“Adagio, truth or dare?”, Aria asked.
“Dare, of course.”, Adagio replied, feeling confident.
As she said that, Aria had this weird look in her eyes. Then she said,
“I dare you to… ask Garble out!”
“What?!” Adagio yelled, shocked by the dare.
Aria simply smiled at her reaction.
“You heard me.”
“Why the hell would I wanna go on a date with that idiot?! I rather screw the swimming coach than talk to someone dirty like him.”, Adagio said in anger.
Sonata gave Adagio a look of curiosity.
“What's so bad about him?”, she asked, confused about him.
Adagio gave Sonata a stern look and said,
“He's the most vile, meanest, ugliest, and downright-”
“He's no different from you.”, Aria said, smirking.
Adagio scoffed when she made that statement towards her.
“Then why don't you go talk to him since you're so eager to meet him?”, she asked Aria as she chuckled.
“Because I made the dare. Besides, he rather talk to you.”, Aria replied as she ate a chip.
“Oh, you're such a liar, Aria. He wouldn't never touch me with 10 foot pole. And even if he did, I never be caught talking to a chump like him.”
“Well, you have been dared…besides, I've noticed the way you look at him.”, Sonata added.
She looked over to where Garble was standing.
“W-What? You honestly think that I would date that deviant?!” Adagio asked flustered by Sonata’s statement.
“Well, there’s no going back now. Make it sweet.”, Aria teased.
Adagio growled in anger as she got up. She walked slowly towards him, shivered in fear and embarrassment as she did so. She really despised the idea of dating delinquents, especially ones like Garble. She's had her fair share of guys and those who look at her body, which she didn't mind. However, her having to date a delinquent, on a dare no less, just felt revolting to her. But she had to fulfill her end of the deal by honoring the dare given to her by Aria, much to her own displeasure and disgust. Even then, if there was one thing she hated, it was been looked down on and she knew she'd never the end of it if she didn't follow through. As Garble was closing his locker, she swallowed whatever pride she had left and approached, with her face even redder than ever before.
“You. I want to talk you. Garble, right?”, she asked in a annoyed tone with her head turned slightly away.
Garble wasn't sure what she was talking about, nor did he care, but he asks,
“And you are…?”
“A-Ada-gio. We go to the same class… together.”, she replies.
He gave Adagio a look like he didn’t understand.
“I knew that. What do you want?”, he asked unsure of what she would say next.
He wasn't sure what she would say next, but he realized that he was being busy with himself. She needed to say something, or she would never live it down from either Aria or Sonata. Just then, she hears,
“C’mon. I’m busy. Just tell me what’s on your mind already.”
Knowing that she had to say something, Adagio was trying to find the right words to say to Garble without making him angry. She was having trouble with having to speak, so she improvised by saying,
“I-. I-”
“Hmm?”
“I was-”
“Just effing say it already.”
“I was hoping that you would go out with me!”
She shouted it out through the hallway. Everybody was stunned by her random shout. Both Aria and Sonata were snickering at her outburst as she did so. After that, everybody went back to what they were doing, but Garble was incredibly stunned by what she just said.
“Told you I get her to do it. Pay up.”, Aria said, holding out her hand while watching.
Sonata grumbled as she pulled her money out of her pocket. Adagio, however, unsure of what he was gonna say next. Would he laugh, or just outright reject her? After all, she had a hard life as a pushy, know it all so she didn’t know what to expect next.
“Wait, what?!”, he asked, dazed by her statement.
Before he could get an answer, she immediately ran back to Aria and Sonata. As Adagio came back, she felt a mixed rush of fear and joy that she got to talk to a boy that she doesn’t know much about other then that one time... But it did pain her to know that he would probably talk and joke about it to his friends. Still, she just let it go and walked back towards her sister.
“There. I talked to him. Happy?”, Adagio asked, incredibly peeved. Aria had a wide smirk on her face as she said that. “And wipe that smirk off your face or I’m gonna give you a special meal on the knuckle sandwich surprise.”
Aria stopped smiling after that. They went back to playing truth or dare after that. But Adagio still couldn’t stop thinking about what she said to Garble.
“Anyways, It's my turn now.”, Sonata said butting in.
