"Yeah." she sniffled and lifted her hand to rub his hair. "It's so weird how good stuff can come out of bad stuff." she huffed a little, choky laugh.
Silver took a deep breath, stirring again at the change in presence. Without opening her eyes she rolled her head back, a deep frown furrowing her face.
Cage gives a small, breathy chuckle. “Yeah.”
Kissa blinks, looking over Cage and Miki.
What? They’re all snuggling to death in the other room, and Cage and Mik are crying? What is up with everyone?!
She puts a hand on her chest.
If there ever was a time to do something bad I should do it now because Ben will be too distracted by everyone else’s bad to get me in trouble.
She shakes her head.
Nonono, that’s not how it works. I should go tell him! That Silver is snuggling Gabriel! And Cage is crying!
"Hey, your food might be burning. Is it supposed to be that color?" Miki asked, pointing at the stove and frowning.
Cage turns, picking up the spoon and stirring it again. “Ah- yeah. Thanks for reminding me though.” He sniffles and rubs his eyes. “Why did Ryder and-“ he pauses at the sound of a loud knock on Ben’s door upstairs.
Kissa stands there, nervous.
“Ben?? Ben?”
A minute passes and Cage looks up the stairs, glaring at her.
“What are you doing?” He hisses.
She knocks again. “Ben!”
Violet sighs, laying on the bed as Ben hurriedly slips his shirt on. “One second. I promise just one second.”
She stares, unamused. “Mmm, what happened to ‘we’ll just ignore them next time’?”
He gestures to the door in exasperation, “it’s Kissa!”
Violet sighs and lays her head back down, staring at the ceiling. “Ah, that clears everything up.” She mumbles.
He swings the door open, glaring. “Yes?”
"Hey!" Miki said, following Kissa up the stairs. "What are you–ooohhh, goodness. You interrupted them. Okay. NOTHING IS WRONG BEN. Honestly. We're fine. For once. Go back to your… activities." she flicked her fingers at him as if to shoo him away.
Ben glares at Miki, then back to Kissa, his hair all ruffled and his face pink.
“What is it.”
Kissa bites her lip.
“Gabriel and Silver are sleeping together and they were kissing all over and Miki made Cage cry and Ryder won’t quit making me blush and I didn’t know where you were and I was worried Silver would get away with rub-“ Ben puts a finger to her lips to pause her, looking more horrified then angry now.
“Where are they??”
Cage sits on the kitchen floor and sighs.
Oh goodness.
"WHAT." Miki cried, glaring at Kissa. "They're SLEEPING. And I'm pretty sure Ryder's in the library too so I doubt they're making out. Gabriel has too many injuries to kiss Silver right now anyway." she groaned and looked at Ben apologetically. "I'm sorry. Literally, everything is fine. Or it was. I have no idea why Kissa thought she needed to bother you when you were busy."
Ben looks from Miki to Kissa again.
Kissa grabs his hand. “C’mon I’ll show you, they’re in the library!”
Ben takes his hand back. “Augh, Kissa. Listen, I appreciate your concern, but I’m sure they’re fine. Miki is an adult. If you think there’s something bad going on, tell her when I’m not around.”
Kissa stares at his hand, face pale.
He doesn’t care?
Did he just brush me off on Miki?
H- he isn’t bothered by the fact that I’m bothered?
She swallows.
“I see.” She flatly states, though quietly.
She takes a step back, head still down. “I’ll leave you be.”
Miki gave Ben a thumbs-up sign and backed away as Kissa came down the hallway. Thanks Ben. Now she's gonna kill me as soon as you're gone. But it's fine. I'm an adult. I can handle it.
"I'll go check on them and make sure everything is good." she said, sort of to Kissa, sort of to Ben, and dashed down the stairs.
"Kissa's gonna muuuuuurder me." she sang quietly to Cage as she trotted past on the way to the library.
Ben shakes his head in irritation and confusion. With how passively and coldly Kissa has gone, and with how she bothered him in the first place. He take a step back and closes the door, running a hand through his hair.
“Silver and Gabriel…”
“Are adults, old enough to make their own decisions and definitely old enough for you to quit censoring and watching over.” violet finishes.
He turns, “that’s… not what I was gonna say.”
A smile crosses her face and she sits up, “but it needed to be said.”
