Miki darted after him, but Silver yelled, "Wait!" Miki paused in the doorway. Silver swallowed. "They're fighting."
"Great!" Miki laughed. "I thought they never would! Come on, Cage."
Silver watched them go and then glanced up at Gabriel. "I don't understand people sometimes."
Cage jogs down the stares quietly, pausing at the bottom and peeking just in time to see Ryder jump-kick Ben in the chest. Ben coughs, taking a few steps back, but grinning once he came to.
Miki leaned past Cage, her mouth falling open as she saw them. "Oh no. We gotta tell Violet. Ben just smiled."
Silver turned, searching the room for Violet, her eyes wide with confusion. "Violet, they're fighting but Ben feels… happy?"
Violet shrugs. “He doesn’t fight Kissa in anger. It really depends on the way you approach him. Believe it or not, we used to do fist fights a good bit back when he was teaching me hand to hand combat.”
Cage tugs on Miki. “Ryder is magic.”
Ryder ducks as Ben swings a blow and goes to kick out his legs, but Ben jumps, avoiding his foot.
“You’ll have to be faster than that.” He playfully taunts.
Ryder grins.
"You? Fist fighting" Silver asked in disbelief. "I get that he and Kissa enjoy fighting. I just thought he'd kill Ryder before they got to that point."
Miki nodded. "This is amazing. It's been two years and he still doesn't like me. Ryder's been here for an hour and already has Ben's approval." An idea crossed her mind and she tapped Cage's arm. "Hey. Maybe I just need to fight him more."
Cage shakes his head. “The only thing that would speed up is your death, Mik.”
Violet chuckles. “What makes you think that?”
Miki covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loud and alerting the boys to their presence. "True. Maybe I should just settle for always being disliked and be glad I'm alive."
"You fist fighting or Ben killing Ryder" Silver asked. "Umm. I've just… never ever seen you fight? Like, you're always driving or bandaging us up. And Ryder 100% is the type of person Ben would kill first. I mean, look at Miki. He can't stand Miki and Ryder is like four Miki's packed together, with abs and wings."
Cage nods. “That’s probably wise.”
Violet chuckles, “I meant the Ryder part, but I won’t lie, I was curious why you thought I didn’t know how to fist fight as well.” She shrugs. “I have no idea what makes him like and dislike people.”
Miki settled down on the steps and propped her chin on her hands. "I could watch this all day. Ben finally has someone he's evenly matched with."
Silver slowly peeled herself away from Gabriel and fully turned to face Violet, setting her elbows on the counter and studying Violet. "What made him like you?"
Violet purses her lips, having to think. “I- I don’t think I could speak for him. I think he was in awe of my formality and patience, but I don’t know. What do you think?”
Cage watches as Ryder knees Ben’s stomach and in turn Ben punches his jaw. “This is beautiful. Makes me wish I had guts so I could actually fight.”
Silver crawled up on the counter beside Kissa, laying on her stomach and peering at Violet, chin on her hand. "I think… I think because you're so calm. Like, Ben is so not calm, but you're always so calm and gentle and in control. I think he needs that a lot. If he didn't have you he'd be even more wild and chaotic. You're like his anchor." Silver tipped her head and a grin came to her face. "Also you're really beautiful so teenage Ben was probably smitten on sight and he's never become unsmitten."
Miki shook her head so hard her hair whipped back and forth. "Nope. I will proudly be a coward if it saves me from being beat up by Ben. And since I'm not a coward and I have been beat up by Ben… yeah no. You're lucky, Cage."
Cage nods, “yeah, your right. I don’t wanna fight him.”
Ben catches Ryders fist and gives him a small, hearty chuckle. He runs a hand through his hair, then extends it for Ryder to shake. “ Спасибо за бой.”
Though not understanding Ben, Ryder shakes his hand with a respectful nod.
Violet stands still, staring at Silver, a little shocked.
Those have to be the nicest things I’ve heard in a very long while.
A small, gentle smile crosses her lips.
“Thank you.” She says, very genuinely.
Silver crossed her arms on the counter and rested her head on them, waving her feet in the air. "Why did you fall in love with Ben?"
Miki laughed and ruffled his hair. "Are they friends now?" she whispered.
Violet pauses to think, but only for a few seconds. “He’s so incredibly loyal and loves so intensely. After only being around him for a week I knew he’d never let me down. And as insecure and broken as he is, even with all his anxiety, he does try his very best, and I’d say he’s doing a fantastic job.” She purses her lips, “there’s so much more to say.”
Kissa blinks, staring at Violet, who had obviously fallen in love with Ben for his intense love and firm loyalty. She slowly turns herself invisible and looks to the ground, biting her lip.
They’re so sweet.
Gabriel furrows his brow in confusion.
????
Cage watches Ryder and Ben as they both chuckle a little and dust themselves off.
“Omg, I hope so.”
Ryder sighs and looks to the stairs.
THE SWORD THE SWORD.
“Ah, Ben? Cage mentioned you had a sword?”
Ben raises an eyebrow. “A collection of them, yes. Why?”
