Zoe (history_repeats) wrote in nevermore_logs, @ 2013-11-16 22:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | greed, lust, zoe hansen |
WHO: Greed & Zoe w/Lust on the phone
WHEN: Halloween [Backdated]
WHERE: Zoe's apartment
WHAT: Snark and progress
WARNING: Greedsicle
Two weeks passed since Zoe gave Greed his car back and she still didn't warm up to him. When she went to work, if she saw him on the street, she'd freeze and tense up, not looking at all like she liked the idea of him approaching her and breathing easier (surprised but easier) when he didn't. She didn't mind the stalking as long as he didn't try to come in her personal space. A man had shown up the day after the car ordeal and replaced the glass in Zoe's room, she'd thought Jonah had done it but he said he hadn't, and she hadn't told her grandfather about the violence otherwise she knew Theseus would never let Greed near her again. She didn't know why Greed got the glass replaced until she got home from work and there he was on the fire escape. She ignored him half the time, sometimes talked to him if he pestered her enough, 90% of attempted conversations ended with her in tears though. Sometimes he was there in the morning. Or the afternoon. Sometimes he wasn't there at all. She didn't understand why he was there sometimes and wasn't others. Today though was Halloween and she was sure he was going to be busy planning an insane night for himself. And so many sluts were on the street in their costumes. She got home from work, throwing off her jacket and walking barefoot into her room wearing tan trousers and a sleeveless peach shirt with the first three buttons undone.
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It was still early, so Greed had copped-a-squat on the fire escape. He’d gotten smarter each time bringing himself extra blankets, pillows, his I-phone so he could watch Netflix when she clearly didn’t want to talk. Tonight he had Chinese and dressed in a warm coat because tonight felt like it was going to be a brisk one. He even had on a mask in case she didn’t want to look at his face. He’d ventured into the party store a little too late, everything had been picked through, so he grabbed the first mask he could find that wasn’t Wonder Woman. That would have just been bad all together.
He had his invisible table set up with the various containers positioned around him like an alter. There was some sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls, dumplings, crab rangoons, lo mein and of course a whole pound of rice. When she stepped inside the room, his face lit up, though all that could be seen was the glow on his cheeks and the small turn of a smile under that mask. The kids hadn’t started going out trick-or-treating yet, but he had visions of pelting them with fortune cookies when he saw them.
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She was getting used to Greed being around and she needed the space physically at least which he was giving her. But she didn’t understand it. Greed did not like to be uncomfortable but on most nights he was sitting on a rusty cold fire escape. She stopped short when she saw him with his little set up and a kiddie cat mask that made him look ridiculous and adorable. Her lips twitched for a split second because it was so not what she expected to see but her words were dry as she came into the room and walked up to the window, “Do I need to start charging you rent?” she asked through the glass, they could see each other clearly these days. Through the window anyway. She eyed the food wondering if he carted it all up or if he got them to somehow deliver seven floors up on a fire escape..
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He’s just stuffed a whole fork full of noodles he’d twirled around into a fat lump. “What?” he asked, bright blue eyes peeking out from the holes of the little red mask. “I only have about five dollars left right now after ordering takeout.” Did she want his money now too? Because that was just dirty. He held up the bag of egg rolls, pointing to it. They always used to share those in her Zoe way, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to get kisses if he let her have a bite. It was his invitation because he was plopped there for the night he wasn’t going anywhere. When the little kids from the building started to venture out with their parents, Greed cackled eyeing them down below. Sure enough he took some fortune cookies seeing if he hit it in any of their pails. His aim was a little off at this altitude but he managed to get one hole-in-one.
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She was surprised he wasn’t trying to pelt the kids, “No, I mean, this..” she pointed her fingers at all the food and swirled them around, “..can all be eaten at your own place, you know.” she gave him a dull look when he pointed at the bag of egg rolls, “No thank you.” she loved those egg rolls but she wasn’t in the mood for sharing with him. She walked away from the window to her closet to pick out some bottoms to change into, she figured he’d be there till he got bored and then would hit up a club or a party. This was one of the biggest party nights of the year, there was no way Greed was going to miss out on it.
