Snakes and Snails

Scars and Promises
Like Weiss on Rice

---------------------------------------------

Weiss wondered how Mari and the others found them. Apparently there was a few witnesses that saw them being loaded into a van and reported it to the authorities. It was pretty easy to figure out who they were. They were the weirdest bunch: Weiss being tall with white hair and a multitude of earrings, his brother with his long black hair and tattoos and Rosso, a beautiful girl with hair and eyes as red as fire. When they didn’t show up home when they usually did he supposed everyone got worried and knew right away. Once they realized who’s van they transported them in it was easy to find them.

How strange that Shinra would work against itself at times. He supposed that sort of thing happened a lot though. His father’s unit had to wipe out their predecessors for some reason he wasn’t allowed to divulge.

Hojo seemed to be in the center of a lot of conflicts.

The old scientist had already moved on though, apparently he had other experiments to run after. At least that’s what he was told.

Rosso’s family had to be told about her death. Of course they blamed Weiss at first for not answering their questions and not protecting her. He took the abuse, feeling he somehow deserved it. Only when their anger cooled did they apologize to him… but that wouldn’t be for another few months.

Mari was there with him afterwards, wondering how he was doing. Weiss only looked up at him for a moment, but something caught his eye. Mari has scratch marks on his left cheek. At first he thought they might have been fresh, but upon closer inspection he realized that they had been healed over and scarred. “Mari...” Weiss covered his mouth when he realized that he did that to him. He scarred Marianne’s face forever because he was stupid and afraid. He must hate him! “I’m sorry.”

“Hmph! About what?” Marianne looked at him curiously. The boy looked positively tearful. “What now?”

“Your face…” Weiss looked at his cheek.

“Oh this.” Mari touched his face then, “You surprised me! You got me good I guess.” Weiss face and neck were purpled with bruising. He couldn’t believe that the boy was so worried about his few scratches when they looked like they worked him over pretty badly.

Weiss frowned, he said that like he was proud of him! “I messed up your face!”

“Hey now!” Marianne glared at him. “I don’t think I look that bad do I?” He smiled down at him. “Or do you think you’ve disfigured me that badly?”

He didn’t mean it to make it sound like he thought he was ugly. “No, they are just lines.”

“You see? They are just scars. It’s no big deal.”

And then he realized Mari was just trying to make it easier for him. He was trying to make him feel better. He knew he didn’t mean to hurt him and wasn’t making a big fuss about it. “I guess so.”

“I think they make me look distinguished.” Mari actually smiled then and Weiss couldn’t believe it. The lines on his face only gave him more of a good natured look… although he wasn’t sure how.

“Dad says that about his walrus mustache.”

“Yeah, but these don’t make me look like a walrus. Maybe I look like I have rat’s whiskers now?”

Weiss smiled a little at that, but it hurt to. “Not really. You just look like Mari to me.” He brightened just a little then because he knew really didn’t mind, but it still made him sad. Weiss stepped closer to him then.

“What are you doing?” Mari asked cautiously, trying to back up and failing. Weiss looped his arms around his middle and held him then.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t mean to hurt him.

“Weiss…” He placed his gloved hand on top of his head.

“Thank you.” He was close to tears again.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled again, this time Weiss could not see it. He really was a brave one to have gone through all that crap. Who would have thought this little brat would have attacked him head on trying to save his brother. He had been afraid, that was for sure, but he showed some courage at least.

Mr. Z rounded the corner and stopped short when he saw Weiss clinging onto Mari as if his life depended on it. It seemed that Marianne was touching the top of his head to comfort him and Mr. Z’s mustache twitched a little. He couldn’t help but comment… very loudly. “I knew it!” He roared. “I knew it!”

Marianne seemed to notice what he was doing right away and practically shoved Weiss off of him, leaving the boy stunned. “You don’t know anything.”

“I hear wedding bells!”

After all that he went through in just a short time it was taking Weiss a little while to register what was going on. He glared at his father angrily. “Dad!” He practically screamed. “Shut up will you?! He just saved me that’s all!”

“Saved you for himself!” Mr. Z laughed behind his hand.

