WHO: Greed & Zoe w/Jonah WHEN: Valentine's Day WHERE: Greed's apartment, Toy store, Coffee shop, Zoe and Jonah's apartment WHAT: Worst valentine's ever WARNING: Yelling
It was early on Friday morning, it was Valentine's Day and Zoe had gotten up even earlier to take the bus and trudge out to Greed's apartment. She could have called and asked him to pick her up but she wanted to surprise him. He'd gone through a storm before for her so she bundled up with a hat, gloves, multiple layers, boots, sweater, coat, scarf wrapped around her nose and mouth till only her big brown eyes showed and knocked on his door. And there on his doorstep Greed would find his snow bunny girlfriend. _____________________________________ There was little light coming through the morning sky when he heard the knock. Maybe it was Publisher's Clearance House with his prize money. Instead the sleepy headed Greed opened the door in his dark blue boxers and shaggy head to a bunny.
"Zoe?" He asked in a yawn. He hadn't even showered yet. What had happened? "What happened?" _____________________________________ She didn't wait for an invitation like before, it was freezing! She scooted her way in, shivering right up against him so he could close the door. She pulled down the scarf so she could talk, revealing a pink nose and an amused look, "Why are you always so less than thrilled to see me when I surprise you?" _____________________________________ He just stared at her with sleepy blue eyes. Didn't she know? "I thought it was Publisher's Clearing House." She was not a prize check. He pulled on her scarf to let it slip down her neck. Did he have to hug a marshmallow? _____________________________________ He would have to, it was snowy and cold outside and she had done it all for him. She put her arms around his neck, "You seem so dissapointed, I'm insulted." she kissed him and then smiled, "You really don't know, do you." she found it kinda adorable. And of course, sleepy Greed was simply the cutest. _____________________________________ "Know what? Did you see them coming this way?" He looked hopeful to the door, his return kiss as sleepy as the rest of him. _____________________________________ Any other girl would have been annoyed that Greed didn't know what day it was and that he wasn't paying attention to her but Zoe just smiled and kissed him again, touching her nose to his so he'd look at her, "One year ago today I showed up here to surprise you.." she kissed him again, "And it was awful because we couldn't kiss." since she'd been with someone else, "So this time.. it'll be done proper." she kissed him again and said, "Happy Valentine's Day." cause she knew he still didn't get it. _____________________________________ It was insulting. These were the warm and fuzzies that he used to laugh at and secretly wonder what it was all about. Now it was huffing and kissing him in the shape of a frosted bunny. "Mmmm...what do I get?" _____________________________________ She narrowed her eyes curiously as he asked that, her arms loosely resting on his shoulders, "You really don't remember our deal about me surprising you..." _____________________________________ "Not at the moment. I just woke up." His lip puckered out in a pout. He hadn't eaten, had his shower or done anything to feed his energy yet. Could she blame him? _____________________________________ How fun.. she'd get to surprise him twice. She kissed his pout, "Aww, poor baby." she kissed him again, "I'll let you get to all that then.. oh, what do you think of your gift?" she knew she hadn't given him one but she was going somewhere with this. _____________________________________ He was about to trudge off to the bathroom but the word gift hit his ears like a police siren. "What gift?" What was she talking about? She said that the sweepstakes weren't outside. Where was the gift? _____________________________________ She took her boots off and frowned like she was trying to see where the gift was and then looked down at herself, "Oh." she looked at him mischievously and said with a blush, "You haven't unwrapped it yet.." her gift was something that she was wearing under all the warm stuff since it also fulfiled their deal that she had to dress up her boobs if she surprised him by coming over. _____________________________________ He looked around the room with her, like she's stashed it without him knowing about it. He posted under the couch and behind her, in one of her boots----he didn't see anything. "What am I unwrapping?" _____________________________________ She undid the belt on her coat and she was still wearing more layers but she left it on cause he'd get a chance to undress her. She bit her bottom lip and said with an even pinker tint, "Me...." she had once told him she'd save up for what he wanted. Well, she decided instead of a gift gift, she'd spend the money on the type of undies he'd asked for. _____________________________________ He chewed on his tongue to keep it from falling like an excited dog. He wanted to claw at all those fluffy layers to peel them back. She was a banana ready to be devoured. _____________________________________ She wasn't sure what was going on in that head of his and made a face, "You.. don't want to?" she had been sure this was something he'd like.. _____________________________________ "Did I say that?" He was getting a little snappy. She was not going to offer up a gift before he could touch and then take it away. _____________________________________ She shrugged, "I'm still dressed.." she pointed out. And he still hadn't made a move towards her. _____________________________________ "But I haven't showered." He felt grimy, smelly, clammy---and by the fuzz on his cheek he needed a shave. He wanted to undress his present and have a shower, his brain didn't know how to transition from this point when he wanted two things this badly. _____________________________________ She was a little disappointed that her appeal wasn't enough to pull him away from everything else, including himself... but she knew what she'd signed up for. She walked over to him, "I know.. but you smell and look... so rugged." he knew she liked scruff on him even if he didn't fancy it. Sometimes she could get him to not care. She put her hands on his naked stomach and then slowly put them around his waist. _____________________________________ It wasn't that she wasn't appealing, Greed's brain just came to a halt when he was tired. "If I don't get a shower I'm not gonna be awake to enjoy it." _____________________________________ She sighed and put her head on his glorious naked chest, "Do you know how many mornings you're barely awake and seem to enjoy lots of things..." but she gave in and leaned her head back to look at him with a slight pout, "But okay.. you go groom, I'll make us breakfast, I got funfetti mix for the waffles." _____________________________________ Greed might be quick in some areas, but primping he was not. He'd completely missed the opportunity to cozy up to his girlfriend so he could be clean. He expected her to be back, but after about an hour he still hadn't stepped out of the bedroom. He'd picked out the perfect suit, but took his time putting it on once he was shaven and brushed. _____________________________________ Zoe started to make them breakfast and the mood had been officially killed. Her phone rang and it was work asking if she could come in.. Greed had been in the bathroom for over forty minutes at this point, food was cold anyway so she said sure. She went to his room and knocked on the door, "Chance..." she called, "Work just called, so I have to run, I'll see you later, okay?" she added, "Breakfast's on the table." she wasn't going to ask for a ride home, who knew how much longer he had left on his primp schedule, if she left now she could catch the bus and get home to change and make it to work. Really, it was her own fault, she knew better than to try something like this on a workday when he would be specific about his looks.. _____________________________________ Greed didn't even poke his head out, his hair moussed between his fingers for that perfect style. Even though Zoe says she had to go, he thought she'd meant later. But when he came out, threading his tie, she wasn't there to make that snazzy knot.
