Friday, January 1st
The events of that evening weighed Greed down in a strange way. He couldn't focus. In the back of his mind there was the needle prodding toward a possibility he didn't want to admit to. Was Zoe being used as bait from the Virtues? That was almost such a massive plan that he didn't think they could cook up. It was a way to break up the Sins to make them considerably weak. It wouldn't be an ill contrived one, but Greed didn't want to think all these months they would have let her sit in the face of danger with Satan and this hell battle just for the sake of bringing him down.
He held on to the idea that he needed some fresh air, a room filled of ungodly behavior because right now he was feeling too tainted by purity. Zoe had no idea what she had done in making him wait. It was like a treatment to some deadly disease. It slowed down the process but it didn't fire him. It left him drugged. He'd almost called Lust but that would be broadcasting that maybe she was right and Greed didn't want his nose rubbed in it. He dragged his heavy feet to a nightclub. He surrounded himself with a group of girls to remind himself of what he really was. It was a way to feed off mortals that were not as strong as Zoe, ones that he could bleed dry a little.
He'd slept in late that morning, missing his 8 am appointment with Zoe. It was noon by the time he'd showed up with his pizza and a fresh outfit. He couldn't walk up there smelling of a billion things that would give her tell tale signs of how he'd handled things. He could have just not showed up, but he was a bad penny. He always turned up.
------------------
The night had rattled Zoe as well and she didn't have a good night's sleep. She was up before 8, wondering if Greed would come by. She hoped he would and wouldn't. When 9am came and went and he still hadn't shown, she ran a hand through her hair. Was that how he really felt? She let out a frustrated noise. Of course it was. Didn't he always do this? They'd get to a point where she'd start thinking-- no, she wasn't even thinking last night. She didn't know what it was but like always, it wasn't what she thought and Greed was quick to make sure she knew that. Disappearing and just letting whatever it was that meant something to her once again show it meant squat to him. When was she going to learn?
At 10 there was a knock at the door and her heart raced as she scrambled to answer it. She was disappointed when she saw it was Mike but quickly smiled and accepted his kiss on the cheek with a cup of coffee. She hadn't expected him but maybe this was what she needed..
So at noon when Greed knocked on Zoe's door, it was opened by Mike. He smiled friendly like at Greed, "Oh hey man. Chase, right?" he pointed his finger loosely at Greed.
------------------
Greed had prepared to just push his way in. The face on the other side quickly warranted a frown. That prick was back? "Chance," he corrected with a hateful glare.
"You're here, that must mean Zoe is too." He kind of didn't like the thoughts of there being someone else who snuck into her apartment when they wanted. That was just creepy.
------------------ Mike narrowed his eyes a little, "Right, right.." in a very he didn't really care if he got the name right or not way.
"Yup, Zoey's in her room getting ready." he jerked a thumb in that direction and then looked down at the pizza box and gave Greed an aw shucks you shouldn't have smile, "And you're bringing us pizza? You might be my new best friend." he reached out to the take the box from Greed.
------------------ Greed craned his neck over past Mike to where Zoe's door was closed. He jerked the box back toward him. "She didn't say you'd be coming over." This guy was interfering with his time now. Suddenly Greed felt second fiddle again.
He was curious now how long this guy had been here. He sniffed the air, but all he could smell was Zoe's shampoo.