Cloud AU's

Brother 2

"- but you must admit, it would work." Collonello's voice reached the front door, opening it easily without a key. Nobody else would, as the foor handle had an in-built flame scanner. Anybody not registered, well...

Skull entered their sights with an eyeroll, pointing to his right where the blonde walked after him. "I'll let you know I take offense that you think anybody wouldn't enjoy a joyride on Lily."

A groan, Colonello looked up in prayer. "Look, has anybody ever offered something - anything- to you just to get off your 'joyride'?"

They raised a brow. What was going on? Who was Lily?? Did Lackey have a girlfriend?

Skull scoffed. "No." Then he looked at the living room occupants, clearly avoiding his conversation partner, eyes landing on Luce and he looked like he bit on a lemon, teeth biting his lower lip.

Colonello, didn't miss that detail. Lal would have had a reason to up his training if he did.

Colonello elbowed him in the arm, eliciting a yelp. "Well?"

"..." The mumble was too quiet for them to hear. Apparently not for the Rain, as he guffawed in laughter, holding onto Skull's shoulder, who gave him snide murder eyes.

"Would you two be quiet, I'm concentrating on something important here." Viper remarked.

Skull cried out "What'd I do?! Nello's the one who-!"

"First name, Lackey?" Reborn pressed on, amused. The plan was going better than expected.
Colonello went into the room, releasing Skull's shoulder as Skull went to argue with Reborn.

The male Rain met his mentor on the couch, where she was roaming through a magazine.
"And? Learn anything good?" She inquired lazily, not taking her eyes off the literature even as Reborn's flames flared a little in the back. Clearly, he was toying with the stuntman now.

Colonello looked over his shoulder at the flare but, deciding it wasn't his business, shrugged, leaning on the backrest. "He's a bastard on a bike, alright. Lack of self-control and an adrenaline junkie."

"Nothing we didn't already know. Who's Lily?" Her eyes flickered to his, imploring, waiting for an answer.

Colonello's eyes, of all things to answer that simple demand, held mischief. "His wife."

Her gaze steeled. "You're fucking with me."

"I wish." Colonello sighed.

"Take it upstairs, or just anywhere I don't have to see, hear or smell that." Verde interrupted, giving them his death-eyes as Skull calls them, which really is just the rings under the Lightning's eyes from not having slept the last days.

Fitting. Colonello admits, as the rings give the impression of hollow eye-sockets whereas the other's eyes are slightly glazed, like the hazy mist of death on those no longer living.

He really should get some sleep.

"Lackey, you're married?" Lal calls out, clearly wanting an answer that doesn't sound like 7 minutes in Heaven.

Skull, who had been in the midst of fixing himself a drink, clothes rumpled with bullet holes but otherwise fine, chocked. He looked up, hitting his chest as if to make his heart resume beating from shock, gasping "I'm wh-" a cough broke free" -at now?"

Viper piped up at free personal information. "You're married?"

"What, why would you think--" His eyes met Lal, and then Nello's, who was doing a fantastic rendition of the Cheshire cat. He raised a brow, wondering, trying to gauge his intentions "Is this about Lily?"