When he got to work it was afternoon. And when everyone else started to go home early Greed stayed to finish up looking through cover shoot photos. His boss came in asking him where he was taking his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. When he told him about the Chinatown dinner a few weeks ago.
"Oh Chance, it's not the same. Women love to be showered on Valentine's Day." He nudged his arm. "At least send her some flowers." But Jonah had already beat him to it with his own bouquet of flowers to her at work. _____________________________________ Zoe had gone home, ditched the red lace she'd put on and felt very foolish, she changed into something respectable for work and headed out. She agreed to take the closing shift from one of her co-workers who actually had plans with her boyfriend since Zoe had none of her own. She was asked why she didn't, was everything with her boyfriend okay? She told them about the big chinatown date two weeks ago which was met with, "Two weeks ago? So he only takes you out once a month or something?" and she just tried to smile and say it wasn't a big deal. When the flowers arrived, she perked up, thinking they were from Greed... he'd never gotten her flowers (save for the one silk rose at the airport) and her shoulders slumped a little when she saw they were from Jonah. But they were still very sweet and did cheer her up (even if people gave her odd looks that her roommate sent her flowers but not her own boyfriend). So she called Jonah to thank him and ask if he wanted to swing by the store after he was done with students, she needed some coffee if she was going to work another shift till closing and she'd love to buy him one as a thank you for the beautiful flowers. _____________________________________ Jonah did meet her for coffee later as she'd asked. It was a shame Greed left her for the whole day, but better for Jonah to spend time with her, a moment to breathe without Greed hanging around. "Did you like the flowers?" Today it was almost as if Jonah was playing the boyfriend and filling in. _____________________________________ Zoe gave Jonah a big grateful hug and a kiss on the cheek, "I loved them. I haven't been given flowers since my grandmother passed away." and that was for a funeral, "They were beautiful and cheered me up, thank you." she was paying for the coffee of course. _____________________________________ He didn't want to ask, it was obvious Greed was somewhere else. He could tell she was disappointed about something. "I thought they might." She hadn't said anything about going out except early that morning when she went off, but when she returned (just before Jonah went to school) she seemed gloomy. "Everything okay? Anything I need to know about?" He was poking his nose in, he couldn't help it when she had become someone important to him. _____________________________________ She shook her head, "No, no." she patted his hand and then paused. She gave him a look and opened her mouth and then just gave him a helpless smile, "Do you really want to hear about me and Chance?" she didn't wait for his reply, "I didn't think so." it wasn't fair to him, she knew how much he disliked Greed, disliked her WITH Greed. She wasn't going to torture him with her butthurtness. _____________________________________ "No, I don't. You just seemed a bit...down earlier." He put a arm around her shoulder until they were inside the shop. Jonah snuggly held the cup in his hands, letting it warm up his frozen fingers. The steam billowed off into a soft trail as he cooled it down with his breath. "Thank you for the coffee." She needed someone to be around if Greed was going to disappear like this again. _____________________________________ She let him keep her close until they got their coffee, tea for her with milk in it. "It's just stupid stuff and this stupid holiday and me being stupid about it." she sipped her tea and offered a small smile, "Thank you for the flowers." she countered. _____________________________________ "Well, Valentines doesn't have to be about couples in the sense of relationships. Love comes in all shapes and forms. In the friends we have, our families. You aren't alone today." Even if Greed had done something rotten. _____________________________________ She smiled a little, "Yes.. true." but it didn't make up for how unwanted she felt. She fell silent and then looked at him with hesitant brown eyes, "Do you.. think I'm sexy?" it was a weird question probably but Jonah was her friend, she trusted him to tell her the truth. She knew Greed thought she was beautiful and cute.. but he had shattered her confidence this morning with his unintentional rejection. So maybe she just wasn't sexy enough.. _____________________________________ Jonah had just swallowed his coffee when that question came up smacking him in the back of the head. It took him a moment to compose without having coffee spilling out of his nose. He wasn't going to wax poems based on his feelings, even though he still felt a terrible knot inside at how Greed spun her around on his emotional hamster wheel. "Why are you asking me that?" he wiped his chin clean, still feeling a burn in his nostrils from the coffee. "Zoe, you're a beautiful woman." Women basing themselves on this impossible ideal of sex and desire was not healthy. _____________________________________ She rubbed his arm when he had such a harsh reaction, "No.. I'm sorry. I just.. I don't know, I've just wondered what it would be like to be one of those women. You know.. not cute.. or beautiful.. but one of those girls that can... distract you." she had been less appealing than a shower. Humiliating. _____________________________________ "What's wrong with being who you are?" She was beautiful inside and out, she didn't need to be anything else. "What did Greed do?" _____________________________________ Her cheeks became heated and she shook her head, "Nothing.. he did... nothing." which was the problem. She sipped her tea and took a deep breath and