Adagio rolled her eyes but had a faint smile on her face.
“This should be interesting. She's way too dumb to-”
“I dare you to give him a letter and ask him out to the dance.”
“What?!”, Adagio asked, breaking out of her thoughts.
Adagio was shocked by what Sonata just said out loud. She knew that Sonata wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she had no idea that she would actually make her go and talk to Garble again. She was very flabbergasted at what she was capable of.
“And you have to write it in front of us.”, she said, giving a wide grin.
“There's no way-”
“Or maybe you're just a scary cat. RIght, Sonata? Maybe we should tell everyone that Adagio is scared to date a bad boy,” Aria added, smiling when she nudged Sonata in the arm.
“I hate you both… so, so much…”, Adagio said with her face in a deadpan position.
Sonata handed her a crumbled piece of paper and Adagio snatched it out of her hands in a rude manner. She started writing down what she was thinking and she could hear her sisters giggling behind her as she did so. After writing her letter, she folds it up and walks over to him, but not without saying,
“When this is all over, you’re dead meat.”
Sonata just rolled her eyes and said,
“Just go. He could leave any second.”
“That’s right. Better get moving, Addy.”, Aria teased.
“Bite me.”, Adagio mumbled under her breath.
It has been three days since she was dared to write a letter to Garble. After she was finally finished writing, she put it in an envelope and walked outside.
“When this dare is over, I swear, I'm going to make those two do something they'll never forget.”, Adagio thought, incredibly agitated.
She didn't understand why it was so difficult to just talk to him. She may be similar to him, but he was no different than every other boy she's gone and done things with. But… for some reason, she felt like something was growing between him and her.
“Well, now that I think about it, he is rather handsome, somewhat charming… and even…” she caught herself rambling on. “What the hell? There's no way he’s a gentleman. He’d probably just drug me or something.”
Adagio had very mixed feelings about Garble, but she kept a closed mind until she could actually talk to him. As she arrived at his locker, he was nowhere to be seen so she did the next best thing and slipped the envelope at his house and walked away.
Meanwhile, Garble was getting ready to meet one of his friends. He was still bamboozled by Adagio’s immediate request to got with her. He didn’t even interact with her much, even during break.
“Maybe I was a little go cruel. After all, I do owe her for saving me from detention a few times,” he thought as he got dressed.
He was more confused than anything else. He has known her for about two months now but never really talked to her, not even during lunch hour or after-hours. He was still willing to give her a chance. After being asked out by a girl, he had to honor the request, even if he would be talked about for the rest of his life for dating a girl who's been around a lot of guys.
“I wonder if she’s waiting by now?”, he asked himself.
He looked at time on his alarm clock and he thought,
“Maybe I should get going…”
When he finished getting dressed, grabbed his stuff, put on his shoes, and he left his room.
“She's been acting bizarre ever since she saved me the trouble of being in detention. Not like it was gonna matter anyway. Maybe I should ask one of my friends about this.”, he said to nobody in particular.
Before could leave, he heard a knock on the door. He had no idea who it was. Not wanting to be rude, he answered the door. He saw nothing. He looked around everywhere, but when he looked down, he saw something.
“Hmm? A letter?”, he asked as he picked it up.
He looked at the letter and opened it up with a toothpick. He read and it said,
“‘Listen up, and listen well. First, meet me by the front often school. Next,I’m only doing this because I was dared to do so. I wasn’t given a choice, so I also did this as a dare. Besides, it’s not like you have anything better to do anyway. I went through all this trouble to write and get this stupid letter to you, and trust me, it’s not like you’re gonna get any. So you better show up ready with your dukes and your sheen's presentable or you’re gonna be making auditions to sing soprano, buddy!’, Yours truly, Adagio Dazzle”
He looked at the letter and scoffed, as well as saying,
“Uh-huh…”
He put the letter on the dresser and exited his room as he put his jacket on.
“She really knows how to make an introduction.”, he thought as he started walking towards what the letter said.
The time had finally come. It was the day of the dance. Garble had kept Adagio's letter with him this entire time since the beginning of May. He has not had any contact with Adagio since her reply. Garble spent the entire time trying to think of ways to talk to her, even getting some advice from his friends at one point. He felt nervous but he felt confident. However, the tension still felt confused about this. He was going so far and out of his way to impress Adagio, who he fell in love with, although reluctant to admit it.
