He watches her leave, glaring from the stool without protesting. Letting her leave felt nice anyways, just watching her walk out.
He runs a hand through his hair.
“Silver is gonna hate me tomorrow.” He mumbles under his breath.
(Wanna time skip?)
(we'll skip and i'll have Miki text Dio in the morning)
Silver rolled over, rubbing her eyes and stretching her wings as she glanced around the room. She had slept like the dead after their eventful night.
Miki strolled down the street in a populated touristy area, already busy at 9 in the morning. Her limbs were sore from having slept on a bench. It annoyed her so realize the last two years of living in Ben's wealth had made her soft to the way of life she grew up knowing. After snagging a muffin from a cafe, she pulled out her phone and texted Dio's number, "Hey, so, just kidding about not contacting for you a while cuz I'm kind of homeless now."
“Are you angry with her for leaving?”
Ben shakes his head, “if anything I was a little… relieved.” He guilty looks up from his breakfast with the last word and Violet sighs.
“Benjamin…”
he sits back with a huff. “Vi, you know we don’t get along. And she’s been causing a lot of trouble lately! Of course I wasn’t disappointed.”
She turns her back to him to finish making her breakfast. “Stop excusing yourself. The only reason you have for disliking her is she doesn’t submit to you or your rules.”
His face goes pale and he stares down at his food, quiet and angry.
What??
“She doesn’t have to listen to you, Ben. The kids are your responsibility and should obey for their own safety, but she doesn’t have to. Miki is normal. The reason you don’t get along is because she-“
“Where’s Miki?”
The voice is small and quiet, coming from Cage who still looks half asleep at the top of the stairs.
Violet looks up to him then glares back to Ben who still stares angrily at his plate, his pride having just been attacked.
Silver sat up, frowning around the room.
Something was wrong.
She hadn't felt Miki come to bed, but that wasn't unusual. Sometimes Miki slept downstairs on the couch or fell asleep on the floor beside their bed.
Silver shook herself, ruffling her feathers and letting them lay back into place, and slid out of bed, dragging herself out into the hallway just in time to hear Cage's question. She paused next to him. "Is she missing?"
–
Dio frowned at the message on his phone as he stood on his step stool in the middle of the kitchen, spatula in hand as a pancake browned on the stove. Slowly he texted back, "Why are you homeless? Did something happen?"
Violet gives Ben one more glare before taking her breakfast and heading into the dining room, wanting nothing to do with the conversation.
He stares at his plate and swallows. “I don’t know where she is, text her and find out.” His voice is low and his words sound close to venomous even though they’re not particularly mean.
Tears well up in Cage’s eyes and he turns around, heading back to his room.
Silver's eyes widened and she backed away, ducking into Cage's room. "What's going on?" she whispered, scared. "Did I miss something?"
Miki texted back, "Ben and I fought and I left. So, yeah, homeless."
–
Dio sighed and pocketed his phone, finishing the pancakes as quickly as possible. "Breakfast is ready!" he yelled as he trotted through the living room. "I'm going out for a while–"
Lackey stood at the top of the stairs, blocking his way. Why.
Dio rubbed his face, as if to scrub the worry away. "I have to go find Miki. Something happened."
Ryder is asleep on the couch and barely opens his eyes to squint at Dio and groan after his statement. “Whatever. I’m going back to sleep.” He turns over, cuddling the couch pillow.
-
Cage plops down on his bed, hugging his pillow close to his chest. “Did Miki leave me?”
Ben and Vi are fighting… kiss and Gabe are fighting…. and now Miki is gone?
Dio rang for his driver and left both Kavi to fend for themselves. As his carriage left the drive, he texted Miki again, "Where are you?"
–
Silver blinked at nothing, trying to think of a reason why Miki wouldn't be gone, but after last night… she sat down on the edge of Cage's bed and pulled out her phone, texting Miki as instructed. "Where are you?"
