“Do I know you from somewhere?” the tall, sunglasses-wearing black man asked. He was sure he did, because whatever name he called himself and whatever stupid haircut he was wearing, Reno was Reno, but the tattoos were wrong and Reno would never be caught dead in a coat like that.
Oh, and Reno was dead. But he tried very hard not to think about that most of the time, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.
“No, don’t think so. I’m Axel. I’m here for the…” the red-headed not-Reno leaned to the side, considering the small, blue creature behind him, “the muppet, whatever it is.”
“Stitch’s a he and he’s not a muppet, muppets are made of foam and he’s made of fur and skin and intestines,” the small girl behind the small blue creature interrupted, and he found himself thinking about how quiet Marlene had been and how different Lilo was.
“Fascinating. Really. Now move,” Axel said dryly.
“I don’t think so,” the taller man said, crossing his arms over his suit.
“I’d say I’d hate to hurt you, but really I’m just itching for a fight, mister… what’s your name?”
“Bubbles. Mister Bubbles,” he answered, glaring over his sunglasses. Stupid games got answered with stupid games, and he hadn’t answered to Rude in some time. “You sure I don’t know you?”
“That isn’t your name,” Axel answered, ignoring the question. He stepped back and summoned his chakram. “I take it I’m going through you, then, Mister Bubbles.”
Bubbles cracked his knuckles and told Lilo to take Stitch in the house. She started to argue, but he glared until she did as he told her to, grumbling to Stitch the whole way.
Axel attacked almost immediately, sending chakrams and fire flying at him, and Bubbles didn’t have time to worry, then. While Axel was fast, and good, Bubbles was getting his own punches in there. The problem was not hitting him; the problem was that hitting him didn’t seem to be having much effect.
A flower pot cracked against the side of Axel’s head.
Bubbles looked up to see Lilo hanging out the window, with Stitch managing to balance her and hang over her for a better view at the same time. Lilo grinned and Bubbles smirked back at her.
Axel was shaking his head when he turned back.
“Rude?” it was quiet and not really at all like Axel’s voice.
It wouldn’t last, of course. These things never did.
But Bubbles had learned a long time ago that you took love and family where you could find them.
“Ewwwww,” Lilo called from her window a minute later. “Boys kissing!”
