed??!” He shouts. “I’m NOT being stupid, Miki! What other option do I have??” He takes a shaky, hot breath. “Besides, I won’t burn out. I-I can’t.” His words are hard, not weak or quiet but loud and solid.
Miki took a step toward her, her hands fisted. "You let us in, Ben. You're not alone. You let us help. You stop shutting us out and trying to 'protect us' by keeping us in the dark. I'm an adult; you just said so yourself. Cage and Silver are nineteen. Did it ever occur to you that Silver acts out and does stupid things because you stressing and never telling us anything freaks her out? None of us ever know what's going on. We can't help, because you push us away. You forget that we've all gone through crap too. We're not kids, even though you and Violet seem to think so. You are not. alone. Ben. So stop acting like you are."
“I’ve been very honest with you all! I haven’t kept much from you and the things I have are things I’m still unsure about! And Silver seems to have freak outs right after she’s told things, no matter how gently.” He huffs and sits on one of the stools by the island counter. “I… don’t really know what you expect me to do beyond that. You guys can’t help. You don’t know how and it’s too dangerous for them to be involved. The moment he knows we’re all here is the moment he pounces.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Just- stop encouraging them to act out. Encourage them to speak openly to Vi and I. Acting out rashly and stupidly doesn’t help at all. And you’re a big part of the problem right now.” His words weren’t kind, but as he spoke they sounded softer, no matter how mean they were. “I don’t need you causing and encouraging issues. They like you, Miki. Sil and Cage both, and they’ll do basically anything you ask them to or copy your actions. But you’re still reckless and stupid. It needs to stop before one of them ends up doing something as idiotic as sneaking out of the house and getting caught.” His speech drags on, almost slurred by his accent, as if he’s irritated, tired or bored and he glares at her.
Miki pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply. A dozen comebacks flashed through her mind, but finally she just shook her head and threw up her hands. "Fine. Whatever." she spun, stalking toward the stairs. "Take care of my sister or so help me I will come back and kill you with my bare hands." she jogged up the stairs and crept into hers' and Silver's bedroom, quietly but quickly snatching up her backpack and stuffing a few clothes and necessities into it.
Ben turns around to watch her, glaring.
“What?”
Is she leaving?
IS SHE REALLY LEAVING?!?!
“You think I don’t already take care of her? You’re the one getting her into trouble!”
Miki heard him yell after her, but finished packing before returning downstairs. "I stayed so that if anything happened I could take her away and hide her." she snapped, not even looking at him as she passed. "I just…" she shook her head. Taking care of her doesn't mean just 'keep her from getting caught'.
That goes for Cage too, for that matter.
She sighed and headed for the door. "I'll be back. Eventually. I'll text you. Or Violet. Or something. Bye."