Recently, his stance and his thoughts on Adagio softened up. He started seeing her in a rather beautiful light. He could just imagine her; how her hair was blowing in the wind gently, how her eyes are glowing in radiance with a cool and collected demeanor, how her unbreakable bravado and confidence was truly one-of-a-kind. If that wasn't enough, she actually has the strength to back up that mouth of hers. But Garble sighed as he admitted to himself that it's because of how Adagio is, he was in love with her. He couldn't help but let a smile, slip, though. She IS the coolest girl he had ever met in his eyes and he doubted he'd meet another woman like her anywhere else.
Garble went to the location of the letter where they would meet. It was supposed to be along the pathway to the outside of the campus. It's nighttime with a relatively cool breeze that made Garble shiver a bit. He scanned the area around him, searching for anyone that resembled her. However, just when he was about to call quits, he heard footsteps. He turned around, and she was right there. Just appeared like that. The shock of suddenly finding her right in his face made him leap back and scream.
"AHH!"
Adagio had her signature stoic expression on.
"What? Do I not look good enough for you?"
She was aware that she scared him but didn't care if she did or if Garble was scared.
"Dammit, Afro-girl! Would you not do that!?", Garble scowled at her as he clutched his heart area and took deep breaths.
Adagio's face wasn’t even moving, still staring at him while holding herself steady for the coming moment.
"Quit what? I'm simply greeting you. Is leaping back a few feet like a lunatic and screaming like a madman who shocked itself on an electric fence really how you greet those with astronomically higher social graces than you? I would expect you to at least put up your best act like I said in my letter, assuming you didn't rip it apart in the middle of reading it." Adagio's lips formed a faint smirk but it wasn't clearly visible to Garble.
Garble stomped around and gave a brief shout.
"I was trying to be nice to you!"
Adagio simply yawned with her free hand.
"Right...trying to be nice to me."
Garble stopped himself in middle of his tantrum, realizing what he was doing.
"Oh right. Anyway, you wanted to dance?", He asked, ready to fight.
Adagio gasped innocently with the motive to taunt Garble.
"Put your fists away, unless you want to mess up my best dress I put on just for you."
Garble felt confused.
"Wait, didn't you say in your letter that you want me to fight you and force your surrender so that you'll be my girlfriend?"
Adagio sighed, annoyed at Garble's assumption.
"'Girlfriend'? That's rich. I am not your 'girlfriend', nor your date. I am only doing this on a dare. So you may call me "Siren", or "Lady Adagio", or even "Ms. Dazzle" would do. Those would be nice to call someone who you're attempting to woo."
Garble's eyes lowered slightly as he thought about it and looked down in shame. His mouth slightly dropped.
“What the hell kind of answer was that? And you haven’t even answered my question yet… Lady Adagio…” Garble forced himself to call her that. " In your letter, word for word, you said that you needed me to do something today and that would be to beat you."
Adagio shook her head, displeased with how Garble interpreted her letter.
"I have more than enough strength to put your body through a wall if I had wanted to. However, that would do either of us any good, and I don’t feel like wasting my time having fun with breaking you. For you see, a battle can be many things. For instance, a debate is a battle of words which is won by default since you don’t know how to argue. Tell me, Garble. When did I say at one point that we were both gonna engage in a fight?"
Rather than getting even more angry at Adagio, Garble tried to calm himself down and try to respond rationally to her words. He could feel that he was being tested by her as he pulled out the letter from Adagio from his pocket and read near the end.
"You said put up your dukes and the best sheen that you’ve got."
Adagio nodded and explained,
"That’s exactly what I said. However, you seemed to have failed in doing so."
Garble was shocked at this random turn of events.
"What? What the h-" Garble stopped himself as he didn't understand what she was talking about. "I mean...how do you mean, Lady Adagio?"
Adagio formed a smirk, slightly wider than the last. She was getting impressed with how much manners Garble was showing here. Although, she knew that Garble was going to lose his mind at this point.
