InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Flipped you on your back?"

xavier delamere {the count of monte cristo} (whatbefell) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-07-31 22:08:00

Entry tags:

count of monte cristo, mercedes mondego

Who: Xavier and Gina
What: The once-fiancees have awkward fun times as they settle into living together again.
Where: 1003
When: Sometime after Gina moved in but before the masquerade
Warnings: We'll see!

Having Gina as a roommate threw Xavier off more than he liked to admit. Her hours at the hospital kept her busy and fairly unpredictable. He stayed up until she came back late each night, faking sleep until she settled in. More often than not, he stayed awake listening to the sound of her breathing in the other room, falling asleep as she rose again. It was a reversed schedule that worked well enough, for now.

When he wasn't watching for Gina, Xavier was at work on his plans. Things were advanced and moved up. He hadn't planned on taking care of Mr. Patrick Delaney for another few months, but with Gina and Lucas knowing what they did...it had to be taken care of. His death was planned for the night after the masquerade, as he expected most everyone in the building to be out of it that day. If his plans went accordingly, the proper people would on edge as well. A note with a picture of Delaney would be sent to Lucas, along with a reminder.

Perhaps mimicking horror movies wasn't the best of ideas - but Xavier did believe in increasing suspense.

The second man would of course need to be moved up as well. Benjamin Parker would have a nice accident in a month. The only issue was getting Lucas there to witness it - as Xavier was avoiding him temporarily. He didn't want questions on Gina, nor about the Count. He could only increase his financial resume, push through some emails from 'friends' that Lucas taking Xavier's money was a good deal and that he should sign the contracts, tying things up immediately. The fact that Xavier would never follow through...was a small issue. He wanted to find Gina a divorce attorney first.

He did find one eventually, one who was discreet and could take some subtle hints to look at criminal history when accompanied by cash. After finding him, Xavier left a note out on the kitchen table, in case Gina swung by while he was in the shower, saying that he'd found what he was looking for. Vagueness was an old habit that he couldn't shake off. Humming slightly with the feeling that plans were falling into place, he took off for the bathroom.

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justonefish
2010-08-01 10:51 am UTC (link)

The days after Gina had started staying in 1003 were strained, yet at least functional. Though Gina had yet to make up her mind on all this - really, not thinking about it was the only way she could come up with to remain passably sane - one thing was for certain: this was far better than staying with Lucas. Edward-Xavier frightened her at times, and she found herself constantly tripping over her lingering affections and identity confusion, but at least he wasn't a monster. He let her stay with him even when he probably should have just banished her to a cardboard box outside.

On this particular day, she lurched through the front door with her duffel bag hanging off her shoulder and an exhausted expression etched in her face. It had been a long day at work. She left the apartment at six o'clock in the morning, and it was easily more than twelve hours later. Her hair was still soaking wet from the quick shower she had taken at the hospital, as there was no way she was driving back to Bellum while covered in child vomit.

Dragging her duffel to the guest bedroom, she threw it onto the bed and stared at it for a moment. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do. There was a persisting numbness in her head that she just couldn't shake, and it was starting to annoy her. Well. As much as it could, with all that blankness.

She shuffled into the kitchen, intent on making up for her missed lunch hour. As she reached for one of the cabinets, a note caught her eye. She picked it up and read it, brow creasing as she finished. And what exactly was he looking for? The Holy Grail? The meaning of life? Laundry detergent? He had always been vague, but now, it was getting a little ridiculous. Massaging her temples with one hand, she walked with the note into the rest of the apartment.

"Ed-" She paused. Gina still didn't know what to call him. "Nnnnngh," she finished, raising her voice so that the sound could be heard in the apartment. He wasn't in his bedroom, or his study, or the living room. Leaning against the bathroom door, she rapped on it. "Would you mind being more specific, please?" she called, jiggling the door handle. Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and slid a hand inside, waving the note around for him to see. She was still safely on the other side of the door, not violating his privacy, though her hand invading the bathroom was probably not exactly respectful of boundaries.

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whatbefell
2010-08-01 03:09 pm UTC (link)

She entered the bathroom, just as he was turning the water on. It hissed to life, spraying the tiles and his arm as he nearly got in - and was stopped by her voice. Somehow he'd missed he entering the apartment. For decency's sake, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hips before heading to the door. He opened it a bit more, grimacing slightly.

Considering the fact that they used to live with each other and spent an equal amount of time naked in their apartment as dressed, they'd managed to avoid this awkwardness. For one thing - he wasn't going to make a move on her, not matter what he felt for her still. For another, she was still married. However ridiculously.

"I found a lawyer for you," he said simply. Switching to his American accent was taking practice, but at least he was doing better. With no illusions or prosthetics, he was simply himself at this moment.