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“It’s lonely there…” which was a clue that each time he had gone home he’d had himself and his own pillow to cuddle while he watched a million zombie movies or played x-box. He hadn’t gotten out to even go job hunting. This was his priority right now, though eventually he wouldn’t have any money to hold onto and he’d have to figure out what to do when the time came. He could make quite the adorable beggar in the park. At her rejection of the warm egg rolls he crammed one in his mouth. “Fine. I wasn’t going to share anyway….” The college kids hadn’t come out to play yet, so there were no scantily clad girls from next door poking their heads out to ask him to come and play, but they would and he’d say no.
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She threw some flannel PJ bottoms on the bed and looked at him, “Then invite people over.” she shut the closet door and was curious why he didn’t just drown his sorrows in a sea of people. “You know you could easily get someone to handle your controller.” she meant it as a double entendre, hanging out and/or fucking. Why was he here still?
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“Oh she’s getting sarcastic now,” he said twirling another round of noodles on his fork. “My controller is fine right here. I got Netflix even.” He gave her thin lipped smile. She forgot that when Greed wanted something the lengths he could take were endless. Hitting up a hurricane in the middle of the city, that was nothing.
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“That’s not sarcasm, genius.” she walked up to the window and clasped her hands together, holding them over her heart, “Oh Chance, I’m so happy you’re here to stalk me and ruin my night!” she said in a sweet voice. She dropped her hands and narrowed her eyes as she gave him an acidic smile before she tapped the window, “That’s sarcasm.”
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He made an indescribable face, scrunched up with his tongue sticking out, which looked more like a fox licking the air with that mask on. He sat up a row of fortune cookies on the sill waiting until after he was done with the rest of his food to open and pelt at the other trick-or-treaters to come wandering outside. “That’s too bad. My controller is asleep, so you have to deal with me for the whole night. Get ready.”
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She threw back her head and rolled her eyes with a dry laugh, “Oh please. It’s the biggest party night of the year for you. Come 10 o’clock, all that’s gonna be left of you on that fire escape is the imprint of your butt.” she put a hand on her hip and then raised her brows and made a twirling motion with her finger, she’d done this before. She often changed in her room and she didn’t want him to see. They didn’t have central heating in the apartment and it got cold outside of the little heater she had in her room.
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He fluffed his pillow sitting back, about to enjoy the show but she killed it before even reaching half-time. He grumbled turning around, still seated and trying not to knock over his food with the spin. He stuck his fork down into the sweet and sour chicken. At least that would let him lick and enjoy it without giving him the third degree. “Are you done yet?” he called out after about two seconds.
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She smiled a little when he turned around. She was almost impressed that he didn’t try to peek, she always double checked the first couple of times but she found he really wasn’t looking. She only changed her bottoms, her top was pretty comfy. She didn’t answer him but went and sat in the chair in front of the window that she’d put there. She sat indian style on it and said, “Hey jerkface, you know there are college girls that would give you a peepshow just two floors down. They’d do all that twisting, bendy moves too that you want.” since he’d asked her for a peepshow before and she never did it right.
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He turned back around when he peeked over his shoulder when her voice was closer than usual. “What you’re not going to let your girls go loose and be comfy?” he shook his man chest a little cramming another piece of chicken in his mouth. “Do they?” he asked in the most uninterested tone. “I didn’t notice any.” He wasn’t curious at all, not even if fifty Wonder Woman’s marched in a parade down the street with their tops off and lasso’s whipping the air.
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She gave him a look, “My girls are none of your business and they are just fine as they are.” she nodded watching him, “Well if you moved your little pity party down two fire escapes, I’m sure you’d notice it and they’d be happy for you to notice it.”
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He shrugged tossing out a piece of crusty chicken, watching it bounce down a few flights and then down one of the wiry holes in the steps and landing in the dumpster. “Not interested.” He said that now, and when those girls showed up waving down at the boys down below they caught sight of the guy they’d noticed had been there for the last few weeks. Some nights he was there, some days and then sometimes not. They gave him a wave (showing off skin in all the right places).
“Hey Handsome!” they said, one wiggling her painted kitty cat face up at him. “Why not come down and play?” she made scratching motions in the air with her “paws.” Greed took one of his fortune cookies and pelted at them the same way he had down in the kid’s buckets. “There’s a party out on West 48th. You should come out” She blew him a kiss which his reply was repositioning his mask over his face straight as he’d knocked it out of place a few times while cramming food in his mouth. “Sorry, got a girlfriend.” He pointed to the glass. He’d said the same to the girl at Zoe’s job that had jumped at the chance to ask him out. He’d declined. Just as he was declining these rather sexy ladies. “Did someone chop off your tail?” He did notice her costume wasn’t complete, though that hadn’t been the point. All she needed was the lingerie and kitty ears, no one else cared about what came with the costume or if it had all it’s attachments.
