Sweet Vendetta //Danger Days//

5. Something To Use

I didn't want to get out of bed. I was too scared to make myself move. It was very early in the morning when I woke up, Val's arms tangled around me. I figured that everyone looked kinder when they slept. Val's breaths were soft, and his face was lacking in anger and cockyness. He just looked like a normal human being, a side that very rarely showed. I tried to fall back asleep, but my brain kept demanding that I went to see Party. I stoftly lifted Val's arms off of me, and rolled out of his bed.

Nobody was awake when I walked out into the sunrise. The crowd around the common building from the previous night was gone, leaving me to feel completely isolated. I took a deep breath and shuffled towards the main doors.

Party was wide awake, sitting quietly on the same bench that I had found him before. He was too focused on dead space to notice me come in.

"Why are you here?" I forced myself to speak first. Party jolted himself back to attention.

"I... I don't know." He stammered, staring at me.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I." I exlaimed, walking over to him.

"I'm afraid not." Party chuckled, shaking his head. I put my hand on his cheek, expecting for it to travel right through him. I was met by the feeling of warm flesh on my fingers.

"I watched you die. You're not real." I narrowed my eyes, trying to find a reasonable explanation. Party put his hand overtop of mine, pressing it further into his face.

"No, I'm positive I'm alive." He smiled, his eyes glowing. I yanked my hands away, staggering backwards.

"Seven years." I choked. Party's smile turned to an expression of immense sadness.

"I'm so fucking sorry. I had no idea."

"Seven damn years. I'm twenty four. I've grown up without you. I'd always hoped you'd be here to look after Mad Gear with me. He grew up around alcoholics and concerts, and there was nothing I could do." I hissed, my temper rising.

"What about Missile? You make it sound like he was utterly alone." Party tilted his head.

"Missile's gone, Poison. She disappeared."

Party's mouth remained opened in despair.

"Why'd she leave?"

I was pacing back and forth now, a habit I had picked up from the man in front of me.

"She couldn't take it here anymore. Val had no idea how to look after two children, and I was too much of an ass to do anything to help. I was broken, and so was she. She just had the courage to leave."

Party stood up from the bench, walking over to me.

"This was Val's fault? Why the fuck do you hang around him?" Party questioned.

"Because he was all I had." I stopped pacing, glaring at the red-head coldly.

"He was there for me when no one else was. He helped me because you weren't there. He cared about me, and he still does." The words rolled out of my mouth harshly, and I could tell that they had an impact on Party

"I care about you." He muttered.

"Yeah, well, so did I. But I was 17, and you were dead." I took a deep, shuddering breath, then turned on my heels and walked away.

I was angry, why wouldn't I be? He was never dead. All the shit I put myself through, the things I did, were all for nothing. He was perfectly fine. I didn't want to be mad at him, but you really can't blame me.

I was still fucking horrified.

Val had just woken up when I returned.

"Where did you go?" He yawned, walking into the kitchen.

"Take a guess." I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.

"Are you sure you're okay with him being here?" He asked.

Truthfully, I wasn't.

"Where else would he go?" I responded, kicking my boots off at the door.

"I dunno, but if it's making you uncomfortable, I'm sure I can figure something out." Val offered, fiddling with the stove.

"It's fine. I'm going back to bed. Look after things today for me." I told him weakly.

"Don't you have your own house?" Val commented, smirking at me as I walked down the hall.

"Your bed is nicer." I mumbled, throwing myself into his pillow.

---

Val didn't know what to make of Party's reappearance. He was almost scared to bring him back to the Nest, because he knew how it would make Atomic feel. It could ruin her.

As much as Val liked to have his own way with people, he did admire Atomic. Not in the way where he could say that he loved her, but he appreciated her presence. She also had a certain aura that made her irisistable.

But Party Poison meant competiton, and Val needed to make a point that Atomic belonged to him, and no one else. He was very aware that Atomic genuinely loved Party, so he had to make sure that she wouldn't stray away from him. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it.

He'd be bored out of his mind without the red haired girl at his side. For a leader, she was rather submissive. Val liked that as well. He also liked her late night singing and witty behaviour and overall whimsical personality after you got around her cold and strict outer appearance...

'Oh, get a hold of yourself. You can't think of her as anything more than something to use. It's always been that way.'

But after seven years of constant sex and manipulation, it gets to a point where you can't help but start to care a little.

Val stood in the kitchen for a few more minutes after Atomic had disappeared into his bedroom. When he didn't hear a noise, he silently crept after her, carefully making sure that the floorboards didn't creak too much. There she was, sprawled out in the bed, dead asleep. She hadn't even bothered to remove her jacket. Val sighed, tilting his head. This wasn't going to be one of her best days.

"What am I gonna do with you?" He whispered, cautiously pulling his blanket over her softly rising shoulders. He backed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

All the while, the faintest of smiles had crept onto Atomics lips, pulling the familiar blanket closer around her body.

_________________
I'm super confused right now.

I know we all hate Val, but c'mon.

What do you make of all this? It's a very complicated relationship. All over the place and whatnot.
BUT I'M ABOUT TO THROW MY PHONE.