"A gentleman is supposed to represent a man of rank and order. When I said put up your dukes, I meant put up your best mannerisms that you have got. As for your sheens, I still see you are wearing that shirt. That shirt, in no way, represents gleaming and shiny attire. You don't represent a real man as you are dressed right now. If someone were to see me with you as you are, they'd think I'm becoming some sort of escort."
Garble felt stupid, having just realized that. He realized that's what she had actually meant before it became a slang word for beating the hell out of each other. Garble felt a bit confused but strangely enough, he felt quite comfortable talking the way he's now talking to Adagio. In fact, he felt delighted in having spoken to her.
"Alright... Well...I don't have any other outfits than this one. Do you mind lending me a hand... Ms. Dazzle who looks so elegant tonight?" He forced himself to say that last part to Adagio in order to earn some extra points from her.
Adagio turned her head slightly to the side while still maintaining eye contact with Garble.
"I suppose I can spare you the trouble of explaining any further. However, you must prove to me that you can act like a decent human being in tall stature."
Garble groaned in his head. This was definitely demeaning, at least to him. However, at this point, he knew better than to shoot his mouth off at Adagio. Knowing Adagio and the true meaning she left on the letter, there has to be something she's planning for him. Garble played along to see what would happen.
"Okay. What do you wanna do?"
With her free hand, she put her index finger vertically on her lips.
"Shh." Then, with that same hand, she reached it out for him with her palm face-up. "Take my hand and come with me."
Garble promptly walked to Adagio and gently took her hand. As painful as it was for him, he did as she told him. A few moment’s later, they arrived at this restaurant in town. Garble was taken aback by this. As far as he knew, this was Adagio's favorite place to be. He took a moment to remember the times he came here. He remembers the arguments, and as far as he could recall, he went through with other people, and all the other places. Somehow, it was starting to make him think about and appreciate the pleasantries of the place. It was nice. The breeze in the air felt comfortable, the scene outside was pleasant, and furthermore, the restaurant felt atmospheric and beautiful. But Garble then asked,
"So...uh…Ms. Dazzle..."
"Yes?"
Garble looked left and right once.
"Why exactly are we here and not in a proper fitting room?"
"Because we’re gonna eat out here.", Adagio casually answered him right away.
Garble's eyes widened.
"Uh...out in the open? Where I can be seen at any moment? I don't think anybody what appreciate us being here."
Adagio's expression hardened into something more serious.
"You seem to have forget your place, Garble. Remember, this is a date that I wanted. The only ones who can say where we go are me and my sisters. Nobody will see us I assure you. Now… let's get your clothes changed into something more appropriate.", she said, pulling his arm.
Something shiny suddenly blinded Garble's face. He became startled and utterly confused.
"H-Hey! What's this? I can't see a thing!" Garble then felt a breeze and his body felt cold. He felt bare. He couldn't see anything from out of the blue. Soon, he found out that he was completely naked. He could hear Adagio's voice.
"I suggest you don’t move. It could permanently blind you."
Garble did just that as he quickly found out that letting Adagio do her thing is yielding much less venom than before. Soon, his body felt tight in several places. He felt something also cover up his hands. Once the warmth was back, the light suddenly disappeared. His eyes were briefly disoriented due to being blinded by this random light for a while. Garble looked down at himself. He saw that he was wearing a penguin suit as well as some slack pants with dress shoes of the same color. His socks also matched his pants and his shoes. Garble looked at his hands and he could see that he that he was still wearing the same glove he was comfortable with.
He felt tight but relaxed in this. It felt odd what he was wearing, but he decided to go with it. It felt restrictive in the suit, but at the same time, it him feel free. Garble was really starting to like this approach he was taking. He gave a smirk as he took in his new attire. The more he decided to go along with Adagio’s plan, the more interested he felt and the more invested in what he has become.
A faint smirk formed on Adagio's lips once more.
"I noticed that you're comfortable in your new outfit. The size fits just how I'd imagine it to be. It turned out much better than I initially thought."
Garble slowly started to move his arms to get used to the feeling of the outfit that he was wearing.
"I just have a question, though. Did you see my naked body when you were changing me?"
"Yes, I did." Adagio answered almost right away, without hesitation.
Garble's mouth gaped open as he winced.
"Uh...don't you think that's an invasion of privacy?"