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Zoe watched curiously the exchange, she could only partly hear the girl, not see without opening the window and she wasn’t about to do that. But when Greed said he had a girlfriend and pointed at her, she knocked on the glass and waved her hands in front of her in a negatory fashion, “Hey, hey, no you don’t!” she knocked on the glass again since he wasn’t paying attention, “Stop telling people I’m your girlfriend!” her co-workers had asked if she and Greed were over and Zoe didn’t know what to say so said they were on a break and he was free to see other people. She was surprised when one of the nicer girls actually said she asked Greed out, not just hit on him and he turned her down.
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He waved at the girl telling her she needed to find a tail because it looked all wrong without it. He wasn’t talking to her as if he were interested in getting her nighty off, just as if he were observing the outfit. “You are my girlfriend!” he said throwing a piece of chicken at the window as he backed up against his pillow. Why had he forgotten to get soup? The wind was chilly. The kitty cat girl asked one last time if he was going to come play and he turned his head to say, “Better steal yourself a coat.” It was cold out.
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She wrinkled her nose when the chicken bounced off the glass and now there was a saucy smudge on the glass where her face was, “Noooo, I’m not. I’m…. I don’t know what I am to you right now but I’m not your girlfriend and if that’s what’s stopping you from partying with those chicks then please, go ahead.”
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"Well then I'll tell them I'm camping out with my sorta ex girlfriend." He kicked his feet back, crossing them at the ankles as he started to dive into his rice and crab rangoons. He was careful not to get it on his clothes, getting Chinese takeout sauce was always a challenge.
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She let out a frustrated noise, “You’re such a giant pain.” she didn’t know what angle he was playing but she was still convinced that he wasn’t going to sit out there all night. It’d been two weeks. And this was a huge night. It was HIS night. It was the spooky scary thing and she was sure his sister had some slutty fun planned. After a minute she looked at him, “You know that chick at my work, Clara, she’s a nice person… she wasn’t trying to get in your pants when she asked you out. Well, I mean eventually yes but.. you know what I mean.”
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"Oh yeah..." He shrugged again as he had when kitty car girl and her pals had left. "I know." The girl has been legitimately interested in him but he wasn't going to give her the chance. He wanted Zoe and she wasn't anything in comparison to that golden ticket.
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“You know?” she looked at him quizzically, “Then why did you turn her down? You’re always going on about how you don’t want to be a piece of meat to girls.” Clara was treating him like a real boy and he blew her off.
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"Because she wasn't you." He'd gotten the vengeance out and now he was just trying to drag her back little by little. "Her lack of freckles on her face irritated me."
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She was taken aback by his response, looking stunned and then shook it off, “Ha. Ha. Ha. So next time a freckle faced girl asks you out, you can say yes.” she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, in thought… she was thinking about the fact that even though they had been in a relationship, they had a deal, she’d told him she’d never stop him from being with other girls… but he never once brought that up since the whole mess happened.
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"Maybe," but his tone said otherwise. Maybe it was helping soften her up. Anything was better than where they were. Before he could say another thing his phone rang, the number as always of high importance. Lust. He waited a few rings before picking up with a weak hello. This wasn’t gonna be easy.
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Zoe was about to ask him about it when his phone rang. Was he going to actually answer..? She was surprised when he did but okay, that was his choice. She got up from her seat to give him privacy. She couldn’t hear the voice purr into Greed’s ear from the other end of the line, “Where are you?” with party noises in the background.
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Not picking up would be more suspicious than if he let a just this few rings pass. He shuffled against his pillow. "In bed," He wasn't out living it up tonight though the invite was tempting, what he wanted to hang onto was even moreso.
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Lust’s disgust could be heard through the phone, “In bed?? There are a zillion parties we have to go to tonight. Get out of bed and meet me downtown. We can go party hop and destroy one after the other.”
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He grinned as he stuffed another eggroll in his mouth, chewing so he didn't have to give Lust an answer just yet. She was the easier one for him to lie to but he had to come up with a plan first.
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Lust pouted and said, “Come on baby, you and I can go back to your bed after and I will fuck you dry.” the lusty grin could be heard through the phone.
