A Tragic Creation 3: At Pepperland's End

Chapter 21: Curiosity

It had been a few hours since the Chief and Max were taken.

At least, Randel thought that it had been, anyway.

He sighed once again as he sat atop the hill, Ringo sitting next to him.

It was just the Beatle's alter ego, John, and the two blue meanies that were left now, apart from them.

Ringo's gaze fell on John again, only to see that he was still in the same spot he had been before, staring off into the endless ocean of black.

His alter ego and the two blue meanies seemed to be talking some distance away, but he currently had no interest in them.

All he cared about at this moment was the man sitting next to him.

"So.. Uh... what do you want to talk about?"

Ringo turned his head toward Randel, waiting for him to respond.

"I... don't know."

Randel paused for a moment, thinking.

"A-actually..."

He turned his head to Ringo and met his gaze.

"There is... something I'm curious about."

"What is it?" Ringo spoke softly.

Randel blushed a little.

"I uh... I want to know... why you... still love me," he said, turning his head away from the Beatle.

Ringo tiled his head.

"Why Randel, you know that-"

"Yes, I do. But... after all that's happened, especially when that... thing was attached to me, you still..."

He sighed.

"I don't know. It's just that... during this past month, I haven't thought about it before. But now, it's not like we can just do something else."

Randel felt an arm wrap around him.

"Okay... I can't pretend that our relations have always been smooth. But..."

Randel slowly turned his gaze back to Ringo.

"Randel, you want to know why I still love you after everything?"

Randel nodded silently, the light blush not going away.

"It's because that... You, when we first met, were nothing more than someone who only cared for himself. I... I had no idea that... that my efforts to try to get you to see sense would succeed."

Ringo leaned in closer, making Randel blush more.

"You had it in your heart to actually listen to me. You still do. It was just... when you returned with that creature in you, it must have taken away all that you had learned. And..."

Ringo paused for a moment, looking into Randel's eyes.

"You still came through, even though it was... after..."

The drummer sighed.

"Listen, Randel, I know that you're sorry for what you did. Giving in to that thing's demands, breaking my nose."

Randel shuddered a bit.

"I-it... I'm j-just glad that both it and the sprained a-ankle healed up..."

Ringo patted his back.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what you were doing was..."

The Beatle sighed again.

"Look. Even after all we've been through together, I still love you because I know that you care about me and all who live... or... l-lived in Pepperland."

Ringo shuddered a bit, being reminded about their current situation.

Randel leaned into him, placing his head on the drummer's shoulder.

"I... I'm glad."

Ringo looked down at him.

"But... r-remember what that creature said the last time we saw it?"

"It can... see what we're doing..."

The Beatle looked around him for a moment, not spotting the creature anywhere.

"In fact, I couldn't care less about it spying on us right now."

Randel did not reply, instead leaning back so that he was looking at Ringo again.

The blush on his face grew in intensity.

"Um... You want to... go in the bandstand?"

Ringo blushed lightly.

"You... want to do it again?"

Randel turned his head away in embarrassment.

"Y-yeah... but, just stop at my neck. I'd rather wait till everything is resolved before..."

His blush grew even redder.

"Before we go that far... for the first time..."

"I will."

Slowly, the pair stood up, Ringo keeping his arm wrapped around Randel.

"And... Ringo?" Randel asked, looking at the drummer.

"Yes?"

"W-when we do go to... that level... promise me that you'll be gentle."

Ringo kissed Randel on the cheek.

"I promise."

And with that, the pair proceeded to walk into the bandstand.