Adagio’s smirk started to fade and she started to show a stern look on her face.
"I told you. You are going to follow what I say if you want the night to go smooth-sailing for yourself. Besides, it’s nothing I’m not used to."
Garble blushed and traced a finger around the collar of his suit.
"Uh...what do you think of it, Adagio?"
Adagio could feel the temperature rise in her face but she was very good at hiding what she was really feeling.
"Well, it’s well-toned and… somewhat skinny. Although, it isn’t much different from all the times I've seen other guys like that."
Garble groaned meekly. He was hoping to hear something more complimenting from Adagio. But knowing her from class, she wasn’t even going to give his ego a boost anytime.
"I’m well aware of what you're thinking. But context matters." Adagio said as if she knew exactly what Garble was thinking.
Garble's eyes popped, as if she were a mind reader.
"W-What!?"
Adagio gave a taunting smirk on his face.
"Oh please. I know you better then you know yourself. You were trying to make me give you an ego boost or rather, thinking I would at least give you some form of compliment. Unfortunately for you, I don’t give men breaks. Most people have minds of a filthy sewer rat. There's nothing inherently enticing about a body unless you make it look delicious in your mind as well. The same goes for a female's breasts, a man's organ, his drive, and a woman's drive. Context matters. I was thinking nothing perverted as I was merely changing you. Tell me, how is it possible to change you without seeing anything?"
There she went with her long but true explanations again. Garble wasn't sure on how to answer that. In fact, he couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
"Uh...it's...impossible..."
Adagio scoffed at Garble but then smirked shortly after. This time, Garble noticed this particular smirk.
"It seems as though you're learning how to embrace things from a different perspective. I will make a man out of you, Garbie."
Garble shook his head.
"And now you decided to roll with the compliments. I just don't get you sometimes, Adagio."
"Do you see anything in me?", Adagio asked, ignoring Garble's comment.
"What?"
"What? Perhaps you’ve gone deaf? Or perhaps your I.Q has dropped? I'm asking you what is it that you see in me that draws you to me?"
Again, Garble had no idea how to answer that. He didn't know what Adagio was expecting. He didn’t expect anything to sway her, from what he could tell. At that point, he has concluded that he just needed to come out and confess what he actually thinks about her. He began to speak, all the while scratching himself in nervousness and paranoia.
"Well...I think it's nice how you're...just unfazed at anything, especially since you asked me out on this… date."
Adagio's stern expression didn't change.
"Oh?"
Garble stuttered for a bit, then continued.
"I just think you're awesome on how you can back up your trash talk on people, how you can actually hold your own, and how you're a strong woman overall."
Adagio yawned.
"How dull..."
Garble could feel his temperament smoldering. But he breathed deep in order to keep his cool.
"Alright, You want more? Fine... You're the best." At this point, he wasn't thinking anymore. He dug out whatever words that would come out of his heart. "There's no other girl that tops you. You're strong, independent, loyal and unfazed. I know that you're unafraid of anything." Garble's true feelings started coming out of him but, he couldn't hold himself any longer. "...You were always strong. You always helped me whenever I needed you. Your eyes are...impeccable with how calculating they are. You're extremely adept with what you do and I absolutely admire that about you. You don't fear anything, not even defeat. This world is so damned yet you fended it off which would drive any person insane. You're just indescribable in general that I ended up...falling in love with you. Although, I don't want to admit it."
Adagio was taken back from his sudden change in mindset. She wasn’t expecting such words to come out of him. Still, she kept her composure and looked directly at him.
"So admitting your feelings to me was a bad thing?" Adagio asked in a tone that made her seem like she was offended.
Garble shook his head a few times before answering.
"No. That's not it. I thought you would think me loving you is a bad thing. I thought you would reject the idea of ever dating a guy like me."
Adagio's pupils seemed to have lowered down into the ground without batting an eye. Garble noticed this as he felt something foreign from her. It felt like sorrow, sadness and more importantly, grief.
"Adagio?", he called out with a mixture of concern and surprise.
She didn’t answer. Instead, a tear dripped down her eyes.
"Adagio!?" Garble called out again, louder this time and with more concern.