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Greed bit down on his bottom lip. Oh shit shit shit. Lust could give a man a hard on just with her voice. It was sultry and he already was dry. He had to make a conscience decision. His teeth dug in a little harder, leaving an indention on his lip. He needed a good cover or this was shot to hell. He had never picked Zoe over Lust, but this night may have to be a first.
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Lust sighed bored, “Helllooooo? Baby, come onnnnn…. let’s get some money and fuck with some people and then fuck each other for a few days.” her offer was drawn out, meant to entice and even her voice was peppered with her influence like a scent wafting under his nose, trying to tempt him to inhale. Zoe just watched curiously from the bed. She wasn’t trying to.. but he was acting weird.
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He close his eyes, her voice filtering through the phone. His body said it needed Lust. He hadn't been the one to call, so would he really be the one crawling back on his belly? He still didn't say a word, waiting for Lust to make another move. He'd known for months she was close on his heels about Zoe. She would get him when the time came, but a broken Greed she could sniff out, no matter how well he put on a face. She would get involved and he didn't want that. He opened his eyes to lock with Zoe's, still biting down in his lip. His voice was shakey but not because he was upset, he was playing a face now. "I don't know I'm feeling sick." He sat up, getting to his feet. Could he make himself throw up by launching himself against the fire escape railing? Lust was still in his head though, taunting all his manly bits, making his skin crawl just thinking about it.
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Lust kept up the vixen act though with her it really wasn’t that much of an act, “Then come see me and I’ll make you feel better…” her voice poured into his ear and practically all over his giblets. Zoe just sat on her bed, her eyes widening when he got up all of a sudden and despite how much hate and pain she’d been spewing at him for the past few weeks there was something there that had been absent…. concern.
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Greed could paint the biggest lie and well when he had the right mindset. He was determined and wanted to fix this himself. His hand gripped the railing, knuckles white as he tried to paint this picture that Lust could tear down even still with the allure of sex and a warm bed.
The sweat started to bead down his cheek trying to keep this engine cranked before he was choking and begging for gas. He bent over the railing until he could feel all the blood start to rush to his head. It kept his mind from being in all the other areas Lust was luring out. "I dunno if you can fix this,"he sounded as if he was straining to hold something back. "I've been puking all morning. I think it's food poisoning." Lust hated the nasty side of bodily functions. He flung himself back up to standing upright and catch his breath.
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As soon as he flipped over to let the blood rush to his head, Zoe was off the bed and on her feet, moving to the window to see if he was okay. Lust heard puking and food poisoning and she made a face at the phone, “Eww… gross. Call me when you fix it.” was all she said before she hung up. But when Greed would turn Zoe was back at the window looking right at him with her brown eyes wondering what was going on.
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His face was red from the rush but at least he'd managed to hang on without really puking his guts up, that would have really messed up the rest of his dinner. He took off his mask just before turning around to meet those monster brown eyes. He put his phone back in his coat pocket. He was turned on by the fact that Zoe was there, she was worried no matter what she tried to hide. He pour a hand to his stomach with a haggard cough until he no longer looked the shade of his mask. He'd sounded like he had a hairball.
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She was concerned but she was also aware he was a slick son of a bitch. He had been fine and snarky a second ago and then that call… “You don’t sound well, Chance.” she said with major concern before she dropped the other shoe, “You should probably go home.” cause it sounded like he was pretending to be sick so he’d have an excuse to leave. Typical Greed.
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He cleared his throat a few more times to get himself balanced again. "Why should I go home, I just lied to my sister." He'd never done that before. Even that time he hadn't really wanted to go at her call, Greed had always jumped when Lust asked. This time he was playing the game his way.
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She eyed him suspiciously, not quite believing him, “Which sister…” no way it was Lust, Greed claimed he didn’t sleep with Wonder slut. But she wasn’t sure she believed him. Either way, he never refused that particular sister and she was his get out of nookie jail free card. Lust was the one person Zoe wasn’t allowed to have any say over.
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He hung the mask on the railing, so he had free hands to adjust his clothes after the little ordeal. He still felt all kinds of weird, but somewhat empowered that he was not going to be a puppet on a string. The only thing that suffered was the severe lack of sex he had passed up. So his air felt a little short. There were a few holes poked through for breathing, he could still survive, but he would need a trip to Kansas our somewhere equivalent in the very near future. That was if Zoe wrote talking to him....then Lust would not be someone he could turn down. There was a huge red mark across his abdomen where he'd hung down againt the railing. That burn kept him from thinking about sex right now. When Zoe asked he was able to give her the answer she didn't expect to hear.
