"What did I do wrong again?" Mr. L asked as Dimentio dragged him away by the wrist.

"I didn't say you've done anything wrong," Dimentio pointed out.

"That's true. But... I can tell you are about to yell at me. You've got that look in your usually empty eyes. I can tell you're upset." Mr. L replied all too casually. Dimentio wasn't too fond of Mr. L being able to read the expression in his eyes. He did his best to keep them empty, so how on earth could Mr. L tell that he was upset?

"...I'm not upset with you. I just... what are you doing L?" Dimentio asked, letting go of the man in green's wrist and turning to him. "What are you doing?"

"Right now? Talking to you," Mr. L chuckled. "Isn't that obvious-"

"No. What are you doing?! You know he has to leave, correct?" Dimentio interrupted, holding his hands out. Mr. L paused, his humorous smile slowly fading to a soft frown. He didn't reply. He didn't say anything.

Was Dimentio being serious?! What was this all about?!

"... I see the way you look at him. I see the way he looks at you." Dimentio breathed, looking down at the ground simply because he wasn't brave enough to look Mr. L in the eyes as he said that.

Mr. L stood there, utterly appalled. "Is that was this is about? Dimentio, this is stupid. He doesn't-"

"I know how he feels about you! I'm not blind," Dimentio retorted. "L, he's in love with you!"

"He's just a scared kid trying to get home. He's lonely!" Mr. L snapped back. "You don't know how he feels!"

"I DO know how he feels!" Dimentio replied, lifting his gaze so he was looking Mr. L dead in the eyes. "Because HE IS ME!" Dimentio clenched his fists for a moment, then unclenched them, looking away. He didn't want Mr. L reading his expression. He wished his mask could shield more.

"Oh? And how do you feel, then?" Mr. L asked, almost sarcastically. "Do you even know?"

Now Dimentio was the silent one.

"Yeah," Mr. L breathed, crossing his arms. "I thought so."

The jester wished he would disappear. Anywhere seemed preferable to here. Anyplace seemed better. He just wanted out of this awkward situation he idiotically placed himself into.

"I never took you to be the jealous type," Mr. L breathed. "And yet, here you are. Jealous of yourself-"

"You should go with him." Dimentio interrupted, his voice lowered to a whisper.

Mr. L drew back and blinked. What did Dimentio just say?! "Huh?" The man in green muttered.

"When he goes away... you should go too." Dimentio clarified, turning away. "It would be better for both of us."

He then vanished, teleporting himself back to the town and leaving Mr. L all alone out there before the man in green could even reply. He vanished because he didn't want to see the way Mr. L's eyes lit up by the idea.

But... Mr. L's eyes didn't light up at the idea. The thought of going with Dio never even crossed his mind. Was that really what Dimentio wanted??

And Dio? He was sitting with his back to a nearby tree, listening in but not interrupting.

He heard it all.

______

"Other me?" Dio asked a few moments later, walking into town carefully and quietly as if he was afraid of making Dimentio mad.

"You're back," Dimentio stated. Not as a question, but it was more like he was pointing the fact out. He then turned to face the other version of himself, his eyes empty once again.

Just hurry up and teach him, then you'll never have to deal with him or L again, Dimentio told himself.

"Yeah... I'm back," Dio breathed. "But... before we start... can I tell you something?"

"Will it be a waste of time?" Dimentio asked, almost sarcastically.

He really was emotionally drained from all the talking. He felt through with words. He just wanted to go back to being alone on his mission for revenge.

"I promise it won't," Dio smiled, holding his hand over his heart, playing the part of an honest man.

"Then go on. Make it quick," Dimentio breathed, pinching the bridge of his masked nose and looking down as if annoyed.

"Okay," Dio said with a small smile. "Here goes...."

Here goes indeed. Dimentio mentally prepared himself for whatever idiotic thing was about to come out of Dio's mouth. He expected it to have something to do with how he didn't think magic had to be fueled by anger. Or maybe it was going to be some inspiring speech about kindness and all that nonsense-

"I'm jealous of you," Dio said.

Dimentio looked up at him, immediately lowering his hand and raising a masked eyebrow. Of all the things he thought Dio would say... that was not one of them. He was preparing for some sort of speech on why anger was wrong or a monologue on child-like wonder. Not this... confession.

"...You are?" Dimentio asked, sounding less empty and more perplexed.

Why? Why would he be? Dio was kinder, he could heal, Mr. L liked him, and he still had the hope of getting back to his family. Why in the worlds would he be jealous?! He had everything!

"Yes," Dio smiled. "I am jealous."