She still didn’t answer. Garble quickly ran to Adagio's side. This was definitely strange to him. He has never seen something like this out of Adagio before. She was crying? That was something so astonishing coming from a girl like her.
"Adagio, what the hell's going on here? You're scaring me with the waterworks."
Adagio slowly lifted her head up to look at the red man. She suddenly found her own heart beating hard from inside her chest. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way.
"Garble, I want to know something. Do you really want to be with someone so degenerative to you such as me?"
Garble's eyebrows rose, finding her question it stupid, yet rather, odd to him.
"What do you mean by that? I should be the one asking that question. I'm foul-mouthed, loud, and generally a giant asshole. Yet, you said that you felt the same way about me. It's ironic, isn't it?"
Adagio nodded.
"It certainly is. Listen to me, Garble. You...and me... We're not supposed to be… like this. Yet here we are, acting like fools in some stupid romantic comedy. It feels so insulting that I developed these kind of unwanted feelings for you."
Adagio turned her head away from Garble, uncomfortable to face him. It strangely felt like she was admitting defeat. Garble leaned over slightly to make sure he was still facing her.
"Unwanted feelings? You mean to say that you don't like me?"
Adagio turned her face back towards Garble and said with earnest,
"No, my heart is captured by you. However, it also comes with the feelings with uncertainty and doubt. With what has happened to me before and what is yet to happen, I highly doubt that both of us will live to see our love prosper."
Garble could see where Adagio was coming from. A girl like her and a boy like him together would make a rather odd pairing. However, their lives don't allow them a moment's rest. She had a point. How would they ever be able to find time in peace with each other if they have intended to build a relationship between each other? They both haven’t denied their feelings for one another, but they just aren’t sure if they can chase after these feelings they have for each other. Garble didn't want to say to her that he can't love her. He wanted to find some way to make it work. After a few seconds of thinking, Garble broke the silence. He started to feel chest starting to burn the more he looked at Adagio, as impolite as he was acting towards her.
"Adagio, do you honestly believe that?"
Adagio took a few seconds to answer his question.
"I'm not sure, anymore, Garble. It's just too soon."
"How is it too soon?", Garble asked, now worried.
If Adagio wasn't sure of herself, then surely something is wrong.
"Think back. Remember. When I gave you that letter. Do you remember something, anything at all?"
Garble became irritated in an instant.
"Damn it, Adagio. Why do you have to bring that up? Of course I remember! I remember it clear as day. I thought I came over to you because I thought you wanted me to pummel you. But… then you came along and showed me something that I’ve never seen before. ...And for that, I owed you that much for it."
"Which brings me to my next question: Do you feel like you're obligated to love me because of what I did to you for asking you out on this?", Adagio asked him with the most serious tone.
It was an easy question for Garble to answer. He knew it in his heart that he wanted to be with her.
"Of course not. I love you because I want to be with you, not because I feel like I have to. I mean hell, no girl even comes close to you… and I can't seem to meet any normal girls but I don't care at this point because I fell for you at some point and hard. I really do trust you and even though two people like us aren't cut out for the quiet life, we can still make something work between us, once we can."
Adagio took a deep breath. This is why she felt this way about him; he's very resilient and he's not one to lie about something as serious as this. She knew him and he still remained the same throughout the weeks she knew him but she also knew that this was a good thing.
"Your convictions are strong as always, Garble. Whether it's by coincidence or foolhardy stupidity, nobody has ever displayed the hardened confidence and breathless achievements like you have while having the barbaric strength to back it up."
A smile formed on Garble's face. He started to feeling something come over him and he just decided to go with it.
"Adagio, I'm really grateful for all that you've done for me. Look, god only knows what we choose to do and I have no idea what you really do feel for me inside but I really do like you. I just… I just don't want either of us to grow apart. I can't live without you, Adagio. I don't want to live without you. Without you, I won't even get a break from the many assholes of the world. I'm really not a big one on sappy stuff but I can't go a day without wanting to see your face again. Just seeing you makes me feel relief even though I give you crap at times."
Adagio returned Garble's smile with one of her own. "...You are truly an idiot, Garble. However, you're the kind of idiot that's amusing to be with. I cannot believe that I'm in love with such an idiot. If you play with my heart, though, I can promise that your life will end in an instant. Do you swear that you'll be loyal to me, and only to me?"