"Lust."
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She was very surprised to hear that, “Why…?” she asked. As in why did he lie. There were times before he’d have Zoe in his arms physically and walk away from her if Lust called.
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"Because my ass is parked here for the night." He pointed to his feet, still trying to use his pain to his advantage. He stretched his arms out....He'd just said no to Lust when Zoe wasn't even in his arms or not even mostly naked. Maybe this was a sign. "Besides it feels kind of empowering to not be a dog on a leash." He liked that feeling. It's why he was asking now right?
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She narrowed her eyes, not willing to believe him, "You turned down sex to sit outside in the cold on a fire escape?" she didn't look like she was going to give him a gold medal for it. She was confused and kinda annoyed. "Why? Even if we were together, which we are not, Lu-- your sister is the one person you made it clear that I can't be upset about if you sleep with. We're not even together right now and you turned her down? Why? Weren't you raging at me a few weeks ago about how badly you need it? Or are mortal girls finally making up for your sister's magic--" she stopped herself short of insulting Lust. She wouldn't be mean to Greed's family, family was a sacred thing. But seriously, was he getting that much sex from other girls that he was turning Lust down? Is that what was going on?
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Really she was going to insult him now? Greed's arms fell down at his sides. "I'd already made up my mind tonight...seriously do you know how fucking hard that was to do without bustling a blood vessel in my brain?" Yeah he could have done that before, but circumstances were different at this moment. He had to break some ground with Zoe. If that didn't shake it, he had to keep trying. "Her voice can give a man a hard on alone, trust me that," he pointed down the stairs, "wasn't easy!" He'd never had more reason to try than right now. And damnit he'd done a bang up job. He deserved an applause.
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She was gobsmacked, "I don't understand.... you said.." she shook her head, confused and upset. She smacked the glass, "You're so infuriating!" she rubbed her hand, the furrowed brow and upset look still on her face. He was such a weird confusing guy. "Why are you doing this? Even with the slutty girl at the con, we had a deal, you could be with other girls, you didn't bring it up, why?"
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"Do you think I want you hanging out it's even kissing someone else?" It wax a double standard. It sounded shallow when he said it. Greed wanted his toy and other toys but someone touching his felt like stealing, even if it was part of their bargain. It was what kept him from getting tail elsewhere. "You think getting ass from a slut even feels the way it used to? It doesn't. I become a quarter machine that's just along for the ride. And if I'm not in it all the way I ain't doing it."
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Her mouth dropped open and she lifted her hands up in frustration, "You made out with her, twice. In front of me! You knew our deal and you still did it and I don't buy your BS about wanting to make me jealous because you told her to come back to fuck while I was passed out and so obviously that was not for my benefit." it was obvious she wasn't angry as much as flustered. Essentially Greed was saying that it wasn't the deal that was keeping from other girls, it was the thought of he did it, Zoe would get to too to show him how it felt and he already knew it'd be horrible.
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"I didn't fuck her. Period. I was high and the idea didn't appeal once she was rubbing up and down my lap. I've been in a fucking dry spell forever unless Lust drives me into a coma." The Sin had had enough...He finally wanted his share and it was more than he bargained for but he wanted it. "I want you and all those little quirks. Those eskimo kisses, the way I can't seem to wait to see you when I wake up in the morning. The way you can always be in a deadzone that drives me up a wall. The way you say my name. I want you to want me so bad that it makes you crazy. So if I make out with a girl fucking run up and hit me. If I fuck with your head than their it right back at me. Yes, I wanted you to hurt, but I wanted you to stop me. Because maybe I couldn't stop myself." He was going in circles but they all had connections.
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She stared at him for the longest moment and then finally said, "No." because that wasn't how things worked. "You told me before that when I stopped you from going after Poseidon, it made you hate me and that's why you started lying. That when I temper you, it makes you feel less like you. So no, it's not my job to stop you. Because if I do, you hate me. And now that I didn't, you hurt me in every way imaginable. So don't put this on me and say I should have stopped you. You can't have it both ways....!" he was driving her mental and it was obvious on her face and she blurted out the sad truth of it all on a sigh as she looked at him, "I don't know how to be with you anymore." he'd tell her one thing and when she'd do things that way, he'd change the rules and then blame her for not knowing them.