–
Miki paused in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at the two identical texts from two very different people. She replied to Dio first, since that was easier. "Downtown. By the courthouse. Why?"
To Silver she slowly typed, "Ben and I fought so I'm taking a break from…"
Then she backspaced and retyped, "Ben and I needed to take a break from each other–"
Again she backspaced, this time punctuated by a groan and dropped down onto a bench. Finally she typed, "I left so Ben and I wouldn't kill each other." and sent it before she could think better of it.
–
Silver swallowed when her phone pinged and opened the text. After a glance she silently turned the screen so Cage could read it.
Cage looks at the phone, deeply hurt.
“… they weren’t even that loud though. Why didn’t she just go to bed?”
Silver rubbed her face, staring at the screen. "I don't… did he get her in trouble for the Dio thing?" she looked up at him, eyes full of confusion and worry. "Did he kick her out?"
–
Miki chilled on the bench, holding her phone in case it buzzed, but staring across the street at nothing, trying not to worry about Silver and Cage. Maybe she should have texted them and explained. Or said goodbye. But she hadn't wanted to wake them up in the middle of the night. Then they would have tried to make her stay and everyone would have gotten upset.
She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"Miki?"
Dio's voice made her jump and she almost fell off the bench. He stood a few feet away, bundled up as usual, hands plunged into his pockets. But he eyed her with concern, worry creasing his brow. She gave him a weird look.
"What are you doing here?"
“I mean, it is his house… but… he wouldn’t? I don’t- that’s not Ben. He wouldn’t do that.” Cage quietly protests.
Would he?
Silver hovered her thumb over the keyboard, but didn't know what to say to Miki. "Did Ben kick you out?" she finally typed slowly, but showed it to Cage without sending it. "How do I even ask?" she whispered.
–
Dio scanned the street before looking back to her. "What happened? Did Benjamin kick you out?"
Miki rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Goodness, no. But I'm sure he's thanking the stars I left. I left so we wouldn't kill each other, cuz we were getting pretty darn close." She squinted at him again. "Why are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. And you said you were homeless so…"
Miki blinked at him. "I've been homeless before. I grew up on the streets."
His face went white, as if the very idea horrified him. "You can stay with me. I have plenty of room."
Cage turns away, still holding in tears. “Be straight out. I- I don’t think he would though.” His voice squeaks at the end and a tear slips down his round cheek.
Silver sniffed, trying to hold back her own tears, prompted by seeing Cage's. She wiped her nose and hit 'send'.
–
Miki raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm okay, Dio. I know how to take care of myself."
He nodded, staring at his feet. "I feel responsible for… all of this. I didn't put a stop to you kids when you invited me over. I shouldn't have–"
Miki rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, we're all to blame in some way or another. Join the club. But I chose to leave; he didn't–" her phone buzzed and she looked down to see Silver's text. "Oh my wooooord, why am I having this conversation twice at the same time."
She glanced up in time to see the strange look Dio gave her and waved her phone in the air. "Silver is texting me the exact same questions you're asking." Quickly she texted back, "No, he didn't kick me out. I left cuz we need to take a break from each other. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I didn't want to wake you up and get you involved in everything. I'm alright. I'll probably be back in a few days."
Cage hugs his pillow and stares teary eyed at the floor.
Did he kick her out?
How would I… feel about that?
-
Ryder groans, rolling over and sitting up, blinking hard a few times. He glances at the clock.
9am
He huffs and stands, pulling his hair back into a pony tail.
“It’s so earlyyyyyyy.”
Silver read Miki's text out loud for Cage. "I mean… I understand. That she left cuz they don't get along." She rested her head on Cage's shoulder. "I didn't think last night would end this bad." She whispered.
–
"Anyway." Miki said. "I'm good. It's been a while since I've been on the streets and I kind of miss it."
Dio stared at her like she had grown another head. "I respect your decision, Miki, but you are tied to us now and for everyone's safety I would like to see you not on the streets. And if anything happened to you I know Silver and Cage would be heartbroken." He sighed and looked directly into her eyes. "Please."