then looked at Jonah, "I went over to his place early to surprise him because I wanted to have breakfast with him since it's Valentine's Day... and he kinda blew me off, left me sitting there for an hour to shower and get ready. Which I mean.. I guess I should have known better, he hates me surprise coming over to his place. And he likes looking good for work, I just thought.. I dunno.." she shrugged and picked at the cardboard cup holder. No way was she going to tell the embarrassing part that she'd gotten dressed in something she wouldn't have and it had failed to even entice her boyfriend. It tended to niggle at her brain.. the day she lost her appeal was the day she'd lose him. _____________________________________ "Then it's his loss." Greed was an imbecile. He took for granted the things he should be holding on to. "Greed can be superficial. You can't blame yourself for that." He reached out to hold her hand gently, so he could be of comfort. _____________________________________ She gave a short laugh and a lopsided smile to Jonah, he was kinda cute in an innocent way, either not noticing or minding his hand holding, "He's my boyfriend. I'd like to be somewhat attractive to him." she felt as wanted as mold this morning. "I don't blame myself.. entirely. It's just like I said. Me being stupid about stupid stuff, I can't change it, but I'm human, we're crazy like that." _____________________________________ "And you are." Greed hadn't stepped up to show her that and that was selfishness bleeding through. "These are the things that make him what he is." Yes she was human, but Greed was not. _____________________________________ She squeezed his hand and sighed, taking his words as a scolding, "I know, I know... it's my problem, I don't blame him." sometimes being in a relationship with a sin was hard. _____________________________________ "It doesn't have to be. It shouldn't be your problem." He was scolding, but in a delicate way. She was downgrading herself based on behavior the Greed wasn't going change any time soon. _____________________________________ "Maybe I didn't choose to love him, but I did choose to be with him, so it IS my problem." she leaned in and kissed Jonah on the temple, "Don't worry so much, you'll get a migraine." _____________________________________ "All your working late tonight?" He squeezed her hand. "I'll make a cake tonight, some hot chocolate when you do come home." If Greed want going to shower her properly, he would. _____________________________________ She nodded, "Yeah, I'm closing. Took the extra shift so Claire could have a nice night with her boyfriend, someone ought to." she gave a wry smile. She returned his squeeze and let his hand go (if he'd let her) "That's sweet.. thanks. But don't worry." she stood up, she was only on a short break. _____________________________________ "When are you off? I'll walk you back to the apartment. It's too late for you to be coming home by yourself." He would worry about her even if she wouldn't worry about herself. _____________________________________ She sighed with a small smile, "I don't know. Probably late. We get a lot of guys running in to buy teddy bears today. I tell you what, you can either make a cake and have hot cocoa with me when I get home or I can call you when I'm closing up and you can come out in the freezing cold just to walk all the way back to the apartment again. You can decide when I text you later." _____________________________________ "Fair enough, but I'll at least walk you back to work. Thank you for the coffee." He held out his arm for her as he stood to chauffeur her to the store.
She'd get a text from Greed that said Do I still get to unwrap my present tonight? Since she'd left so abruptly without him getting a peek...even his breakfast had been cold. _____________________________________ She took his arm because she could use the warmth and comfort. She saw Greed's text but didn't reply to it right away, she waited till she thanks Jonah again for the flowers and he left to text Greed back: Working late. His 'present' had been returned to the store so to speak, there was no way she was doing that again. _____________________________________ So what's that mean? Greed was still in the office but he was without a doubt going over to her place tonight. Was she saying no? I should have sent you flowers or something shouldn't I? He should have opened her up when he had the chance. _____________________________________ She texted back: It means I'm working late and I don't know when I'm getting home And no. She frowned, she didn't want him to send her flowers like he had to. Jonah sent her flowers because he wanted to. _____________________________________ You're mad? He waited a few seconds before sending her a slew of other texts all of which were asking why he couldn't come over because it seemed like she didn't want him to even when she did get home. _____________________________________ She groaned when she couldn't even respond to one text before he sent another one. Her manager called over to her because she was distracted and supposed to be working, she didn't read the other texts and texted back: Not mad, just busy. You can come over just don't know WHEN I'll be home, if you want to sit and have tea with Jonah, knock yourself out. Need to get back to work, talk later. and she put her phone away. _____________________________________ He sent a million other texts but she never replied. It made getting back to work really difficult. Was she punishing him because he had to work? He sat with his chin in hand, staring at the phone waiting for it to ping or make noise but it never went off. So, his intelligent response was to keep texting until she had maybe fifty messages waiting for her when she looked. What was he supposed to do now? He had some work to get through and he LIKED this job, but Zoe was looming over him like a dark cloud. He packed up early and headed to the toy store. It was five o'clock, how late was her late shift?