The the very same man gave out a chuckle as he brushed off his nose.
"I don't have to think twice about that. Of course, I would be with you."
Adagio closed her eyes, still keeping that smile on her face.
"Very well, then. I surrender my heart to you."
Garble felt slightly startled from the sudden deceleration from her. He won, just like that?
"I'm not sure that I'm following you."
Adagio slit her eyes, slightly irritated.
"I was hoping that you, of all people, would recognize when someone gives their heart to you. Unless you want me to give it to someone else, idiot."
Garble frantically shook his hands in front of his face.
"Hey, hey! I'm just startled that I won your heart just like that!"
Adagio's gaze went up to Garble's face. Her face curved a faint smile.
"Garble, you already know that I have high standards. For me to say something like that, don't you think you've become an exception in my book, Garbie?"
Garble rolled his eyes to the side while turning his head the same way.
"I just need to get used to you trusting me, as funny as that sounds. I mean, I don't think I've been this close to you as I have now."
Adagio maintained her smile while facing Garble. His own sense of maturity took time to develop, but Adagio was more than happy to know that he was putting in the effort.
"Garble, I hope you understand the importance of taking things from different angles and other perspectives. I noticed how you tried to restrain yourself from being all mad like a dog with all bark and no bite. Talking can be like fighting. For you see, a debate or an argument is a battle of wits and words. Violence is almost invalid in a debate or an argument because even if you batter the person soundly, if the person had clear evidence to support the argument against you, you've already lost. Words can be a verbal weapon. Like with your fists, you must use your wits and tongue wisely. Think things through, don't be two-faced. Learn to be flexible, to avoid being one-dimensional. That is the key to finding the shortcut to victory, Garble."
Garble drew in a deep breath as he took in what heard from Adagio. Garble realized that he truly appreciates her company and her advice. He felt safe with her. He felt that he had so much to learn in the short life that he has.
"Thanks, Adagio. I appreciate it. You're really the best girl a boy like me could ask for."
Adagio gave out a chuckle as he said that.
"Your thanks is to be expected. However, you're welcome. You cannot deny though, that you're still a boy in training." Her face formed a smirk from that.
A period of silence befell the two for a bit. Then, in the next few moments, the two started laughing together. Garble never heard Adagio giggle in his life. It was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard. This was only the sound an angel would make, and he loved second of hearing it and every sound he heard of it. Garble couldn't hold himself back anymore. He started to come closer to Adagio, gently embracing her as he wrapped his arms around her. It was like he was thinking that she was the coolest he had ever met in his life, along with the honor of hugging her. Garble was beginning to love this new way of thinking, had it not been for Adagio, even though it felt so cryptic to him. If he had actually thought about her advice, he would’ve figure out what she was trying to tell him… if he had just motivated himself to think instead of just taking a badass approach to it.
Garble loved Adagio and he welcomed the feelings for her into his heart and accepted them. To him, she was different from every girl that he has seen and met. He had a foul mouth and he had seldom manners every now and then, but she could never deny that he was the most nicest and sweetest man that she has ever laid eyes upon. Her biggest, most deepest secret that she wanted to tell him was that her own endurance was, for the most part, inspired by him. When she has made the full decision based on her judgement, she would tell him. But for now, it's a secret locked in her heart.
Inside, In a different room, Garble had the light in his face again, blinding him. He was standing near the dresser.
"Why is this happening to me again? Are you changing me again?"
"Quite the opposite..." She trailed off her own sentence.
"What is it? Just tell me what it is!" Garble said impatiently.
Garble could hear the faint sound of clothes. Could it be that she was the one who was changing? That was a possibility. Was it going to be a dress? It would be very intriguing to see for himself, considering the fact that she alway wore that skimpy outfit in front of him most of the time.
"Alright, Garble. You can look now." Adagio started to make the light disappear from Garble's eyes.
It took a second for Garble to recover his vision but once he did, what he saw almost completely made him trip over backwards and fall to the floor. He stumbled a bit but then regained his footing. Garble was incredibly confused by this turn of events.
“She’s... in a swimsuit?”, Garble thought, flabbergasted.
