Dio shook his head, laughing silently for a moment before it turned into a full hearted chuckle. "Yes. Yes, I promise I will come visit again. We'll work something out so we don't get in… very much trouble."
"You could just come over after Vi and Ben go to bed." Miki said, picking at her fingernails.
Cage nods. “Yeah! They go to bed around ten so it would be late, but it would be worth it!”
Dio looked up and blinked at Lackey. Lackey returned his gaze with raised eyebrows.
You said they were adorable.
Dio widened his eyes and shook his head. "Wild, crazy, adorable heathen children." he mouthed back. To Cage he said, "Yeah, that might work."
"Wait, you're actually okay with that idea??" Silver cried. "I thought you were an adult!"
Lackey choked on his trail mix and turned back into the kitchen to get some water.
Ryder lets out a mocking laugh. “BOY OH BOY, put em on speaker phone, Dio, let me and Lack explain. Or… just me.”
“Really?!” Cage beams on the other side of the phone. “Great! I’m so excited!”
Dio waved his hand at Ryder to make him hush. What on earth have I gotten myself into, he thought.
A lot, Lackey thought from the kitchen doorway. He smiled to himself at Dio's helpless face.
"Yeah, sure." Dio replied.
Silver stared at Miki and Cage. "I didn't think it would be that easy." she whispered to them. Maybe he is bad. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was just waiting for us to invite him over IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
Miki raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Well. He sounds like he'll fit in great with us. Why don't you come over tomorrow, Dio?"
Ryder sticks his tongue out, “the Big Russian is gonna kill you, I can feel it.”
*
Cage gasps. “YES TOMORROW COME TOMORROW.”
Lackey smirked, trying not to laugh outloud. Dio stared at both of them, as if silently begging for help.
You walked right into this one, Dio, Lackey thought.
"Okay. Yeah. Tomorrow works. Tomorrow sounds great. I'll… plan to be there at about eleven pm."
Silver flailed one arm while covering her mouth with her other hand. "Why is he agreeing to this?" she wheezed. "We're all gonna die. He's gonna die. We're gonna die. Ben will kill us. And burn our bodies. And burn the house. And move to China. We're dead."
Miki slapped her leg and hooted with laughter. "Oh my, this is gonna be great. Yep, eleven pm is perfect, Dio! We'll meet you out front or something. Silver has your number so we can reach you if anything changes."
Cage inhales sharply with excitement. “OKAY! Park behind the bushes before the driveway so he doesn’t see and don’t knock or ring the doorbell! We’ll just wait outside for you!”
Ryder chuckles. “Man, they're really willing to go behind this guys back.”
Dio nodded. "Okay. Behind the bushes. Sounds good. I'll see you then." he hung up before they could spring any more plans on him and stared in horror and shock at Ryder and Lackey.
Lackey stifled his laughter again and Dio pointed a finger at him. "You are coming with me. I can't handle them on my own."
Apparently, Lackey grinned back.
–
Silver snatched her phone back from Cage when she heard Dio hang up. "Oh my word. Why did you make him agree to that? Guys, we're gonna die!"
Miki threw her head back and laughed. "YES, and it'll be great! Oh, I'm so glad you stole Ben's phone and got his number. You're are the best sister."
Cage starts to laugh. “THIS IS SO AMAZING.”
*
Ryder chuckles. “He’s not asking me to go cause I’d just get em in more trouble.”
Silver shook her head and crawled out of her corner. "No, it's not. This is awful. This is bad. I'm done. I'm not a part of this."
"Don't you dare tell Ben!" Miki cried, grabbing her arm before she could completely escape. "You can't tell Ben. Cuz if you do you have to tell him you stole his phone first."
Silver blinked at the floor in front of her, her face beyond white and growing more towards grey. "Yeah. I know." she whispered.
–
Dio extracted himself from his blankets and stood, nodding affirmation to Ryder. "Yes. You are correct. Those children need more adults around them, not another huge child who will just encourage them." he marched into the kitchen to make some tea.
Lackey smirked at Ryder. He says I'm an adult and you're not.
Ryder narrows his eyes at Lackey.
Dont get cocky, kid.
He turns his attention back to the TV. “Sure Dio. If that’s the case then you won’t help much.”
*
Cage scrambles out of the attic. “I’m putting the phone back!” And picks the phone up off the floor before heading downstairs.
"I am an adult!" Dio yelled from the kitchen. "I can't help it if I'm outnumbered everywhere I go. And if I'm not outnumbered, I'm just out-bigged. It's not fair."
–
"And you can't tell Kissa." Miki continued. "She'd rat us out in a heartbeat. And you better not tell Gabriel either cuz he might tell Kissa or something. You have to keep it a secret."
Silver pinched her eyes shut and nodded. "I know. I won't tell anyone."
Miki crushed her in a hug. "I love you. Please steal Ben's phone any time you get an idea like you had today."
Ryder scoffs. “Don’t kid yourself, Dio! Even your height says you’re a child desperately trying to be an adult.” He shouts back.
*
Cage slowly sets the phone back on the island and steps back, just in time for the basement door to burst open, Ben and Kissa entering the room talking to each other.
“It’s better to go for the jaw, and if you put enough strength into you could break a neck. Here, like this.” Ben stops mid-taking the wraps off of his hands, and puts his hands on Cage's shoulders to make him stay put.