He swirled the keys around on his finger as he entered the store, usually a kid in a candy store when he came in, ready to buy a million things before he left. But unlike this morning he didn't have a short circuit in his brain. He was interested in finding one thing. _____________________________________ Zoe was talking with a customer about one of the bigger ticket items in the store. It might be a toy store but that didn't mean they didn't have things that were pricey. She looked polished in her blazer with big gold buttons but she was tired, not used to working a double shift and it was starting to show on her face (but that might be from the emotional stress as well). She did notice Greed out of the corner of her eye but she kept talking with the customer, not looking thrilled. _____________________________________ They seemed to match even when it was unintentional. All suited up in her blazer she looked tall, sophisticated. In the back of his mind he suddenly missed the white rabbit he'd been faced with this morning because it had been more to unwrap to get to the goods. Now he eyed her wondering if she still had on what she'd had on underneath all those fluffy layers. His mind was mentally trying to envision what it was underneath. But there was a fat, curly haired woman in his way. He stepped up clearing his throat and taking off his shades, sliding the earpiece down into the front of his vest. He needed help and he was certain it was far more dire than whatever this woman needed.
Before he could interject the woman had cut her eyes over to him with stiff lip. "Wait your turn! I was here first. Such rudeness." She turned back to Zoe. _____________________________________ Zoe's lips curled up a little, amused at how Greed got told off. She only looked at Greed for a moment before turning her attention back to the woman and talking to her about what she needed. Zoe was pretty sure the woman would smack Greed with her bag if he tried to interrupt again. _____________________________________ Greed looked himself over. Had the woman been blind. He could play polite and nice, but he wasn't in a nice mood, not when this yeti cut him down. "There's no one else in the store. I need help now." He cocked his head in a 'i'm more important than you' fashion and she turned around to smack him. Twice. In the arm with her bag that weighed as much as a twenty pound suitcase. _____________________________________ Zoe covered her mouth with her hand to hide her bubbling laughter. She loved this woman, she was doing exactly what Zoe felt like, "Ma'am.. please, it's okay." she touched her gently to steer her away from Greed. She gave Greed a look, "Why don't you go take a shower in the meantime." he was good at doing other things instead of her. And she moved her and the woman away from Greed, he'd have to wait. _____________________________________ "What?" His voice hit that high pitched squeak---the note he hit when he was in complete shock. The woman pointed her bag towards him, a gun loaded to be fired if he bothered to come any closer again. "I swear. The world is full of selfish people!" Greed had that look on his face that said ' DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?' but Zoe had already cut him down verbally. That's what this was about? His shower? _____________________________________ Zoe nodded to the woman, she just happened to be dating the King of the selfish people. She took her time with the yeti, it was another ten full minutes before she had her et up with the cashier. But she didn't go to Greed after, she asked someone else who'd walked in if they needed help and started to assist them. _____________________________________ What was she doing? And it didn't stop at that one more customer. It was as if she was purposefully avoiding him. After the third customer he'd had enough. "Seriously? Do I have to fake an injury to get your attention?" He'd break a leg if need be. _____________________________________ That really annoyed her and she pointed a finger at him, "If you injure yourself on purpose again just for attention or to get me to calm down, I swear I will give you a real injury. I am at my job, okay? How would you like it if I came to yours and sat on your desk while you tried to work? You can't put your job first and then whine when I do the same. No one's asking you to wait." as in he could leave. _____________________________________ That finger in his face meant business. He couldn't shout anything back because the accusation was true. He couldn't fight her something he'd done himself. She'd yelled at him before about his double standards, here he had to eat his own actions. "Well when do you get off?" He was going to go loose himself in the toys and fight of a five year old for that couch. _____________________________________ She looked frustrated, "I don't know, after closing." the look she gave him clearly said she wanted him to leave and she walked off before he could say anything when someone called her name. Like she'd said, this was her job. Though even so, she was never this cold to him, she didn't even kiss him hello. _____________________________________ Well that was mean. And he was starving. What was he supposed to do now? Eat and come back or stay? But if he ran off she'd throw that in his face too like the shower. "Fuck...." He muttered, finding that couch and setting up camp in the kids aisle. It wasnt until a kid came crying looking for his mother because Greed had swiped his hand held game console. Greed was taking all the toys. _____________________________________ Zoe appeared before him holding the hand of the sniffling kid. She did not look happy. She never made a big deal out of things he stole and she never made him give things back but this was her job and he was making her look bad. She held her hand out to him to give her the game, "They're going to make me ban you from the store if you keep doing things like this." _____________________________________ "What?" He widdled his fingers on all the buttons, a pounding noise fingering the air until he'd gotten a perfect score. "God such a baby." He handed her the game but was quick to take her arm before she disappeared again. "Five minutes." That was his deal or he wasn't giving up that game. _____________________________________ She took the game he handed over and gave it back to the kid. She looked at Greed's hand on her arm and then at him, "What." she said flatly. She' told Jonah this morning hadn't been a big deal.. but it quite obviously had been. _____________________________________ The kid wiped his tears and ran off to his mother, leaving Zoe alone with Greed. "What the fuck is going on?" She was avoiding him. On propose. Normally if he came to visit she at least cracked a smile. _____________________________________ She tugged on her arm to get his hold off as politely as possible, "I'm trying to work and you're being a pain?" _____________________________________ "That's not what this is about. You've been avoiding