Silver smiled, feeling warm and happy listening to Violet talk about the man she loved. "You two make a good team. You both need each other. You're really inspiring for like… an example of a good relationship."
Miki clapped her hand over her mouth to hold in a squeak. "He's gooood! Help me remember to just fight Ben before I ask him for anything."
Cage nods enthusiastically. “I will I will.”
A grin crosses Ryders face. “A collection?”
“Did you want to see them?”
Violet beams. “Why thank you. We try.”
"Oh my goodness," Miki wheezed. "Are they gonna be besties now??? Who knew the way to Ben's heart is by punching him. I mean, I'm not surprised. But still."
Silver rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, wings stretched out on either side of her, blocking half the kitchen. "The guys are still downstairs and Miki hasn't screamed yet. I don't know if that's a good or a bad sign."
Cage giggles, “He probably decided to marry Vi after she punched him.”
Ryder nods. “Yes, actually.” Ben pats him on the shoulder while walking past towards the stairs.
“Come, I’ll show you.”
Cage gasps, scrambling back up the stairs.
Miki snorted. "Probably. With heart eyes and everything. ACK! Abort mission, abort, abort, abort!" she squeaked, scrambling to her feet and crashing up the stairs. She burst out the door into the kitchen and plopped onto a barstool, propping her head on her hand and drumming her fingers on the counter like she had been there the whole time.
Silver glanced over at her sister and raised an eyebrow. "Are they still alive?" she asked.
Cage flops onto the couch, putting a couch pillow over his face.
Before Miki has time to answer, Ben and Ryder come through the door. Kissa pulls herself off of the counter, turning visible.
Miki raised her eyebrows at Silver, tipping her head slightly in the boys' direction. Silver frowned and mouthed, Did he get the sword?
Miki suppressed a grin and mouthed shhh, pressing a finger to her lips. Wait.
Without saying a word, they immediately turn down the hall towards the library, and Ryder silently walks backwards, giving Gabriel an enthusiastic thumbs up before turning back around.
Gabriel peers after them.
Is it actually working?
Kissa turns herself invisible and follows after them.
Silver sat up, watching them go, and then glanced back at Miki. Once they were gone Miki let out a gasping laugh, trying to keep from being too loud.
"They fought." she wheezed. "They just fought it out and now they're friends and Ryder just asked if Ben had swords and he's like 'yeah sure come see' AND NOW BEN'S JUST GONNA SHOW RYDER ALL HIS SWORDS. I can't wait for Ben to find out it's just to cut Gabriel's hair."
Silver sighed, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead. "And this whole time there's a perfectly good pair of scissors sitting right here." she muttered.
Gabriel looks back to Miki. “Who won?”
Cage uncovers his face on the couch, giggling.
Ben leads Ryder back to the library. He removes a book from one of the shelves to the left and presses a small button, making the shelf pull forward and then too the side, revealing a glass case the size of the shelf full of fancy, sharp swords.
Ryders eyes widen. “Wow. You weren’t kidding.”
Ben smirks, “these are just the unused ones. All that have actually been fought with fill another case.”
Kissa stares over them in awe.
"Ummm." Miki paused. "I think it was a draw? They just beat each other up for a while and then shook hands and Ryder asked to see the swords."
Silver gave Miki a confused look. "So all we have to do to get something is fight him?"
"I guess?!" Miki said, throwing her hands in the air. "I don't know. Maybe Ryder's just special and it only works with him."
Gabriel shakes his head. “No, I’ve tried his tactics before. They only work with him.”
Cage sighs. “Aaaawwww, maaaaaaannnn.”
Ryder looks over the swords in awe. “Could I- could maybe borrow a used one?”
Ben raises an eyebrow. “Depends. What do you want to do with it?”
“It won’t leave your house.” He promises, turning to face Ben.
Are you going to try to kill us all?
Ben rolls his eyes. “Specifics.” He demands.
"Dang it." Miki said, deflating and burying her face in her arms like she was crushed. But a second later she flung her head up again and cried, "But we could make Ryder ask Ben for stuff if he never tells Ryder no!" she whirled around, looking for Vi. "Okay, we gotta adopt him, Vi. Where are the papers. We gotta sign right now."
"Oh my word." Silver groaned, flopping back onto the counter again and flinging an arm over her face. "Just tell me when it's over and Gabriel's been scalped."
Violet rolls her eyes with a small chuckle. “If it works once, then that’s one thing. Who says it’ll ever work again?”
Cage purses his lips. “I mean…. you have a point.”
Ryder sighs. “Look, your swords are amazing and I love them. But I need to use one. I used to have a huge hunting sword I’d use that was about the length of my arm, but that was a while ago. Can I just borrow one? For a teensy second?”
Ben squints. “For. What.”
"Ugh." Miki plopped her chin in her hands. "True. But if Ryder comes back with a machete I'm gonna say he has a knack for it."
“He normally uses a hunting sword.” Gabriel whispers.
Ryder sighs. “You got me. Fine. I wanna cut Vamps hair, and I always use a sword. It works great.”
Ben opens his mouth, about to object, but closes it doing his best to repress a grin.
“I have one over here for you, come.”