Cage swallows. “Wait break a ne-“
Ben slowly and gently pretends to punch Cages chin upward. “See? If you get the right angle, they’re dead. It works best when you’re shorter than them and you’re..”
Kissa purses her lips, “yeah, I know, short.”
He tilts his head. “More or less.”
Dio growled under his breath as he waited for his water to boil. Beside the couch, a pool of ice formed, slowly crawling up the side of the couch until it reached Ryder's exposed ankle.
–
Miki scrambled down the ladder and came to the landing just in time to see Ben pushing Cage's head back with a slow punch. "Whoa, that escalated quickly. What's going on? Why are we punching Cage?"
“Hey!” Ryder shouts, kicking at the ice. “Rude!” He stands and changes his chair.
Dude, this guy. And the other one is fire? Can’t imagine how horrible that is.
-
Ben looks back up to Miki, seemingly in a good mood. He pats Cages shoulder. “Just teaching Kiss a few things. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hurt him.” He picks his phone up off of the island and slips it in his pocket before going to the stove. “What do you want for lunch?”
Dio cackled at Ryder's reaction as he poured the water over his tea leaves. The ice disappeared almost instantly, leaving just a hint of fog in it's wake. Lackey rolled his eyes and leaned on the other side of the doorframe.
You gotta watch out for the little ones.
–
Miki watched Ben pick up his phone and swallowed, skipping down the stairs to join them in the kitchen. "Ahhh, something with rice. Rice sounds nice. I'm in the mood for rice."
Silver crept to the edge of the hallway, not quite within sight from the kitchen. We're gonna die. I can't do this. I'm gonna have to lock myself in my room until tomorrow night.
Ben nods, “Cage?”
Cage nods, acting completely normal and coming to take Ben arm, watching him start to pull things out. “Sounds yummy!”
Ben ruffles his hair. “Alright.”
Kissa sits on a stool at the counter.
Finally in a better mood i see.
She rests her chin in her palms, a soft smile flitting across her pink lips.
Gabriel stands behind her, invisible, and glares down on her.
Silver lay down on the floor beside the railing, watching them in the kitchen. Miki sat on a barstool on the far side of the island from Kissa. "I love how we can just say one thing like 'rice' and then Ben produces a meal worthy of those little salad sprigs and the dressing zig-zagged across the plate like at a fancy restaurant."
Ben clicks his tongue. “Those are much to small for your bellies.”
Cage giggles. “You speak the truth.” He wraps his arms around Ben’s midsection and squeezes him. “AH, make the food faster!”
Ben shoves him off with what could be the slightest and easiest to miss chuckle. “Shoo. I want to have this ready for Vi when she gets home and you’ll slow me down.”
"True." Miki agreed. "You make fancy food but like… with real people portions. Hey, Cage! Where's your Animal Crossing game? I wanna hit some people with a shovel."
Cage turns and races into the living room, picking up the DS and bringing it to her. “Don’t hit the frog! She thinks we’re friends and gives me money in exchange for sea shells.”
Ben rolls his eyes. “You still smack them? Why do you even play that game.”
"Oh, somebody in this game actually does give you money?" Miki asked. "Wait, you know about this game, Ben? Have you played it?" to Cage she whispered, "He doesn't hit people with shovels, does he?"
Cage giggles. “Miki, you do know that Ben lived with just me for years. Of course he’s played it!”
A small smile crosses Ben’s lips for a split second as he slips the meat into the over and sets the vegetables to steam.
Kissa blinks, laying her head on the island.
She can feel Gabriel’s presence behind her, and more than that she can feel his glare. She closes her eyes.
Even if something did happen, do you really think you could stop me?
He glares down.
Id at least try.
"I wanna see Ben play Animal Crossing and catch the tarantula." Miki said as she whacked one of Cage's neighbors with the shovel. "Oh my word, look, he's so mad."
Silver frowned, watching Kissa as she sat at the island. From the look on Kissa's face, Silver was pretty sure Gabriel was somewhere near her, invisible.
Cage peeks over Mikis shoulder. “Shovel him again.”
Ben runs a hand through his hair, taking a step back as his food cooks.
Something is off.
“Where is Silver?”
A small, malicious smile crosses Kissa’s lips for a few seconds.
Aw really? C’mon Gabriel, you know I’m stronger than you.
He blinks.
No. Your magic may be stronger but your will is not.
Miki grinned and hit the NPC again. "Cage, this is awful. Why is this so fun."
Silver started, almost choking on her own spit, and rolled back away from the railing so he couldn't see her. She lay on her back, sprawled across the floor, and stared at the ceiling, holding her breath.
Ben furrows his brow.
Everyone is in here, except her. Is she alright?
He turns around and leans on the counter, “Miki?”
"Hmm?" Miki glanced up, and processed his question about Silver. "Oh, yeah, she's upstairs. I saw her a few minutes ago."
Silver ground her teeth and glared at the ceiling. If I rat on you, Miki, it's your fault.
Ben gives a small nod. “Is she alright? She’s normally with us.”
Is she angry with me?
Cage nods. “Yeah, no she’s fine. Don’t worry Ben.”
Ben purses his lips.
Im worrying.