me. You're being a brat." Which meant he was as equally a brat. She bit off that attitude, it was mirrored back. _____________________________________ "I'm being a brat? You're holding me hostage at my job!" she shook her arm he wouldn't let go of, "What do you want?" _____________________________________ "Why are you mad? Jesus Christ." He didn't let her go but she had wiggled from him. "Is this about the no flowers or the shower?" Because she made damn sure to spit that out earlier. _____________________________________ She shoved at him, "This is about me trying not to get fired and you showing me zero amount of respect about my job. It's not like I can move in with you if I become unemployed so stop being a jerk, let me go, and go home." _____________________________________ She was being so awful. He let go just in the shock that nothing he was doing was winning her over. He was the hurt one now. Like she was stabbing him in the chest. He let her go but he sat there with his arms crossed. "Don't think I won't squeeze it out of you when you're done." _____________________________________ She huffed when she finally got free and straightened her outfit as if he had messed it up. "Right, cause it's all about you." how dare she have forgot that and she walked off to get back to work. Hours passed until the lights flickered to indicate closing time. Zoe's coat and bag were on the counter, along with her bouquet of flowers as she stood at the register to count out the cash. _____________________________________ He lazed around like a cat in the most awkward if positions. His feet were propped up on the little kiddie drawing table where he'd drawn a picture of her face with markers. His arms were still crossed, head flopped to the side. He would have a crick in his neck to match the angry demon in his stomach that needed food. He didn't even notice that he'd slept all of two hours after he'd tired himself out waiting. He hadn't left that spot, and he hadn't spent a dime. _____________________________________ Zoe didn't see Greed leave but she wouldn't put it past him, waiting wasn't his favorite. She put on her yellow coat that he'd given her and picked up her flowers in one arm and went to check everyone was gone when she found her giant boyfriend in the kiddie area still, fast asleep. She wanted to shove him awake when she saw the picture and was kinda stunned. She didn't even know he could draw. She knelt next to him and the table and gingerly reached a hand out to touch his masterpiece doodle... of her. _____________________________________ Any longer in that position he was going to drool all over his shirt. His stomach growled though as a hello while she marveled at his doodle. _____________________________________ At his stomach rumble, she put her hand on his chest and shook him/poked him, "Hey... come on, I'm closing the store, we gotta go." she was a little softer than she had been before. _____________________________________ He mumbled in incoherent words, feet falling off the drawing table. He was as sleepy as she'd seen him that morning, eyes bleery as he tried to focus on her voice. _____________________________________ She sighed and with one hand holding the flowers, the other she took to grab his hand and stood up, "Come on... I'm hungry and I wanna go home.." she tugged on it as if trying to lift him. _____________________________________ "But you don't want me," he mumbled trying to get on his feet but he wasn't quite awake. He envisioned his night was going to end up with him and Chinese without her. _____________________________________ She let go of him and said, "You didn't want me first." which was true. She left him zombified there and started walking back to the front, sending a text to Jonah to let him know her lunkhead boyfriend was with her so she didn't need an escort home. She thought. She didn't know if she was going with him yet. _____________________________________ Greed wiped the drool off the side of his face, those lazy eyes focusing on the store that now cloaked him in darkness. Had he imagined her? "Zoe?" He asked, stumbling as he pulled out his phone to see the time. 11 o'clock! Shit! _____________________________________ "Would you hurry up?" she asked at the door with the key in her free hand. She had not been joking about him not wanting her before. Now he knew what it was like to feel like an inconveinance, not important, rejected, unwanted. _____________________________________ With a yawn he stumbled towards the front. He needed a jolt to get out of his sleepy haze. Not that he hadn't driven before drunk or sleepy or even with someone in his lap---but with Zoe it was a more fragile situation. The sad part was she wasn't treating him like a boyfriend, he was like the roommate---and even Jonah had made her feel special on this day. Something he didn't know yet. _____________________________________ He looked like he could care less about anything and she just huffed again and held the door open so he could step out into the cold. She put her bag and flowers into his arms so she could use both hands to lock the front door and then pull down the metal grate and lock the place up tight for the night. _____________________________________ His nose was tickled by a daisy which pulled out a sneeze. "Who gave you flowers?" Now his lack of getting his own set of flowers seemed dimmed by the fact that SOMEONE had already beat him to the punch. Who the fuck had done such a ridiculous thing? _____________________________________ She checked the gate and then took her bag from him and reached for the flowers to take them back as well as she answered dully, "Jonah." she gave him a look before he could start with his nonsense, "He sent them as a friend." _____________________________________ The flowers were already back in her hands when she said that dreaded name. "Fucking Jonah!" He growled getting himself a little bit out of that sleepy-headed state. Now he was paying attention. What an asshole. Sending the girl that belonged to a Sin a vase of flowers as if he had the right to! _____________________________________ She gave him a look and kept the flowers close to her, "He was just being a nice friend, it is Valentine's day. There is all sorts of love to be celebrated, family love, friends love. It was very sweet of him to think of me and send me something. You should have seen how he waved it off." he had been so dismissive of his sweet gesture at coffee, still so concerned about her. _____________________________________ "He did it so he can get in your pants!" He stumbled off the side of the street, nearly twisting ankle in the snow but catching himself. It wouldn't be the first time he'd hurt himself or faked it to get her attention, and seeing the way she looked at him now it wasn't going to do him any favors now. She was still very much mad at him and he was still trying to figure out what had caused it. _____________________________________ "Maybe he did!" she shot back, "I don't care! They're