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Her confusion only confused him. He was used to assaulting to changes, but he was making changes as it benefited him. He was hearing more from her that he couldn't keep doing that. He couldn't barter his deals after they'd been made. He made no tiny print, she wasn't stuck with his changes because they hadn't been there in the first place. "So are you trying to end it?" He was telling too dodge that bullet. She was putting her foot down and it was always hard to take. It surprised him. When she surprised him ess when he tried to wiggle in these rules, which he'd been treating as guidelines. When it concerned her party it was set in stone.
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She looked like she was at the end of her rope and sighed, "Yeah..." she sat down in the chair in front of the window and tried to explain, "You keep blaming everything on me and I can't take it anymore. You lied to me and made it my fault because I tried to stop you from tangling with Poseidon. You physically hurt me and made it my fault because I didn't try to stop you. And for your information, I did. You keep changing the rules just so it's never your fault. Somehow the blame always lands on me and then you act all outraged that I didn't know these new rules that you just made up that conveniently suit you now. And you get angry about it and then hurt me over it." she was the victim each time because she was letting herself be the victim and now she was putting her foot down.
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He'd lost his appetite now, but with the way the cold was sweeping in he could practically refrigerate it without any problem. He was noticing he couldn't keep making deals as if they were changeable. He cleared a spot on his blanket to take a seat. "You will not just drop me..." he was worried she would, only when he stretched her so thin with a low hope did he worry he was going to lose her. But is was then that he really started to listen. "What do you want me to do? We'll make a new deal, and it'll be iron clad." He was willing to bend if it kept her there. If it meant he would still have her in the future.
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She gave him a hard look, "I will do whatever I want." he was not in a position to dictate anything to her and she wanted him to know it. He didn't get to make rules anymore. She shook her head, "No more new deals, they don't work. You always say one thing and then do another. Even now... honestly? I don't know if you're just doing all this to try to get on my good side. If this is some sort of play to get me to open the window because you rejected everyone else. I keep thinking what if I don't let me in.. is he just going to get mad again?" because it became all about him again. This was about her needing space and he was giving it to her but she didn't know if he meant it. And because of his recent behavior she didn't trust him enough to believe him even if he said it wasn't a play. She hated it.
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Her trust was really stretched. He was practically hanging there like a limp noodle because nothing he said would stick to her. It was infuriating. "You don't believe anything I say..." it was an observation. She used to trust him above anyone and now nothing broke through her shield. He was running out of options unless he just continued to stick to his plan and hang around her window.
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The look on her face showed how much she hated it. She shook her head and turned her lips in for a moment. "You said you wouldn't lie to me and you went behind my back about Poseidon. You told me you'd never hurt me. Physically. But you were trying to crush me. And I thought maybe you didn't realize at first but you did. You wanted to. You said you'd never take away my free will. You didn't use influence but you put those drugs in my mouth and took away my choice in the matter. You say one thing and do another and then you tell me you want this thing and then get mad because it's not that thing. I'm always doing something wrong according to you..." she sniffled, very very exhausted by him.
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"What can I do?" He couldn't use his Sin as a crutch. It was all the same to her and he was treating her horribly with every insane personality he had. "I don't know what to do..." He wanted her help and her approval. He wanted his girlfriend back no matter what he got, he wanted her back.
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She was at a loss, "I don't know." came her depressed words. She put her hand on the glass, "Say what you mean? Stick to your word? I mean... it doesn't even matter anymore because I really don't know if you're lying or telling the truth or bending the truth or twisting it or playing a trick or a game or a face or...." she shook her head, "I just don't know anymore." she looked at the ground, "Maybe.. we should just give up on the idea of a relationship. I know you said before you can't be just friends with me but things have changed and so have you, so I think you can. This way you get what you want and you stop smashing me to bits."
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She had a way of making him incredibly nervous. Each time she opened her mourn it was one crushing blow after another. His face felt flush, those streaks of water hot as they scaled down. He hadn't lied about everything. She'd just seen the boy cry wolf enough that now he was just blowing hot air. Even if it was the truth. "Not everything has been a lie. Wrath was the first." And maybe she hadn't scolded him enough for it because it was the first time hee really felt guilty for all he'd done.
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"Yeah... and you remember how bad you felt? You acted like you were so upset you dented our trust. And what you told me? You said you felt like I was stopping you. So you lied. Now you did all this and you said I wasn't stopping you. Do you see why I'm confused and can't trust you?" she was upset herself, not looking at him so she didn't notice his tears. "When I used to be with you, I felt so safe. I couldn't imagine anything bad happening to me and now I don't know if I can be in the same room with you because who knows what might happen? And if I ever do get to see you without glass separating us, how do I know you won't get mad at me for making you wait so long?"