He was beaming as if this was the most exciting news in the world, which only further confused Dimentio.

"Why?" Dimentio asked.

Dio simply shrugged. He still didn't look the part of a jealous person. The term jealous simply didn't fit him. "

Because... you're so strong. So... independent. It's powerful, really. You make set goals, and you don't let others drag you down. You're much braver than I am. And... though you may not realize it now... you have a good friend. You may not see it now, but he really cares about you. He's just trying not to show it." Dio explained.

Jealous was a weird emotion that Dimentio didn't quite see Dio having. If Dio refused to use anger to make his magic work, why would he openly admit to being jealous? And for such stupid reasons!!!

"...Why!?" Dimentio asked again, still equally as confused. Why was Dio jealous of those things? Couldn't he see that he had it better?!

"I don't know," Dio admitted with a smile and a shrug. "I mean... everyone gets jealous of what they don't have. Even good people get jealous. N-Not saying that I'm exactly a good person, but you understand my point."

"I do not," Dimentio admitted. "What is your point, exactly?"

"... I guess... I'm just trying to put you at ease. I'm justifying your feelings because I feel them too."

"What feelings of mine are you justifying exactly?" Dimentio pressed, slightly worried. Why was Dio bringing up the topic of jealousy now? He hadn't heard Dimentio's conversation with Mr. L... had he?

"... When you were talking to Mr. L... I heard," Dio admitted, his voice slightly softer as if he was afraid of getting in trouble. A reasonable fear. Dimentio wasn't sure if he was upset that Dio eavesdropped or impressed that he was able to admit to it.

It took a lot of courage to admit to things like that. If Dimentio had been in Dio's shoes, he would most definitely have stayed quiet.

"Oh," was all Dimentio was able to manage as a response.

How would one respond to that? Was there a correct way?

"Yeah..." Dio murmured.

The two waited in awkward silence for a long moment, as each waited for the other to somehow continue to conversation.

"Well, do you?" Dimentio finally asked.

"Do I what?" Dio questioned, cocking his head to the side in an innocent manner.

"Do you love him?"

Dio waited a moment as if he was considering the option.

Dimentio looked down and waited for Dio to admit that he did, just as he admitted he was listening in on their private conversation. After all, why wouldn't he? He had no reason to hide the way he felt.

"Do you?" Dio asked, instead of answering the way Dimentio thought he would once again. The jester should stop trying to predict what words would come out of Dio's mouth, because he somehow managed to keep surprising him time and time again.

How could he answer? While Dio had no reason to hide, he felt he himself very much did.

1. He didn't even know the answer to that question. He didn't even know, which on its own was concerning.

2. If he did, that would only lead to heartbreak. Dio was kinder, happier, and overall better for L, and he knew it. So why waste time?

"Yeah, I thought so," Dio smiled, as if the silence was a for sure 'yes.' (which it wasn't.) Dimentio found himself very annoyed that Dio took it as one, even though he knew that if the roles were reversed he would have most definitely done the same.

"... It doesn't matter," Dimentio finally said. "He-"

"You don't have to worry about me," Dio interrupted. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to take him away from you. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm looking for a family. My family. That's all that really matters to me."

Yeah, right. Dimentio knew himself. Enough was never enough. "But why leave him behind when you could have it all?" Dimentio asked. "You could take him with you and have everything."

"I don't want everything," Dio stated. "And I don't want to take the one thing you have and leave you with nothing. Yes, Mr. L is wonderful and I have loved spending time with him... but in the end, all that matters to me is getting home to my brother."

Dimentio squinted his eyes slightly as if he was looking for signs of lying. Either Dio was being honest, or he really was a good liar. Probably just a really good liar.

He couldn't be telling the truth, right? He had just said before that he was jealous. So why wouldn't he want to take Mr. L away with him? Everyone was selfish. Everyone had the potential to take, so why wasn't he taking? Why was he insisting on playing the role of the modest, humble good guy?

"... Empathy," Dio said, interrupting Dimentio's thoughts.

"... what?" Dimentio asked. What, were they just throwing out random words now?

"Empathy," Dio repeated. "Not anger... but Empathy. In order to take someone's injuries... you need to want to. You need to just... think about soaking up their pain. You have to REALLY want it."

Ah, that's what he was doing. He was attempting to teach. Attempting to tell Dimentio how to use that odd healing power.

"I never asked you to teach-"

"I know," Dio smiled. "But I could tell you wanted to know, and you have too much pride to ask me yourself, so I'm making it easier on you."

Dimentio never appreciated being put into his place like that. A part of him wanted to punch Dio for even assuming such a thing. But then again, Dio was correct. He wanted that power. He didn't want to continue to feel inferior.