beautiful flowers and he was nice and sweet and I'm going to enjoy it." she seemed like she was going to step forward to make sure he didn't fall but that obstinate look came back on her face and she stood her ground and kept walking. He could fall for all she cared. Well, she did. But she'd hate him for it. _____________________________________ Damn it. He was losing it. Tripping all over himself just when things were going smoothly with them. Of course it was inevitable he'd mess up and not even fully understand why. He stopped at the car as she kept walking fully expecting that she at least let him take her home. He'd deal with Jonah when he got there. "Hey! Where are you going? The car is right here." She could be mad but hell if he was letting her walk home by herself when he was there. _____________________________________ "Good for you." she said and kept walking, she didn't want to listen to him rant about Jonah right now. Her heels were skidding on the icy sidewalk but she was too stubborn to stop. Jonah had made her feel wanted and loved at least. She'd put herself out there for Greed and he'd literally yawned. _____________________________________ "Zoe!" He stamped his foot. "You're not walking home. I'm going to drive you. I don't give a fuck how mad you are or if a filthy Virtue is trying to win you over. I waited in that store for almost six damn hours. You can let me take you home." She owed him that. _____________________________________ "That's so funny. Because here I am. Walking. Home." She glared at him, "No one asked you to wait! You could have just left. In fact, you can still leave now." and she turned her angry scrunched up face away from him and kept going.. not very fast or else she was going to get a broken neck. _____________________________________ "I DIDN'T!" He was going to wake up anyone that may or may not be trying to sleep nearby. His loud barking as she continued to walk did set off a car alarm. "STOP THIS SHIT!" She was being absolutely ridiculous. Just wait....just wait til he got in her apartment. He'd tackle her into the room then he'd see just how mean she continued to be. Though he was learning sex didn't fix everything with them. It relieved some pressure, but it also brought so many damn emotions into it that it wouldn't solve what was going on right now. He had no idea that he'd bruised her ego just by not taking advantage of the opportunity she'd given him that morning. She wouldn't tell him either so he was going in circles. "GET. IN. THE. DAMN. CAR." He wasn't going to say it again. _____________________________________ He'd often told her to stand up for herself, to use more of her spine. And she might be the only mortal who defied him and yelled back at him. But it was her own childish hurt feelings driving her emotions right now. He hadn't wanted to see her this morning, then fine, she was choosing not to see him now. She was not a toy he got to take off the shelf when it suited him! "Make me!" she shouted back at him, now she was the five year old.. _____________________________________ "Would you STOP." He caught up to her, his hand clamping down on her arm. He was getting into that kind of mood that she didn't want to see him in, but the more she pushed like a brat the more he was going to shove it right back. "I'm not going to continue to be ignored because you can't tell me what the fuck is going on." IF she thought he was going to just leave, then she had sorely forgotten who she was dating. _____________________________________ She instantly struggled against him, "I'm not ignoring you, I just don't want to be around you right now, is that a crime?" her shoes were sliding on the sidewalk so she had to be careful she didn't fall. _____________________________________ "You didn't mind showing up at my door this morning to be around me. And suddenly you don't even want to look at me?" Did she get it now? Did she understand he had no idea what this was about? That he didn't realize his vanity had bruised her. She did slip and his one hand turned into both as he clamped onto her so she did not fall. Now that she was in his arms he wasn't going to let her go until she got into that car. His own balance wasn't secure but as he struggled to keep it, he kept her tight against him. _____________________________________ Her cheeks flushed when he brought up that morning and she looked to the side to avoid looking at him. "You didn't mind not being around me this morning and suddenly you can't leave me the hell alone!?" she countered. She wriggled in his grip as he held her, looking frustrated and a bit trapped. _____________________________________ "And you just left." He hadn't gotten a chance to have that present. She'd taken it away before he could have it, but he'd not exactly taken it when he had the chance. If she was going to throw blame he would too. _____________________________________ She still didn't look at him, her eyes on his chest, speaking to him.. more like AT him. "Yeah, well, funny thing, when a person gets rejected, they kinda don't wanna stick around." she said in a sarcastic voice. Even though she had. For an HOUR, it'd been humiliating. _____________________________________ "I didn't reject you..." his brain just kind of went into electric shock when he had more than one thing he wanted standing in front of him. Making choices she knew were difficult for him. She had also surprised him at his doorstep which always seemed to end strangely when he wasn't the one inviting her in. It was an invasion, even if it was his girlfriend that was invading. If he didn't have a clue, it caught him off guard. It wasn't anything she did on purpose, it was a knee-jerk reaction he couldn't control. _____________________________________ She shoved at him, "Oh just leave me alone..." she didn't sound angry as much as sad and hurt. She really didn't want to be around him right now. She didn't want to have this conversation, not with him, not now, not ever. _____________________________________ He shifted his footing, jaw clenching as she refused to look at him. "Zoe," he wasn't yelling anymore either, his hands still on her arms, daring her to really try and make a run for it. "You surprised me." He shifted his gaze down, her eyes still no meeting him. _____________________________________ "Yeah, stupid me, won't be doing that again." she still wouldn't look at him and she really didn't want to talk about it so before he could say anything else, she let out a stubborn sigh, "I'm cold and I'm hungry so you can either have a conversation with me now OR you can take me home." it was one or the other, if he wanted to talk then he was not taking her home. And frankly, she wasn't planning on talking. _____________________________________ She knew how to throw in that little dagger at the end. It was one or the other another choice. So he'd take her home, and he'd get her to talk later when she wasn't be irrational. He rolled his eyes closed with a sigh of his own, just as grumpy but not defeated. "Let's