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He wrapped the coat around him. His face was hot but he was cold all over. Like he'd been dipped in ice. Usually Zoe lit him on a fire, that fire felt like it was quickly burning out. To know she thought everything he said or did was a lie, it wasn't what they used to have.
Greed sucked in that wad of snot wiping his eyes. He was reacting like he had the night she was in a comatose patient on his hotel bed. Comic Con had turned into something fun and he'd spun it out of control because that's what he did. He turned the world upside down. The Sin, the boy, he was losing his grip and once again not by choice, but because of the things he did. He was a destroyer.
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Zoe wiped her own tears and whatever she was going to say died in her throat when she looked at him. Was he crying? Her mouth opened but she couldn't comfort him. She really didn't know if it was a trick and he was playing with her heartstrings again. "Just... go out and have fun. Take your mind off things. You don't have to do this anymore." she gestured to his vigil outside her window. And that was the thing. She didn't believe he was doing this to be close to her or be with her, she saw it as a game he was playing to try to 'win', to get back in. Because if it took her another two weeks or a month, she didn't think he'd still be sitting there. She stood up and moved away from the window, snapping off the light to plunge the room into silhouettes.
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It hurt, god it hurt in a way he didn't know he could feel again. When the lights went out he was faced with complete silence. Only the rustle of leaves underneath the escape down below. He was always trying to protect himself from feeling so out of control. Greed hadn't let go of Josie until she had literally ran to stay away from him. Zoe was building up a wall around him, no a fortress.
He heard cackling down below some group of college kids parading through the alley, singing drunk, screaming and making all kinds of noise that would keep anyone indoors up for at least a little while. He moved his feet to the stairway, standing up to crunch one of the stray fortune cookies under his foot. He could never resist reading them and their stupid little messages. He then got a clever idea and set to work to crack open the hoard of cookies he'd stolen from from the restaurant. He was up for hours compiling a message for her out of a string of fortune cookie sayings and a few written words to tie them together that he stuck to the middle of the window within the condensation. Hopefully it would stay the night. Starting from the left the cookies fortune's read Truth is an unpopular subject. Because it is unquestionably correct. So the Fastest way to find something you've lost is to replace it but your true love will show himself under the moonlight because Determination is the wake-up call to the human will...It's never too late, because it's never too early to make YOUR FAILURES WILL LEAD YOU TO YOUR SUCCESS.
He wasn't giving up.
When she woke he would still be curled up hugging his pillow on that fire escape.
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That night Zoe cried herself to sleep again, it was hours later when something woke her up. Maybe Jonah coming home or the idiots outside. She got up and fully expected Greed to be gone, she couldn't even look at the window to check because she'd cry if he was. But she looked at the floor because the moonlight was making odd patterns from the window.. so she finally looked over and furrowed a brow at the stuff stuck to it. It pulled on her curiosity and she went closer to read what it said and it was quite clever and sweet. She just didn't know if she had any strength left right now to go back on that roller coaster with him. And she wouldn't ask him to wait. She touched the window and then saw a lump... was he... she was totally shocked when sure enough at 3am, Greed was still outside her window. Despite pretty much telling him they were never getting back together, he'd stayed. Tears came to her eyes because part of her wished he'd just left so she could get over him. But soon... that window that stayed closed for weeks to Greed opened only he was too cold and tired to hear it or see it. Zoe took a blanket they used to use to snuggle on the couch together with and covered his hulking body with it so he wouldn't be as cold but she didn't touch him, she couldn't bare it yet even if she wanted to. He was so insane. And she was insane for loving him.
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The sun was a lot brighter when it wasn't peeping through his blinds. He'd almost forgotten he was outside because he was toastier than he'd last remembered. He'd ben so cold he'd completely fallen into an easy sleep coma. With a yawn he snuggled further into the blanket. It was the warmth that made him curl deep inside like a baby in a mother's womb. It was the inevitable shift in position that made him go cheek first into the leftover lo mein noodles that he'd crunched with his cheek. He woke up then with a slight shiver, wiping the slimy, worm-like noodle off his face and down into the dumpster. Chinese didn't always make the best breakfast. With another yawn he stretched out of his cocoon with bleary eyes. He apparently wasn't the only one awake. At seeing Zoe shuffle around the bedroom he curled the blanket around him which was when it hit him he'd spent the entire night out on the fire escape. The blanket was new even with the window shut. The fortune's were still up there, though by now they were a wet, runny mess. He pouted about to knock on the window but the blanket proved she had seen the message before it disappeared to a wet windowpane.
