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How hard could it be to be a punctual human being?
Surely not that hard, seeing as Colonnello was one all his life.
You’d think he would have mastered the art of waiting by then, but if this Skull guy doesn’t show up in the next five minutes, he’ll just leave without looking back.
Or maybe he’ll stay until he shows up, so he can give him a piece of his mind, depending on how long he can make his drink last.
Colonnello rolls his eyes, bumps his head against the wall.
This whole “meeting the Arcobaleno one-on-one as your now teammates” is ridiculous. What is he, a new student at school trying to win the favor of the popular kids?
Colonnello was always among the popular kids, thank you very much. He can’t believe Lal would support this idea, but no matter now.
He just needs to meet the Cloud to be done with it all for good.
Colonnello hears it long before he can see it.
A black and purple motorbike rounds the street corner in a very sharp turn, an equally black and purple driver riding it.
He speeds past the cars in no time, driving around them but keeping so close it’s a wonder they don’t make contact, the sound of the engine revving and the tires against the concrete drowning everything else.
He speeds right past Colonnello, then makes an abrupt u-turn, his motorcycle tipping sideways so low Colonnello doesn’t comprehend how he doesn’t fall, switches lanes, and smoothly parks right in front of him on the sidewalk.
Is this guy… trying to show off to him?
Because it’s working alright.
Colonnello laughs breathlessly, goosebumps up his arms. A chill runs down his spine, adrenaline running through him from just watching.
Oh, he absolutely needs to earn himself a ride.
Skull casually walks up to him, not seeming to care about all the eyes on him. “Hi, I’m Skull. Sorry, I’m not too late, am I?”
Colonnello glances at his watch. Thirty five seconds before five minutes.
This fucker.
“Hi, I’m Colonnello. You are late. I thought we both agreed on the meeting time?”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I got stuck in traffic.”
Colonnello subtly narrows his eyes. He just can see Skull grinning despite his helmet, and he sure as hell heard it.
This little shit.
“So. You met all the others already?”
“Yeah.”
“Right.” Skull puts his hands in his pockets, fidgets uncomfortably. “Well, I’m sure you heard all kind of things about me from them, but, you know, I wouldn’t exactly call them Skull specialists.” He shrugs, raises his hand to his head. It bumps against his helmet. “Oh right, my helmet. Hold a second.”
Colonnello’s drink goes down the wrong pipe. He doubles over in a coughing fit, his drink slipping from his hand entirely.
“Woah man, what the hell?”
What the hell?
This guy is hot.
“Are you alright?”
Colonnello pushes his helping hand away, still coughing a little.
Skull’s purple eyes watch him with amusement, highlighted by his purple smokey eye, with heavy mascara on his eyelashes that somehow only draws the gaze more to his eyes.
He nips at the piercing on his bottom lip, linked with the one on his earlobe by a silver chain. Plump lips smeared with purple lipstick spread in a smug smile, emphasizing the teardrop tattoo under his left eye.
His purple hair points in every direction in a stylish mess of a haircut, a fringe falling above his left eye.
And really, it’s a lot of purple, but holy shit the guy is gorgeous.
How did that not come up even once during Lal’s briefings?
“I’m fine, I just swallowed wrong.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
Colonnello straightens himself up, shakes his hand from the drink that spilled on him. He licks off the last of it, and oh, he knows that look in Skull’s eyes.
Good. Now they’re even.
“Sorry about that by the way,” Skull says. “These kind of accidents just keep happening around me, and I really just can’t figure out why.”
“Yeah,” Colonnello says, trying to play it off as casually as he can, “can’t imagine why either. I really don’t see anything that could provoke these kind of reactions.”
“Sure.”
“Listen, I’m a really smooth guy, alright?”
“I guess I’ll just have to take your words for it.”
“Fuck off.”
Skull snickers, something purposefully meant to rile him up further. Colonnello doesn’t take the bait, and bites the inside of his cheek to not laugh too.
Shit. Are they flirting? Colonnello can’t have that.
He has a reputation, and standards, and this guy... could very easily meet them, actually.
But he wears leather jumpsuits, chose purple as his defining color, and going on with the design on his helmet, octopuses of all things could get involved at some point.