get you home." _____________________________________ She didn't look at him once in the car, she didn't speak unless he harassed her. She kept her eyes out the window and when they parked, she thanked him and got out of the car, going inside the building having zero intention of waiting for him because had no plans on inviting him in. Her feet were killing her tho and she took off her heels at the stairwell for the long walk up. _____________________________________ Whether or not she wanted him to follow he did, one step behind her. He took the heels from her hand so she could open the door. He wasn't going to be shoved out in the hallway. He didn't give a damn if Jonah was there, it was probably a good thing he was or Greed would have ripped the door down off his hinges. Being in the presence of Temperance kind of immediately put everything that was at unrest in an weird limbo. _____________________________________ She tried to take her shoes back from him but when he wouldn't give them, she threw up her hand, "Keep them!" she snapped at him and if Jonah was there, she didn't even see him, storming into her room and slamming the door shut so she could change into sweats and a comfortable sweater top that was decidedly not as sexy as whatever she had wanted him to see that morning. _____________________________________ Jonah was going to speak, but at her charge into the room and Greed following right behind he didn't know where to start. Instead he stood and blocked Greed from going right after her. "Give her a moment." He wasn't going to hear them fight all night long. "There's cake on the counter, go have a slice or two. But just give her a moment." Jonah was going to stand up about something instead of letting Greed rule the roost the moment he came into their apartment as if he owned it too. _____________________________________ Zoe didn't come back out after she changed except for a quick minute to go to the bathroom, but she was out and her door shut again before either boy could say one word to her or try to intervene. _____________________________________ Greed jumped up and Jonah stopped him. "Let me talk to her." Which only earned a snarl from the Sin. "Why so you can can save the day?" Jonah rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen to cut a piece of cake to take her with a cup of tea. "No, birdbrain. So I don't have to hear you grumble and complain all night. Maybe if you looked at her as more than just some thing you get to have when you want you wouldn't be in this situation. It's not always about when and what you want." _____________________________________ Her face was free of what little makeup she wore and she looked miserable as she sat on the bed which had the teddy bear Greed got her, his pillow of himself was face down and away from her. At the knock on her door, she let out a flat "What." but when she saw it was Jonah, she softened a little, "Oh... hey." her eyes went behind him, "Is he still here?" she asked with an edge. _____________________________________ "He is. But you need a moment. Here," he handed her the plate and the glass. "Eat something first. Deal with Greed later." The only reason Greed wasn't charging in was because Jonah wanted to be sure Zoe had a moment to breathe. Jonah was interfering. _____________________________________ She took a deep breath and was confused, "Thanks...I'm sorry about all this." she took the offered cake and tea and after a sip said, "I can't believe he's just sitting quietly out there.." it was so unlike Greed. _____________________________________ "I wasn't going to let him charge in right now." Meaning Jonah had stepped in and blocked Greed with more than just a touch. Jonah had his own influence and that was over the Excesses. He wasn't as powerful as Charity, but he had some bite. _____________________________________ She paused midbite and then swallowed slowly as she looked at him, it was the way he said it that she asked warily, "What do you mean...?" because Jonah was taller but Greed had punched him before, Greed never let anything, especially a Virtue, get in his way. _____________________________________ "Meaning I stopped him. Tempered him." But not like the usual temperament change that happened by just being in his presence. It was very very different. _____________________________________ Her eyes grew wide, "You did... what?" she put the plate down and looked horrified, "Reverse it. Reverse it right now!" she didn't know if that's something he could do but she didn't want the man out there to be anyone but who he was, he was flawed but she loved him with those flaws. _____________________________________ "It's not permanent. I just wanted you to have five minutes of peace." She was so upset, angry and hurt. He could feel it the moment she walked in the door. Greed had to be there to follow and he just wouldn't allow it right now. "Zoe, please," he held out a hand to keep her still. "Just eat, be calm for a minute." _____________________________________ "Be calm!?" she asked as if he had asked her to grow another head. "Why Jonah? If I'm not calm, will you just whammy me too? Is that the solution to all the problems? Yes, I'm upset with him but I am upset with him, not some zombefied version of him that you push a button and get the emotion you want." She stood up, already upset with Greed and now feeling betrayed by Jonah, "You either reverse whatever the hell you did to him, I don't care if it was for five seconds or I swear I won't speak to you again." _____________________________________ "I'm not trying to get an emotion---" he was trying to help. "Zoe I'm just trying to help." But he wasn't helping. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the way of the door. Greed was eating that cake in the kitchen but he felt zapped in that way that would usually have his skin crawling. There was a chill on the back of his neck, like he knew Jonah had done something but no matter how bad he wanted to slam a fist in his face he wasn't able to. And even when Jonah unsnapped his little Virtue spell Greed still felt weird. He eyed Jonah like a hawk. "The fuck is your problem?" he narrowed his eyes stuffing in a piece of that cake in his mouth as if his eyes alone would gut him. _____________________________________ "You don't force people to feel something they're not, Jonah. That's not helping." She marched with him to the kitchen to make sure he undid whatever the hell he did to Greed and when Greed was all growly, she stepped out from behind Jonah and walked over to Greed in concern, touching his cheek tenderly to look him over and see if he was okay. She was still mad but she loved him too much to think he was anyone other than who he was even for a minute. _____________________________________ Greed pointed his fork at Jonah who settled into the couch defeated with Samson curling into his lap. "I wanna punch him in the face." The fork hit the empty plate and Greed tossed it instead right at Jonah. It landed a fee feet short.