Weiss almost looked embarrassed enough to cry. His father! He couldn’t believe he was doing this to him at a time like this! Just when Mari looked like he gave a damn about how he felt his dad had to step in once more and say something annoying that upset Mari. Mari probably wouldn’t want him just on that principal alone. “You always ruin everything!” He belted out before he ran off.

“Teenagers…” Mr. Z clucked his tongue. “See what I have to deal with all the time?”

“That wasn’t very nice of you Mr. Z.” Marianne grumbled. “I think you embarrassed him.” And me you horny old goat! “He’s not doing well.”

“I expect not. His brother is doing even worse.” Mari gave him a look that said he doubted it. “Physically. Weiss’ll get over it… when he’s thirty.”

“I doubt it.” Marianne ribbed him. “Maybe I should have killed you all those years ago.”

“You wouldn’t have been the same without me.” Mr. Z said pompously.

“Tell me about it. I might have been happy then.” Marianne laughed, trying to lighten the darkening mood.

“I’m not so sure… Weiss might not like you if you did it.”

“Oh shut up with that old man!” Marianne was really started to get annoyed with that. It didn’t bother him half as much when Weiss was younger and didn’t understand… but he was of age and it really… really pissed him off that he talked like that all the time. Weiss might get the wrong idea about him. Well, it was the right idea but he wasn’t some God-awful pervert like his father.

“I wasn’t going to say anything about my boy staying with you… but I think it’s about time I did.” Mr. Z bristled and Mari stopped short. “Like I wouldn’t find out? I may act like fool but I wasn’t born yesterday son.” He tapped his foot angrily. “That was a little stupid to go behind my back and undermined my authority… don’t you think?”

“Yes sir.” Marianne answered right away, what else could he do?

“What are you doing with my boy anyway?” Mr. Z growled.

Of course he would ask that. “Nothing sir.”

“Don’t give me that crap. I know the way you two have been giving each other those googley eyes.” Mr. Z made swirling hand motions around his face.

He couldn’t lie about that… at least on his part. “I haven’t done anything with Weiss. He just stays with me. I make him clean and cook.”

“You can’t expect me to believe that.” Mr. Z’s voice was incredulous.

“I’m not a pervert… sir.” He added.

“Just so you know, Weiss might be nineteen but he’s still a boy in that head of his.” He taped the side of his temple. “His mother’s filled it with romantic notions and he doesn’t know any better.” Zeus knew he was taking a chance telling him this. “I don’t give shit what the two of you are… but I won’t have you fucking around with him and him thinking it’s something more.”

“With all due respect sir…” Marianne said through clutched teeth. “I’m not you.” Not the smartest thing to say to your commanding officer. He was lucky he wasn’t sent careening through the nearest wall.

“Don’t get pissy with me boy!” Mr. Z snarled, grabbing at his high collar and dragging him closer. Mari flinched, waiting for some expected blow on his body. He didn’t try to defend himself and left himself wide open to attack. Zeus softened at that, he had never been this awful to any of his unit before… and to think he was starting in on Mari.

Zeus sighed and released the boy. He never even had to yell at him before. He had always been of the decent sort. He guessed it had something to do with his son being kidnapped and him being worried about his mental health. He just didn’t want his son to get hurt. After he released Mari, the boy’s face was once again a mask of indifference. He hoped he didn’t bring back any bad memories but he was still too aggravated to apologize yet and said. “Get back to your post.”

“Yes sir!” Marianne said sharply before turning on his heal.

Mr. Z’s mustache thinned. He couldn’t leave it like that. “Mari!”

“Yes sir?” He stopped but didn’t look back.

“Thanks for saving my boy.”

“You’re welcome.” Marianne continued to walk after that. He loved the old man, he didn’t know where he would be without him… but sometimes he got him so angry he could punch a hole in the wall. He liked to tease him about Weiss, especially since he used to ‘promise’ him over to Mari… and he always acted like Mari was trying to collect on that joke or something.

It really had nothing to do with it at all. Not the old man or the time he spent with Weiss when he was younger. He remembered thinking Weiss was cute for a kid when he was younger, but he never had a putrid old man thought go through his head the entire time. Then suddenly a year ago after he turned eighteen and he was starting to look like a man… he realized that he wasn’t cute anymore because he was a little boy… but handsome now that he was turning into a man.

Thank God too… if he would have had a thought like that a day before hand he would have worried he was some sort of sick pedophile!