Kissa rubs her arm, shivering, and quickly and invisibly heads down the stairs and past Miki and Cage to the library. She silently and carefully makes her way to Ryder, only having to avoid Silvers wing and Gabriel’s leg, and snuggles down next to Ryder, slipping one arm around him. He weaves his fingers between hers and a few tears slip down her cheeks.
Does Ben not care??
Ryder squeezes her hand, then pulls it up to his collarbone.
Calm down, Kiss. You’re otherthinking. Why don’t you just sleep.
Cage stands to follow Miki. “I heard that. Ben sounded… less than thrilled. And Kissa sounded like a murder at the end.”
Miki nodded. "Kissa interrupted Ben and Vi again and there is no blood or fire this time. She said Gabe and Sil were making out and a. Ryder is in there and b. Gabe doesn't have enough energy to kiss my sister right now. I think she just doesn't like my sister and being around Ryder is making her not think straight." she slowly stepped into the library and inched around the furniture until she could see the beanbag, and then covered her mouth with her hand to keep from giggling out loud at the pile of birds all cuddling together.
Silver gasped again and jerked up, blinking rapidly and glaring at her sister as Miki was the first human she saw. Miki put a finger to her lips with a silent shhh and backed toward the door. Silver frowned at her, eyes still bleary with sleep, and eased back down onto Gabriel, only to suddenly see Ryder sprawled right beside him.
Ryder fidgets with Gabriel’s hair, twirling a finger full, and brings Kissa’s hand up to his lips to kiss her cold fingers.
Seriously. Relax.
She obeys, giving very small, breathy sobs that are very quiet, and turns visible, hugging closer to his back.
See? We’re all good. Go ahead and cry it out. It’s not like you’re gonna wake your sleeping rock of a brother.
Cage covers his mouth and rugs on Miki, both of them backing up.
“What did I just see?” He whispers.
Miki quietly pushed Cage out behind her and closed the library door til it was just a crack. "What. was. that?" she squeaked to him.
Silver's eyes widened as Kissa became visible, and neither of them realized she was awake. Slowly she nestled back down onto Gabriel, just peeking at them over his shoulder.
Why are we all in here…? When did Ryder…
Her sleepy mind swirled with questions but eventually her eyes slid shut again and she dozed off.
Kissa eventually cries herself to sleep, her head rested on Ryders back, and his fingers slow as the twirl Gabriel’s hair till they stop altogether.
Cage takes Miki’s hand. “Oh my word??? What is going on in there??”
Miki shrugged, lifting her hands in the air. "I don't know??? I didn't know they all snuggled like that? Do Kavis usually sleep together in a pile? Why is my sister and Gabriel so cute?" she shook her head and walked back toward the kitchen. "Nobody knows."
Cage shakes his head as well and heads into the kitchen to finish preparing the Thai food. “Maybe she’ll wake up around the time it’s done.” He says aloud to himself.
(Wanna time skip?)
(Two hours time skip)
Cage sighs, setting the last tubberware in the fridge. He turns, looking back to Miki. “When do you think they’ll get up? I’m so hungry I could eat Silver’s Thai food.”
-
Gabriel sighs, a little hot from all the body heat, and turns to scoot away from Sil a little, but ends up inching into Ryders lap. He opens his eyes, turning to see Ryder face.
Ah. Hi.
He pats Ryders cheek, and Ryders eyes blink open.
“Heeeeey.” He whispers.
"And that would be the last thing you did." Miki said. She opened the pantry and grabbed a box of crackers, taking them over to the couch and plopping down. "Let's play video games or something. But not racing games, because I'm too loud when we race."
Silver shifted as Gabriel eased out from under her, and rolled more onto her back, stretching her arms and blinking her eyes as she woke up, mind groggy and her headache still a dull presence beating behind her forehead.
Cage agrees with a nod and goes to the TV to turn it on and hook up a game. “Wanna play Zelda? Robin got it for me a while back but I haven’t actually played it yet.” He picks up the case and shows it to her over his shoulder.
“Okay, now get off. You’re making me too hot.” Ryder whispers, shoving Gabriel off of him and back towards Silver.
He (Gabriel) sits up and gives a small yawn before sleepily blinking around the room. The rain has long since stopped outside,but it’s still nice and dark out.
