White Lies

Part 1: Chapter 9

Marco's POV:

   Okay. I'm starting to rethink my life choices. Cause now, I'm truly starting to believe..

   That this kid is a bit of a little shit.

   But I've already brought him in. I've already gotten stuck with him. Hey, at least it's a break from missions. I picked up the Rubik's cube. He'd done it so easily, which means..

   I scoffed slightly, "Then this must be quite simple, huh? Mix it up". I passed it over and he gladly obliged. After switching it all up, he handed it back. I looked down at it, a bit smug, and started twisting away.

   ...

   .....

   .......

   I have no idea what I'm doing.

   And the little bastard was fully aware. He had his arms crossed, chin lifted slightly, he knew exactly that I was struggling. I wanted to whack him upside the head. Pinch his nose and twist it. Get him in a headlock and dig my knuckles into his head.

   He had a small "hmph" in self-pride.

   It was annoyingly cute.

   I tossed it aside, "Whatever! I said it was a dumb thing anyways. A waste of my time". Thomas picked it back up, suddenly holding it out to me.

   His head slightly tilted to the side, his mocking mannerisms gone, completely vanished, "Don't just quit cause you can't do it. You said so yourself, you're quite intelligent, Rudolph said you were observant. I don't doubt it. This is just something you're unfamiliar with. I bet you can do it", he smiled.

   "Don't give me that".

   "Don't give you what?", he shook the cube, "This?"

   For some reason, I felt anger bubbling up, "No! Don't give me.." I gestured over him, "This!"

   "What?"

   "You're being too nice!"

   "I don't get it".

   "No one does!", I fell back, "Cause no one has this issue".

   "Of being nice?.. I'm confused, R-Rudolph is nice to you.."

   "Yeah, but he's only nice. The officials here a stern, always serious, not nice. Axel is a cheeky prick, that's it. All he does is tease people, there's never serious moments of happiness. The way he tells people he likes them is indirectly, through jokes. You can't be both. You're either nice, or not. You're not allowed to tease me then turn around and be all sweet and stuff. Good or bad, benevolent or evil".

   "I.. I'm sorry?.."

   I could tell by the way I suddenly snapped had scared him, throwing him off. Damn it, here it was, all over again. His dumb,

   petty,

   meaningless,

   innocence.

   It should be those three things, but why wouldn't I allow it. I just said, he should be good or bad. He's bad, he's supposed to be bad, he's one of those.. One of those things! He should be dead, not here being given civilization. So how come he comes off as good, how come-

   "... M-Marco?.."

   I looked back up, "What? What do you want?"

   Thomas suddenly reached out, touching his hand to mine, he pointed, "Twist it to the right in the center". I glanced down at the cube, raising a brow, but I did as told. He ordered, "Now rotate it to the left, and turn the left back that way". And again, I followed through.

   His voice remained calm as he told me what to do and eventually I was staring down at the cube, a solid color on each side, "Why-..."

   He cut me off, resting his hands in his lap, "It helped to settle you down. I rely on things like that, things that focus my mind on a small, specific yet simple task to help me when I'm anxious or mad.. Sometimes.. Sometimes little things help".

   I blinked. That's when I realized it. Even though I was taught my whole life the opposite...

   "Like you?"

   "Hm?..", he scrunched up his shoulders, seeming to shrink down, cuddling into himself, "What do you mean?"

   "You're helpful..", I couldn't help but to crack a smile, slightly laughing, "And little".

   He sat up, wide-eyed, "H-Hey!"

   ... I realized. He was good.