And unfortunately Colonnello knows for certain it’s not just the symbol of the Carcassa famiglia.
“Oh shit, Immortal Skull?”
They both turn to the pair of teenagers, wide-eyed at the sight of Skull. Skull’s face lights up. He waves his hand excitedly, and poses for them to take a picture.
Colonnello raises his eyebrow.
Right. Stuntman shows, death defying stunts, famous guy.
He snorts. “Isn’t that cute? You have fans.”
Skull’s smile dims, and disappears entirely once the teenagers are on their way. “As a matter of fact, I do. It kind of comes together with being famous.”
“Yeah,” Colonnello scoffs, “famous for riding bikes.”
Skull doesn’t wince, not quite, but Colonnello catches his face twitching. He puts his free hand in his pocket, hunches his shoulders.
His voice is carefully neutral. “Yeah, for riding bikes. With hundreds upon hundreds of hours of training behind the handle, but no big deal right? Listen, can you...” he sighs deeply, meets his eye again “... just not? We literally just met? Or at least don’t come for the literal greatest passion of my life right off the bat, maybe? I don’t know man, just cut me some slack.”
“Sorry.”
Skull blinks. Colonnello blinks.
Well, that came out embarrassingly easily. And it did sound an awful lot sincere, if Skull’s more open face and posture is anything to go by.
Fucking hell, what is he doing? Playing nice? Is he actually trying to get on Skull’s good side?
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Colonnello watches the last of Skull’s hesitance disappears in his eyes, a smile slowly pulling at his lips until he grins at him again. “So, should we wrap this up? Or maybe we could keep meeting each other for a bit?”
Colonnello peers above his shoulder, at the sleek black and unfortunately purple motorbike.
Now, how much does he really want this ride?
“Sure,” he says, walking past him. He puts a leg over the bike, and sits comfortably on the back seat.
Maybe if he’s really good, Skull will let him drive it.
“Excuse you,” Skull splutters, “do you think I just let anyone ride my baby?”
“Excuse you,” Colonnello shots back, “take another good look at me and maybe you’ll realize I’m not anyone.”
“Right, you’re doing me a favor, is that it?” Skull crosses his arms on his chest, in what Colonnello supposes should have been an intimidating move. “I mean, you’re really hot alright, but I meet plenty of hot people on a daily basis. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Take another really good look at me, and maybe you’ll realize I’m a category of my own among hot people.”
Skull laughs, very clearly despite himself, the hard-to-get act nowhere to be seen. He chews on his lip a bit, but Colonnello knows he already won the argument.
“You just doesn’t have any will, do you?”
“Oh, hush.” Skull rolls his eyes, shoves him playfully. “Maybe I’m just weak for pretty people.”
Colonnello mournfully watches him puts his ugly helmet back on, and rethink his life choices. Really, this goddamned Curse just might have affected his tastes too.
“You know, I did hear things. And I must say I don’t understand.”
Skull throws his hands up in the air. “I know right? You’d think I would have gotten laid with, I don’t know, at least three of them by now. Well, minus Luce of course.” Colonnello gets whiplash. What even—? “No offense to you. I know you have a thing going on with Lal.”
“No, let’s stay focused. That’s where your priorities lie?”
Skull shrugs, takes his place in the driver seat. “I mean, in exchange of all this shit I didn’t sign up for? I think it would have been the barest fucking minimum.”
Colonnello bursts out laughing, because really, what else is there to do?
Not that he doesn’t strongly share the sentiment. He met the others too, and does vividly remember what they look like.
Skull revs the engine, and hell yeah, here they go.
Colonnello wraps his arms loosely around his waist, leans a bit too comfortably maybe against his back, rests his chin on his shoulder.
“Tell you what.”
Skull catches his eye in the rear view mirror. “I’m listening.”
“If you impress me really hard right now—”
“What, with my driving skills you mean? Is that supposed to be a challenge?”
“—and make me spend a really nice time with you,” Colonnello continues, ignoring him, “I just might do an exception for you to the “not on the first night” rule.”
Skull chuckles low in his throat, crinkles at the corners of his eyes. He lowers his visor.
“This better be a promise, because I’ll hold you to that.”