"Sure." Miki says, opening the box of crackers and shoving a few into her mouth. "Isn't that the one with the little green elf guy?"
Silver sank back into the beanbag and squinted up at Gabriel. The only lights on in the library were sconces along the walls that gave soft, yellow light, so her eyes began adjusting easily. She reached up and stroked Gabriel's bed-head hair down into something less chaotic. "Di'oo'sleep good?" she mumbled to him.
Gabriel turns his head to blink at her, and gives a soft smile.
If Ryder weren’t here, I’d probably kiss you.
Ryder blinks at the two of them for half a second.
“You guys hungry? Cause I could eat a horse.” He whispers, still laying down.
-
Cage looks over the case, then nods, pulling out the disc. “The one with yellow hair? Yeah. I think his name is like….” he looks on the back of the case. “Link??”
Silver frowned and cut her gaze over to Ryder, mostly not visible to her since he was basically on the floor. "Go ge' 'urself some food." she grumbled at him. Looking back up to Gabriel, she smoothed her thumb over his cheek and cupped the side of his neck.
If we were invisible, I might kiss you right now.
–
Miki frowned. "What? I thought he was Zelda. Who is Zelda if it's not the green guy?"
Ryder sighs. “As much as I’d like to leave, since you’re about to make me lose my appetite, I can’t. I’m stuck.” He gestures to Kissa’s arms around him and Gabriel furrows his brow, looking Kissa over.
Kissa snuggles?
-
Cage quickly picks the case back up and looks it over. “What really??? I don’t think they’re the same person! Isn’t Zelda a girl?”
Silver sighed, awake enough now to be annoyed at Ryder for being there. With a sigh she pulled Gabriel close enough to whisper, "Turn us invisible please." only loud enough for him to hear.
–
"What? A girl? Zelda isn't a girl name. Here, gimme." she held her hand out to him and wiggled her fingers for him to hand her the disc case.
Cage stands and walks to Miki, plopping down beside her.
“Isn’t this big princess lady Zelda??”
-
Gabriel blushes, but turns them invisible anyways.
Ryder rolls his eyes and sighs.
“Disgusting.” He mumbles.
Miki took the case and looked it over, front and back. "There's a princess? What is this game even about, anyway? I thought it was the little green guy and you go around and… I don't know, kill bad guys and collect magic or something."
–
Silver smiled, winding her fingers into Gabriel's hair as she pulled him down until his lips touched hers, gently holding him in place in case he panicked.
Cage shrugs. “Let’s play and find out?”
Ben walks down the stairs and pauses in the kitchen, looking to Cage and Miki.
“It’s… quiet down here.” He states suspiciously.
Cage nods and points towards the hallway. “They’re all hiding.”
-
Gabriel doesn’t panic, and instead places his hands palm down on the bean bag on either side of her to keep himself balanced.
Ryder fake gags and pulls a thick strand of Kissa’s hair over his shoulder to play with.
“That’s disgusting.” He whispers.
Miki glanced up at Ben and then handed the case back to Cage. "Sure. Is it multiplayer? Or should I just watch you play and mock it?" Silently she thought, Ohhh boy, if Ben finds all the birds in the library, this is gonna get interesting.
–
Silver relaxed her grip of Gabriel's hair when he didn't freak out, and wrapped her arm around his neck. With her powers, she smacked Ryder as hard as she could on his leg.
Ryder jumps, then rubs his leg. “Agh! Gabriel, tell your girl not to hit me!” He hisses, but Gabriel ignores.
-
Ben squints as Cage turns back to Miki.
“I think it’s two player. I don’t wanna play by myself anyway.”
Ben looks to the hallway, still squinting.
Violet told me to leave them alone. But-
He slowly walks down the hallway and pauses in the library doorway, leaning on the frame.
Instead of seeing Gabriel and Silver, like he expected, he only sees Kissa and Ryder. He glares.
“What’s going on in here?”
Ryder turns his head and points to the bean bag. “Gabriel and Sil are here too, I swear. They’re kissing.”
Silver smirked at Ryder's yelp, but continued kissing Gabe until she heard Ben's voice. With a gasp, her eyes flew open and she stared at Gabriel in horror.
Keep us invisible, keep us invisible, keep us invisible.
–
Miki shrugged. "Okay. I'll play it with you and mock it. Because I'm talented."