sinners and saints

air hockey and an unsent letter.

"please don't say you love me."

after about five tries, you had gotten the toy. you still had quite a few tokens, but you weren't really sure what to spend them on. "n/n, n/n! come play air-hockey with me!" he was running towards you, yelling at you, much to your embarrassment. he didn't even wait for you to process the whole thing before pulling, well more like dragging, you towards the table. "i happen to be a master at air-hockey." he bragged, a smug smile on his face.

he was lying, he was actually absolutely terrible at air-hockey.

apparently he wasn't very good at controlling  own strength, not in the scenario at least. you weren't even very good at hockey, yet you were still five points ahead of him. you only had five points. "you're totally cheating!" mikey continued to sulk, making accusation after accusation. "no, you just suck at air-hockey." he really was childish, but in a way that was kind of a relief. you had just met the boy, yet you already worried about him. it wasn't exactly common for you to do that, but it was still his eyes. they were so dull. and that was something you recognized well.

you scored again, much to mikey's dismay. "we should play something else! it's obvious this table is defective." rolling your eyes, you nodded. maybe it was the same case with deliah, you just couldn't refuse. "there! a pacman machine!" once again, he dragged you along. "and you're gonna be player two!" jeez, what a ladies man. he wasn't very good at pacman either, it seemed the whole "invincible mikey" was only for physical fights.

he was totally going to be your bitch.

you weren't very good at pacman either, but you were better than mikey. that wasn't very hard to do, though. he went around, game after game, but he couldn't seem to win. racing games, fighting games, shooting games, he was just really bad at games. it didn't take long for you both to run out of tokens, he had gotten out with about fifteen tickets, while you had well over two hundred. "c'mon, don't look so damn sad. there's some candy as prizes, i'll buy you some. all i really have to get was that weird plastic princess wand for the kid."

that was quick to cheer him up, once again he was dragging you, this time to the front. the worker had trouble keeping up woth his pleas for different candies, and eventually you were completely out of tickets. "man, you really dried me out quickly." mikey didn't even seem to really care, but in all honesty you didn't either. you were barely even able to slow him down enough to get the wand. he suddenly gasped, turning to run out of the arcade. "let's get doryaki!"

he was going to make you pay, wasn't he.

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mikey pretty much dragged you all around town, forcing you to pay for different foods. it didn't stop at the doryaki, or the ice cream. or the sushi. or the ramen. or the flowers. you weren't even sure why the hell he wanted flowers, but he insisted on getting them. "i don't think i wanna buy anything else for you, i only have so much money." you were deadpanning, and probably lying to yourself. after you left the flower shop, he got that sad look in his eyes again. he was smiling, but the blank look in his eyes as he looked ip the sky didn't seem very happy.

"alright greedy, where are we going next?" his tongue slightly stuck out at the nickname, but it would be hard for him to disagree. "to meet someone." perhaps the blonde had some girl he was confessing to, but you weren't sure why he'd bring you along for that. it wasn't until he walked into the graveyard that you understood. you were led to a large stone, engraved on it was "sano family". you were saddened at the fact that his brother wasn't the only one he had lost. after placing the flowers down, he placed his hands together to pray.

you weren't sure if you were meant to join, or just stand there awkwardly. after he opened his eyes, you couldn't help but ask, "mikey, why did you want me to come with you.?" again, you had just recently met him. "he would've really liked you." his voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes locked on the grave. "yeah, most people do." it probably wasn't the best response you could've given him, but it did make him smile. "do you want to talk about it?" it was getting to the point where you knew he needed to, you were more than willing to lend an ear.

"talk about what?" his head finally raised, turning to you. "y'know, it's clear you're upset. you don't have to hide it with some small smile. i don't know you very well, but you are safe with me. even gang leaders have feelings, you're allowed to be vulnerable." you doubted he'd actually pour his heart out to you or anything, but there was no harm in trying to get him to feel okay. mikey's eyes left yours, trailing up to the sky instead. "do y'think he's watching over me?" once again, he was quiet, except this time the smile on his face was gone.

you hummed in response, not sure whether you should look at him or join him in looking up. "yeah, i'm sure he is. he's probably proud too, you're a good guy. well, i guess i haven't known you very long, but you don't seem like the type to commit mass genocide or something." sure, the blonde was childish and cost you like, seventy bucks, but he was a good kid. well, he was the same age as you, but. no other words were really exchanged between the two of you. both of you just stood, looking at the sky. in all honesty you felt a bit awkward. "hey, i should get back to the orphange. i don't want deliah to think i just left. let's do this again sometime, kay? i'll accompany you here whenever you want. but next time we go get food or whatever, you're paying."

he smiled, this time it thankfully seemed a bit less forced. "you wish."

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"hey! where's deliah?" sending a smile to one of the orphanage workers, you held onto the cat plush and wand. "she's napping right now, sweetie. i don't think she'd mind if you woke her, she's been waiting for you since you left." you smiled, she was such a good kid. you'd be lying if you said you didn't love her, she was like a little sister to you. you nodded, thanking the employee before making your way to the childrens bedroom. there were multiple beds, there was a room for kids aged 4-12 and one for 13-17. there were surprisingly no other kids in there, only deliah.

there was a table right next to the bedroom entrance, and on it you could see a letter with your name on it. carefully opening it, you smiled when you realised what it was. an invitation to a princess tea party. her hand writing was messy, and her spelling was absolutely terrible, but you could make out every word nonetheless. you mumbled it to yourself, smiling.

"dear f/n, you're invited to my special princess tea party! i like having tea parties with you. i like doing everything with you. when i grow up, i'm gonna be the best princess, and i'll make you proud, right? even when you're all old, i'll still invite you to my tea parties. it'll be a big special princess meeting, between all the princesses in the world! you promise to be there at all of them? it wouldn't be the same without you. i'm glad you started coming to see me. whenever anyone came to visit, they never even spared me a look, and i was always scared i'd never have a family. but now i have you! if i'm still here when you're a grown up, you'll adopt me right? i know you'd make the best mommy. but you better pick a good daddy for me, okay? he won't be invited to our tea parties, though. i love you, f/n-nii."

you were glad the letter ended there, otherwise you might've burst into tears. you walked over to her, not being able to wait any longer to see the girl. her name was hung on the headboard, and she was lying there peacefully, a bunny stuffed animal in hand. kneeling next to her bed, you gently cupped her face, tapping her cheek with your finger. "hey, deliah. i'm back, wake up!" she didn't budge, and you gently smiled. she was always such a deep sleeper, it was amusing to you. you shook her shoulder, but still nothing. no matter how hard you shook her, she wouldn't wake up. why wasn't she waking up? you were beginning to panic, the shakes getting more and more aggressive. you gently slapped her cheek, not hard enough to hurt of course. you were repeating pleas in your head, begging for her to be okay. you placed your finger to her neck, searching for her pulse.

there wasn't one.