Adagio was wearing one of those two part, skintight swimsuits. When Garble saw her, his mouth dropped. Her stomach had zero belly fat. Her shoulders looked so broad. Her legs had some meat, but were tender. Her body was so well-toned. Her legs were not too different as well. Her feet looked almost perfect. No smooth skin, perfectly silky, just perfect. Her physical body was perfect in this eyes. Garble was raring to go, but he had second thoughts about it while thinking so.
"I'm waiting for you to come over to me. I'm getting rather cold here."
Garble wasn't sure what to say about this. He wanted to come to her. But he was afraid of making the wrong move.
"I'm not sure why you did this. What's all this about?"
Adagio got impatient as she crossed her arms even tighter.
"You're still hopeless… This is your reward for proving your heart to me through words. Go on, say some perverted things and have those dirty thought your mind is thinking this very moment. It's your reward for tolerating my quips and showing me decent qualities for as long as you have and then falling in love with me."
Garble merely smiled with teeth opened saying,
"You're just perfect, Adagio."
Adagio still didn't look at Garble straight in the eye.
"What? Is that all?"
Garble nodded.
"Yes. You're just absolutely fantastic the way your body looks."
Adagio could hear the sincerity in his voice. She sighed with a slight sense of relief.
"I was worried that you would comment about how big my breasts were."
Garble shook his head.
"Those things are so overrated. You could have the biggest knockers in the world but if you're just a plain bitch then it isn't worth a damn."
Adagio's eyes glanced over to Garble with her head still turned to the side and a smile formed on her lips.
"Well, that is certainly mature coming from you however, I wouldn’t overdo it. Can I change back to my dress again? I'm going to catch a cold before too long."
Garble shook his head yes while smiling.
"Sure. Also, thanks for doing that for me."
Adagio's lips formed a mischievous smirk.
"Are you sure you don’t wanna take some picture of me while I’m like this? Or perhaps, you just like a look at my outlined body, though? Or even, take advantage of me? You might never get the chance to see me in a swimsuit again."
Garble's face flushed deep red.
"Ah, shut up will ya?!"
Adagio exhaled while resisting the urge to giggle.
“You certainly are an idiot."
Garble crossed his arms while turning his head to the side as he growled.
"Still, thanks for rewarding me, I guess..."
Adagio still held a smile on her face. She slowly began to change back into her dress as Garble's head was turned.
"It is as I've said before. I had many admirers in the past. There were some that made a strong case but the bulk of them didn't even hold a candle. Many of them were infatuated by my beauty and didn't hold up to my very high standards when it came to manners. However, the intriguing thing is that I was the one who fell for a man instead of a man falling for me this time around. If I told you that you are the very first person who had ever made me do what I did and say what I've said, would you believe me, Garble?"
By the time she had asked her question, she was in her dress again. Garble turned back and scratched his head, slightly confused.
"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it and as an honor. But, why me? Why an asshole like me?"
Adagio took a moment to think of her answer then nodded once she thought of something.
"Maybe...I wanted to be someone different from me while fulfilling my own standards. After all, differences truly make the world go around, don't they?"
"Now that you mention it, they do." Garble couldn't resist a chuckle after saying that.
Adagio clapped her hands twice in a "chop-chop" manner.
"Now that I know that you're fully committed to me, I would like you to follow my everything I tell you to, no exception. You're going to have to start by getting rid of that outfit of yours and getting into something comfortable. Also, we have to teach you some manners that you need to make use of while you're in my presence. I will you allow you free access and reign to go wherever you please but be careful of what females you interact with because if I get a hint of flirtatiousness from any other girl, I’ll make sure you never live to see the light of day. You are to tell me your curfew for when you are returning and where you will be going so that it'll be clear that no secret is being kept from me. Is that understood?"
Garble's jaw dropped for a split second before picking it back up.
"Is...that a joke, Adagio?"
Adagio gave a smirk to Garble.
"I find it humorous that you think this is a joke."
Garble groaned then felt the tightness in his suit again.
"Well, can I at least take off this outfit?"
"No.", she answered flatly.
Garble rolled his eyes at her answer. Still, it was the least of his problems, because they have finally found and accepted each other for who they were…