He had always loved Weiss, but things started to change and it was frightening. He almost couldn’t believe he kept the boy in his house as long as he had without going to him in the dead of the night and acting just like the old man said he would.

But… it would mean something to him.

Marianne nodded to one of the scientists before he was on his way again, checking the rest of the corridors for intruders. After what happened they wanted to make sure everyone was present and accounted for.

Sometimes he was secretly glad his mother wasn’t in on the research and experiment side of things. She just put things into practice. No one ever made a move towards her like they did some of the people who had been experimented on… or worse… the scientists who came up with said experiments. They were worth the most to the company. And as stupid as it sounded people tried to kidnap them all the time trying to find out about their research… as if they would tell them anyway.

They had never actually tried to capture someone’s family members before, but he supposed it was because of who Weiss was. He could remember things fairly well, and he always kept that in mind when he talked to him. Not that he wasn’t relaxed with him, but he never wanted to give out too much information that could get him hurt. That was the way of a soldier anyway. You couldn’t always tell everyone everything otherwise things happened… bad things. He didn’t even tell his mother some of the things he knew because he knew better. He was sure she knew things he didn’t and so on. So was the way of Deep Ground.

But Weiss didn’t know anything about what was done to him or the things he could do. There had really been no point to telling him anyway. If he had been a solider it would have been a great asset but he was a just a boy who wanted a normal life… and Mari wanted to be the one to give that to Weiss if he wanted it.

---------------------------------------------

After Weiss had took a shower he wandered into the living room and sat. He wondered if he would ever outlive the stigma that came with being an experiment. Granted, nothing that horrible had ever happened to him before but people knew what his parents did to him. He innocently explained it to one of his teachers once and it suddenly became a bigger deal than it needed to. It blew over eventually, but there were always whispers about the children that were experimented upon.

Most of the families who worked for any part of experimental field of Shinra lived here in Deep Ground. Now he wondered if there was a greater reason for it. Maybe they just lived down here for their own protection? They must. Why else would there be a few restaurants, a pub and even an exchange? Would he ever get to have a normal life? Or would he have to remain down here forever just to be safe?

He was told by his father before he left for the housing that his professors were told about what happened to him. He wished to continue with his projects and it would be easy to do so from here as long as he was given instructions. Thank goodness he wasn’t taking any basic courses this semester. Once he found out he could test out of them he did so. It was kind of strange testing out of English 102 before he even completed his 101 class. He just wished he knew about it sooner.

Weiss wasn’t going to get much accomplished today, how could he? He just wanted to go to sleep and heal. He felt like he was in a daze of sorts, like he wasn’t sure what to do or how to go about doing it.

---------------------------------------------

The next few days gave into weeks that he had been back and he was worried about it. He knew he couldn’t slack off right now. It was down to the wire and he needed to get his projects and finals pieces finished.

Mari was gone for the day and it gave him time to think. His face and body were finished healing. He had always been a remarkable at that. He had never paid much attention to it growing up, but was so thankful for that now. The almost black bruises that adorned his skin had disappeared within days.

Thank goodness too, because every time Mari looked at his face he looked sort of angry. He had been worried at first that Mari thought less of him, like he was some sort of weakling for letting himself get beaten up like that. When he asked Mari about it he just said he was angry with the way he was treated. He was even upset about Nero as well, which was strange since he was the least favorite of the two of them.

Of course, he got off easy, he wasn’t going to be scarred forever, he didn’t get any broken bones or his head blown off. He shivered. Damn it.

---------------------------------------------

Weiss was looking miserable as of late. He couldn’t fault him for it. The girl he referred to as his best friend died the other day right before his eyes. It didn’t help that her family blamed him… and what was worse Weiss probably felt that way himself.

He needed to grieve and continuing seeking help but he also needed to live as well. He couldn’t let this ruin his life… especially not now when he was in college.

Weiss still continued to do the things that he asked him to do. He still cleaned and cooked and worked on his projects. He just didn’t seem to go to class anymore and that bothered him. He didn’t even go outside really… and he always loved to do that before

Mari looked at his dinner. He ate most of it but Weiss was just staring at his food as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. “Are you going to eat?”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Not feeling well?” He knew better but he’d ask anyway.

“I’m not feeling good.” Weiss admitted.