At Zoe's touch he was a little irritated still. "Oh now I'm not invisible." He didn't push her away. He was just edgy in that sarcastic way. _____________________________________ "So do I.." she muttered under her breath about punching Jonah. When Greed was snappy with her, she narrowed her eyes and then rolled them, "You seem fine." she bit out at him and dropped her hand, "Go home." she said before walking out of the kitchen, she just gave Jonah a look that clearly said he better not do something like that again. She would have it out with him later, right now, she just wanted to be alone. Away from both the assholes. _____________________________________ She wasn't going to tell him where to go. "I will not." He slid out from the chair he was in, but stumbled the entire way back to her room because it felt like he had lead feet. Like his mind and body were not coordinated. One was too slow for the other. _____________________________________ She turned around and looked at him, this was useless. "You're like some version of drunk right now. I don't want to talk to you, especially not like this, go home!" and she tried to shut her bedroom door in his face. _____________________________________ What the fuck had that prick done? Greed didn't let the door shut. He invaded her room the same way she'd invaded his apartment that morning. He flopped on her bed, grasping fire her sweater to pull her close. He was mad but he needed something to pull him out of this. _____________________________________ She stared at him bug eyed and yelped as he forced his way in and then grabbed at her! She smacked at his hands to get them away from her, "Are you high? Get off my bed!" _____________________________________ "If I am it's not the fun kind." He was very mad but still didn't have the the energy to yell about it. She acted like he was so vile. Like a stranger. He pulled on the sweater some more, causing it to slide down her shoulder until he could drag her down next to him. Inside he was starting to panic because he didn't like this feeling at all. "Stop it, stop it stop it." Even if he wanted to go his mind was saying no. _____________________________________ She looked almost panicked when he kept pulling at her sweater, sliding it down till some skin showed. She pulled on it back and then oof!'d when she landed on the bed next to him, "I'm not doing anything! You're the crazy asshole here! YOU stop it!" and she tried to get him to stop touching her. "Ugh, just.. stop, sleep it off or whatever.." she made a face and tried to get his hands off her. _____________________________________ It wasn't that easy. He was all----itchy inside. With an irritated groan he flopped fascism on the bed but he couldn't be still, scratching at everything because he thought it would take the burn away. It wad a lot of Virtue juice in one Sin body and he hated it. _____________________________________ She was so annoyed and shoved him further on the bed, "Go. to. Sleep." she ground out and then put the blanket on him. She stormed out of her room, shutting the door with her pillow in her hand. She stalked over to Jonah on the couch, "And YOU." she pointed the pillow at him and then just smacked him with it, "I am SO mad at you right now I can't even talk. So just... go, get off the couch because thanks to you, I'm sleeping on it tonight!" she stood there in her big sweater and sweatpants, pointing at his room down the hall. She did not want to hear one word from him. Jonah had basically given Greed a reason to not take responsibility for his actions. She just wanted to lie down and end this horrible day. _____________________________________ Greed curled up in a ball under the cover, still scratching all over until he didn't have the energy anymore. Jonah let her be, but Samson stayed with her on the couch, curled up beside her. At least until she fell asleep. _____________________________________ She was glad she had Samson to cuddle and woke up when the puppy decided to abandon her and running back to his jerk of a master. She sighed as she was awake.. she was too used to Greed's big fat body always poking into her and barely letting her breathe. But like hell she wanted to see him, so she stayed put on the couch. _____________________________________ Greed want sleeping any better. For a few hours he'd gotten some rest, but after a while he was just pawing at the empty bed with a headache he couldn't get rid of. Greed find a position only to toss and turn again. He slept in this bed a million times, but without Zoe in it there was nothing familiar about it. He felt as if he were sleepwalking in his own body. Restless. _____________________________________ She could hear him tossing and turning but she didn't move.. despite Jonah's stupid interference, she was still hurt over what happened in the morning. There was nothing Greed could say to make it better. If it hadn't been a rejection (it was), then it meant he treated her like a toy that fit his timetable, she felt.. so demeaned. _____________________________________ He tossed and turned for another half hour before he tumbled out of the bed. He staggered to his feet still in his shoes and suit. He went to the couch where she was and dragged her off of it, carrying her back to the bedroom with him. That was after he'd tried to curl up on the couch with her. _____________________________________ She jumped when Greed appeared and tried to cuddle her, she shoved at him to keep him off the couch and let out a whoa! as he just picked her up and carried her back to her room. She kicked her legs and squirmed in his arms, "Put me down!" she hissed at him. _____________________________________ He didn't put her down until she was in the bed with him. He'd not even taken of his shoes, tie or vest. He was miserably itchy still but he needed her. As much as she wanted to avoid him. _____________________________________ She knew he was half asleep and in this state there was barely any arguing with him, if he was selfish when he was awake, he was ten times more so when he was sleepy. She squirmed against him and shoved at his chest, "I hate you!" she hissed again and then squealed in an annoyed tone as her feet hit his and he had brought his dirty shoes into the bed, "Shoes!!" she exclaimed in a hushed intense voice. It was one of those couple things, like when your partner kept leaving the socks on the floor or the toothpaste cap off, for Zoe, it was Greed never remembered to take his shoes off in bed. Not only was it gross, they hit against her legs and feet and felt unpleasant. _____________________________________ Greed hissed back at her reprimand. She was scolding him again and this part wasn't even his fault. He still wanted to deck her roommate but he'd lost all his energy. He groaned and grumbled the whole time he untied the laces and finally let his shoes hit the floor. _____________________________________ They weren't going to solve anything tonight and by the time he lay down again, sleep had washed over her so she stil elbowed him if he tried to hold her but she stayed in the bed, "Still mad at you.." she said before closing her eyes.