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She was in her PJ's still but she spotted the movement on the fire escape and ran a hand through her hair not sure if she should speak to him or not. Or what his plans were, to stay there or what. She nervously looked over at him and bit her bottom lip, not knowing if he was going to slink off or what. Even after his grand fortune cookie message and spending the night, she didn't know if he was going to stay and she didn't want to make the first move.
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He snuggled into his cocoon, scooting like a slug until he reached the window where he pressed his nose up against the glass. He blew on it until he had a nice round shape left from the moisture of his breath. There he outlined a simple 'Hi' on her window pane. After a few seconds he blew another round circle and wrote 'You won't give up either?' Another breath and another lopsided heart made it's way on her window. He was still a little too cold to open his mouth, he might croak instead of making human sounds.
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She looked curious when she saw the HI and walked over slowly in time to read his question. She sighed and looked at him through the glass, "I don't know." she said honestly. "How long do you plan on staying out there?" as in on her fire escape. She needed time and space and he was the worst with patience. Would he really wait?
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He fingered another response because he seriously thought his mouth had frozen shut. He'd have to pry it open with something warm. 'As long as it takes'. He shivered bundling up and scooting again to peep up at her. She looked so looming standing there like a vulture. 'Meet me outside?' If he couldn't go in, could she go out?
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Her features softened when he wrote he'd stay as long as it took. Did he mean it? she put her hands on the glass and rested her head on the pane as she shook her head, "I can't.." her voice having a slight whine to it. "If I get near you, if there's nothing separating us... I'm gonna start crying and you'll comfort me and if you touch me, I'm going to fall right into your arms because I want to and everything will go back to the way it was and I don't want that to happen." she looked at him and didn't he get it? She was weak around him. She wanted to be with him and it was too easy to be with him and have everything messed up. When she was with him, he wanted to touch her and kiss her and he hadn't had sex (apparently) in so long, he was bound to get angry all over again and she would not forgive another dark blowup. Not being able to be physically near each other was what was saving them this much even.
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He floored back against his pillow that had gotten crammed in between the railing at some point in the night. He sat there with a fat bottom lip trying to come up with a solution that gave her what she needed but gave him the chance to see her and not freeze his ass off every night. He rubbed his chin with the wheels turning a million times over in his head. It was the brought screen of her laptop that made the lightbulb go off. He wiggled this time to the window. At first he starred the write in the window again but it wasn't working as well anymore. He opened his mouth in a little squeak. I've the pipes had been cleared he could ask if she had a camera on her laptop, which he pointed at too, miming back a talking motion with his hand and a camera.
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She scrunched up her face not knowing what he was getting at, she looked behind her at the laptop he was looking at and then back at him and his charades, "I don't know what you're... the laptop? What're you..." she frowned some more, "You mean like skype?" he wanted to video chat with her...?
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He nodded his head up and down with a clap. "Yes," he croaked out, his voice cracking as he tried to seat more. Using his hands was easier. He tried again to use his miming techniques to explain he would get cold but he'd still get to see her.
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She looked weirded out because she was, "Okay... at least I don't have to worry about your turning into a Chancsicle." it seemed fair enough. He probably just wanted to have one last talk without freezing. "Oh, hang on." she moved away from the window and shuffled through some papers next to her laptop. She folded them in half and came back to the window, opening it a tiny crack and shoving them through, "For when you get home. You need to focus on something other than stalking." she didn't expect him to look at it now but it was a bunch of stuff she'd collected for him. Job postings, leads, stuff for his resume, tips for the resume an interviewing. She never got a chance to give it to him since he turned into a jerk.
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He poked a hand out from the blanket, grabbing the papers before they blew away and stuffed them in his coat pocket. He still stood in the blanket even though there wasn't much left to say now. He wondered if she needed the blanket back. He wasn't willing to part ways with it yet.
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She shut the window again and didn't know what to say. True he wouldn't freeze over a camera but he wouldn't be here anymore either. And as much as she hated him, it was kinda nice having him there. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and stared at him before just raising a hand in an awkward goodbye.