–
Lackey gave Ryder a look from his place by the front door. He hadn't moved since Dio left.
It's the middle of the morning.
Cage clenches his jaw, still staring into nothingness.
“But… Ben is one person. Couldn’t she put up with him for us?”
-
(Lackey XD)
Ryder glares at Lackey out of the corner of his eye.
“Don’t look at me like that. This is way earlier than I normally get up.” He heads into the kitchen and looks over Dio’s breakfast.
“Do we have more mangos? Maybe a papaya?” He shouts to Lackey as he starts to rummage through the cabinets.
Silver sighed and rubbed her forehead, staring at her phone. Slowly she rested her cheek on Cage's shoulder. "I don't know." she whispered. "Maybe… I don't know." she shook her head. After a moment her eyes filled with tears and she took in a shaky breath. "I should have told Ben. We never should have invited Dio over." her chest shook with sobs. "I should have told Ben."
–
Miki stared at Dio, frozen. He seemed so sincere and… honestly concerned. It made her uncomfortable, for someone to be so interested in her well being. She shook herself and looked down at her phone. Usually she was the one who looked out for everyone else and she took care of herself. No one worried about her. Finally she shrugged, unsure how to respond. "Yeah. Okay. That's fine, I guess."
–
Lackey eased into the kitchen after him, still surveying Ryder with unveiled disdain. There's a fruit bowl on the counter, you dolt. Slowly he picked up a peach, holding it in the air with just his thumb and forefinger, raising his eyebrows at Ryder over it.
Cage leans his cheek on Silver's head and sighs. He wasn't used to people just leaving since they were all stuck together.
_
Ryder spins around and gives Lackey grin, snatching the peach. "This, my dull friend, is not a papaya. But I'll eat it anyways."
"She'll come back." Silver said. "She'll miss us too much to stay gone." To Miki, she texted, "Where are you gonna go?"
–
Dio nodded and lead Miki over to his carriage. She stood beside it, looking it up and down, and gave him a look.
"You have a carriage?" she asked incredulously.
Dio opened the door and bowed to her. "I vowed years ago to never contaminate myself by touching an automobile."
Miki rolled her eyes and scrambled inside. "You keep getting stranger and stranger."
Dio followed her in and settled into the seat across. "I have been told before that I am somewhat of an 'oddball', as they say."
"It must be a side affect of the powers." Miki retorted, glancing down at the text from Silver.
–
Lackey huffed through his nose and turned back into the living room. You ate all of them. That's why there aren't any more.
Cage sighs, laying his head on Silvers lap. “She better.” He sniffles.
-
Ryder takes a bite out of the peach, “touché.”
Silver leaned back against the wall, stroking her fingers through Cage's hair while she stared at her phone, waiting for Miki's reply.
–
Dio's carriage pulled up and he hopped out, holding the door for Miki as she scrambled after him. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and eyed his giant house.
"Why am I surrounded by stupid rich people?" she muttered under her breath. Dio lead the way up the steps and bowed to her as he opened the door to his house.
"Welcome to my home, Miki." he said.
Lackey stilled when the door opened, ignoring Ryder as Dio entered with the human girl. Slowly he stepped out of the kitchen doorway and placed his back against the wall. Miki gave him a wave. "Heyo. Dio decided I needed to live with you guys for a while."
Dio stepped around her, trotting through the living room. "I invited Miki to stay with us until she decides to return to Benjamin's house." To Miki, he added, "I made pancakes this morning. If there are any left, you're welcome to them."
Ryder returns from the kitchen, giving Miki a quick wink before looking to Dio. “The pancakes were disgusting. I ate them all.”
Miki snorted in laughter. "Suuuuuure. Sounds like they were–" she froze as her gaze actually landed on Ryder, and she stared, mouth open. "Wait… you're the Mango Dude!"
Ryder raises his eyebrows, refocusing on Miki. “Do I- have we met?”