"I just don't see why we can't share?"

Another lower voice mumbled something to the former, after which the higher whined something and the cycle continued.

My hand shook as I gripped the diamond earring Osamu had purchased for me the day and placed it up to my lobe. My hand nimbly danced around the hole in my ear, but trying to find the rod again after pushing it through my piercing was a whole new challenge. It was frustrating as well because I could feel my fingers around the metal butt of the earring brush against the rod and sometimes catch onto it before the tremble of my hand dragged the two parts away.

"You're scaring Vigil!" the higher voice barked from the living room.

At the mention of my name, I let out a small gasp and jumped, causing the rod hanging in my ear to rip out. I sighed and pulled my hand away, my eyes falling down to the threshold the shiny menace in my palm.

They always do this...

They had been fighting more lately. With the absence of Marcy, now the two masters only had me to take care of and while at first I basked in the unlimited attention I possessed, it came with the price of my masters being unable to divide me between them. Both Lance and Osamu had alpha mentalities, even if they did seem like polar opposites, and unfortunately they desired the same living being. As much as I wish I could be, I can't be split into two.

It first started out when Osamu wanted to take me to the mall with him while Lance wanted me to stay home because I still had chores to do. Osamu ended up taking me anyway and bought me a gold ring on top of all the pretty items he already purchased for me to keep quiet. Of course, since Lance seems to have eyes in the back of his head and was home waiting for Osmau and I to return while he was supposed to be at work. That definitely surprised Osamu.

Fortunately, I got off the hook unscathed since I really did have no say in any of what happened, but Osamu took the brunt of the whole affair. Their argument lasted days and mostly consisted of Lance prodding Osamu with a snide comment, making the ladder raise his hackles in defense. Osamu was no match for Lance's genius and impeccable resourcefulness in an argument, so he usually resorted to yelling or using me as a pawn in their tiffs. It only aggravated him more when Lance would stare at Osamu blankly and mumble a smart retort or tell Osamu to calm down. A part of me wonders if Lance knew it would piss him off. The other part is certain.

My whole body nearly convulsed when Osamu opened the door to my room, causing me to gasp and then close my eyes and sigh to try and calm myself down.

"You really gotta fix that, Vigil." Osamu commented as if that could heal all illnesses. "Are you finished yet?"

I picked up my hand mirror and looked my face over for a second, studying the soft red lipstick and rouge on my face and eyelids before scanning over my ears and to the one diamond earring dangling from my lobe. I never did get the chance to put the other on, but I made the emergency executive decision to let it be. One earring is a statement, two is just plain femininity.

Not that I'm anything short of genderless at this point...

Closing the handheld mirror and putting it back, I tugged my lips into a smile and advanced to Osamu to which the other reached out and clasped his hands around my own.

"Stunning. I like the one better than two." he complimented, referring to my earrings.

Of course, my heart fluttered and then sank. It didn't know if it wanted to giggle at the compliment or shudder at the thought that I was about to engage with a war zone.

When Osamu and I emerged from my room, his nice face and smile dropped as we were met with the view of Lance straddling a chair in front of us. He was sitting on the side of the dining room table nearest us, his legs on either side on the seat and his chin rested comfortably on the back like he had been waiting for us on the wrong side of the chair long enough for him to get bored, although his always alert eyes told a different story. I don't think Lance was ever bored. Perhaps we got uninterested, but 'bored' was not a word for Lance.

Before I could even flash Lance a sheepish smile, Osamu reached up to my head, grabbing the sides of my face and pinched my cheeks together, although there wasn't much to smoosh, so it mostly just pulled skin. He yanked my face down to his level, seemingly about to drive home a point to one of us by using me as an example which I wasn't the fondest of.

"Look at his face." the black haired said to the blond, "Did you see that smile on his face when he came out? That's because I said something nice to him. I made him feel good about himself."

As Osamu spoke in an admittedly calmer voice than before with many less quivers in it, Lance stared blankly at me and my smushed face as if he was letting Osamu tire himself out like a wailing baby that won't let up.

"I'm a nice person. That's why Vigil loves me more than you."

Both Lance and I darted out eyes over to Osamu who was holding me face proudly like a monarch as he stared Lance down.

The blond swiped his slimy tongue over his bottom lip and then poked the inside of his cheek with it as he drew in a sharp breath, taking up so much time it felt like I was wasting away from my legs up.

It was partly true. Osmau did say a hell of a lot more nice things to me than Lance. He was just a more pleasant person all around compared to Lance. For such reasons, I decided then that Osamu was correct. I did like Osamu more and now that it was all laid out for me, my choice between the two was obvious.

Lance suddenly lifted from his chair and pushed it back in, his eyes never wavering from Osamu, who was now looking a tad nervous about what he just said.

"I'm going to win that race today, Osamu. And when I do, I'm going to expect Sai to be in the reception area waiting for me."The shorter, but much more menacing out of the two stalked up to Osamu until their eyes were inches apart. The sight made my skin crawl as it made me imagine myself in Osamu's shoes. "If the two of you are not there, I will find you and take him back. I will know where you are."

A few moments passed by while the two alphas stayed starkly still, sizing each other up. With a gulp, Osmau decided that Lance was definitely the aggressor now and while he licked his dry lips, he unhanded my face. Lance took that as a good note to end it on and he turned around, walking out through the sliding glass door without giving me so much as a glance. I never felt more like the last box of condoms in the drug store before in my life.

Perhaps Osamu was not as in charge of Lance as the two of us originally thought...