Dimentio hated that. Was he really that predictable? Dio saying that almost made him feel exposed. As if he had been spotted without his mask on.

Actually... everything about Dio made him feel exposed. Something didn't sit right with Mr. L seeing his face. It felt wrong. It felt like people were learning too much about him because of Dio, and that alone was uncomfortable.

"... What if the wound is fatal?" Dimentio asked. "Could you still transfer the injury?"

"Yep!" Dio beamed. "You can transfer different percentages of the injury. I usually take 100%, but if the wound was fatal I would do about 95% instead, because...well... I don't wanna die. If you were to transfer all of a fatal wound, you would basically drop like a fly."

Interesting.

"Here. Let's try!" Dio smiled, holding his arm out to Dimentio, where the cuts he had inflicted on himself from earlier still remained. "Don't worry, I'll take them back from you if you succeed."

Dimentio gave him a slightly concerned look. How had he not noticed those earlier? Why were they there?

Did Dio do that himself...? Or did he take it from another? They looked like self-inflicted wounds, not like accidents.

Dimentio himself never had inflicted physical harm upon himself. He felt that he had gone through enough pain already. Instead of hurting himself, he looked to relieve his troubles by getting rid of the causes instead of replacing the emotional pain with physical pain. He hadn't ever even considered hurting himself because he knew that nothing good would come of it. Plus he was horribly afraid by the concept of dying.

"Where did you get those...?" Dimentio found himself asking, though he wasn't sure why. It wasn't the kind of thing one should ask.

"I did that," Dio admitted as if it was nothing.

"You did...?" Dimentio continued, his voice slightly softer. That was perhaps the last thing he expected to come out of Dio's mouth. "Are they... is this because..."

"Huh? Oh, no-no. These cuts were just made to help me try to get home." Dio assured. "I had this ancient dagger which I used to control my magic, but to use it I needed my blood."

Dimentio nodded. Of course, that's all it was. Dio was too happy and perfect to have ever intentionally hurt himself without reason. "Okay. I suppose that makes sense..." Dimentio trailed off.

"Yeah. I haven't hurt myself in THAT way for three months now." Dio added.

Dimentio suddenly felt an icy chill in the air. What... did he just say? What did he just admit to?

"Three months?!" Dimentio asked, almost sounding worried now. He didn't mean for his words to sound so quiet and concerned, but they ended up coming out that way regardless.

Dio didn't seem so saddened by it though. He actually seemed proud, as if three months was a lifetime. "Three months," Dio smiled. "I've been strong for three months."

Dimentio stayed silent as if he was unsure what to say to this. It was shocking. Dio seemed so happy! So filled with hope! He seemed perfect!

Had Dimentio been reading him wrong this whole time?

Dio saw the lost look in Dimentio's eyes, so he gently placed that hand on Dimentio's shoulder and offered a reassuring smile, as if he was saying 'hey, it's okay. I'm okay.'

"... Sometimes... I would miss them too much," Dio admitted. "But you don't have to worry about me. I'm stronger now."

Stronger now...

Dio had said he was jealous of Dimentio's strength. He didn't just mean his power. Dimentio could see that now. Dio had seen himself as weak. 'As useless as a gun with no trigger,' as he had put it earlier.

"... Just touch the cut... and imagine taking it away. Use the empathy I know you have," Dio smiled, letting go of Dimentio's shoulder and holding out his arm again.

Looking closer, Dimentio could see all the other scars now. It's odd. You see someone one way... then you hear something and suddenly you go from being insanely jealous to feeling nothing but remorse and pity.

He felt bad for feeling differently now. After all, nothing changed. Dio was still the same. But he didn't feel the same.

Dimentio placed his hand on Dio's arm and closed his eyes, trying to convince himself to want to take it away. Trying to want it. REALLY trying to.

But alas... he didn't. He didn't want Dio's injuries. He didn't want that extra pain. Extra physical pain was never something he wanted, so of course, nothing happened.

However, Dio didn't seem upset. In the end, he was just glad that Dimentio tried.

It felt nice, Dimentio noted. Not to feel like a failure. Even after failing.

A few moments later, Mr. L came back from the woods too, staying silent and sitting a few feet away as he waited for Dimentio to continue teaching Dio how to get home.

"Hey..." Dio whispered as Dimentio tried explaining long-distance teleportation. "You're not going to tell anyone... right?"

Dimentio paused, then nodded, smiling slightly. It was not his usual smile. It was a more reassuring one. A gentler one.

"I won't," He promised.