“You should eat anyway, or you’ll never get better.”

“I know.” Weiss picked at his food. “Sorry… about my dad.”

“I guess you heard me and the old man got into a tiff huh?”

“Are you kidding, everyone down here is talking about it. You and dad usually get along really well.” And it was his fault they weren’t on friendly terms right now. He had been told his dad had been glaring at Mari’s back ever since he had came back. He wished he had been more careful now and noticed his father watching him.

“Heh, they’ve just never seen us fight. We’ve done plenty of that. It’s just usually more private than in the hallway with everyone watching.” Mari laughed. “We fight a lot because our personalities are so different.”

“Is everything going to be alright?” He worried anyway.

“What? Like that old bastard could get on without me? I wonder what the hell he would do?! Probably run around in circles. I always wondered why his second in command stepped down… nothing but a bunch of stress.” Mari waved it off. “Like I said, this is nothing… it just has to do with you so they think the old man’s really going to let me have it.”

“But everyone says I’m like my dad and we don’t fight a lot.”

“That’s because they barely know the two of you.” Mari huffed, people tended to lump family members that looked similar together. He was always being compared to his mother despite the fact that they were almost as opposite as they came. Sure they were both intelligent but that didn’t automatically make him her clone either. “You might be as lighthearted as he is… but you’re not a pervert… you act more like your mother.”

Weiss tittered at that. “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am.” Mari grinned, glad he was laughing at least. “And your little brother acts more like your father, now there is a little budding pervert for you.”

“I guess he is.” Weiss agreed. He guessed that’s why he liked him so much, because his little brother was funny and strange if not just a little shy around new people… but he quickly adjusted and was always himself. And strangely enough he was always eager to please others. Weiss was a little more outgoing, he needed to be and was funny as well, but in a different way. His mother always said he could be funny without being a dirty old man like his dad and he took that to heart. That didn’t stop him from enjoying the colorful banter his brother and his father shared though. “Mari?”

“Hm?”

“I’m going to talk to my dad about everything. Okay?”

“If you like.”

------------------------------------------------

Mari looked at the refrigerator and saw a clump of papers stuck to it when he got home. Weiss had been going bed early as of late… probably something to do with his classes. Rather than talking they communicated through post-it notes or little bits of scrap paper. There was a note on the door again telling him to microwave his dinner on top of the almost too big stack of papers.

He shuffled through them, wondering what the hell they were. He realized they were Weiss’ grades and he grinned. He made high marks on everything. The extra papers were apparently the tests he took to skip out of his ‘boring’ classes. Well, he never said he had to take a class in them, just that he needed to pass and he did.

He couldn’t help but feel proud of him.

------------------------------------------------

Weiss took a job at the bookstore at his college. Before he would go out whenever was absolutely necessary. Now he was running out the door again and out of the Shinra building. His brother was still in casts and he visited him more now. He barely came home anymore than to do what was promised of him, complete a few summer projects and sleep.

He thought it was pretty stupid of him to get upset about that. It’s not like he told him he had to spend time with him or anything and he was doing everything he asked of him.

He heard the door slam then and looked up from the table. “You’re off early!” Weiss exclaimed. “Well, since it’ll take me forever to get dinner started, why don’t I take us out?”

“You?” Restrictor Marianne smiled. “That’s a change.”

“It’ll pay you back for all those lunches in high school.” Weiss’ voice had a teasing ring to it. “Since that spot opened up in the bookstore I actually have some money now.” And he had a job for this summer and next semester. Thank goodness, he was tired of being broke all the time and he really did feel like such a leach… it’s just nothing was open before.

He tried to pay off his student loan this month. Mari found out, he had been sitting at the table with him after all. He just tweaked his nose in that aggravating way of his and told him he would take care of it.

Mari just looked at him strangely for a moment before he seemed to just shrug and go along with it. What the hell? “Where are we going then?”

“The café with the white and yellow umbrellas!” Weiss announced.

“Of course.”

“And look Mari, you’re in uniform.” He grinned. “It’s my turn to be cheap! Let’s go!”

He really had been worrying for nothing, he still remembered him after all.

------------------------------------------------

Author’s Notes:

The more I read the more I worry that this is sounding oh so corny hehe. (Blushes all over the place).