WHO: Greed & Zoe w/Theseus WHEN: Friday WHERE: Island, Theseus' boat WHAT: Building sandcastles in the sand WARNING: Forced family bonding
The boat finally wasn't moving. Zoe stood at the helm but Theseus was the one that did most of the guiding into the harbor to dock the boat. She'd found an island that looked lively and warm and she wanted to explore it. The weather was sunny and beautiful and Zoe wore an equally sunny dress to match. She stood at the railing, looking out at the ocean and enjoying a breeze that was ruffling her hair that was naturally starting to form beachy waves because of the salt air and sun. _____________________________________ Greed fumbled from the cabin to the main deal. His eyes bled from the bright rays of sunshine, forcing him to adjust from the dark. Even sunnier was the neon yellow his girlfriend had on.
Nice weather. Yellow girlfriend, sun? He'd been dropped in the ocean hadn't he? He approached both her and Theseus with caution. "Where did you dump me, back in the freezing New York harbor?"
He thought he was dreaming. _____________________________________ Zoe looked over at Greed and chuckled, "Morning, sunshine." she took his hands and pulled him closer, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Does any of this look freezing or New York like to you?" and she gestured around them. _____________________________________ "No, but I bet my body is floating with the fishes right now." It wasn't real. He was in an imaginary place in his head. "This looks like a fantasy." _____________________________________ "I know.. it's why I picked it!" she said excitedly. She took his hands and put them on her face, "See? I'm real." _____________________________________ "I don't believe you..." He said in a hushed voice, slapping his cheek to make sure.
That was funny...
He felt it. _____________________________________ She gave him a look like he was a nut but a nut she loved, "You know, if you wanted to get slapped, you coulda at least let me do it." tho she was sure her grandfather would have loved to smack him too. _____________________________________ He popped his cheek for her to take a shot because he still didn't believe that he was somehow in the real world. Even if her grandfather was totally killing the mood, because he already would have had her under a waterfall or something if he was gone. Why did his dreams have to be killjoy's too? _____________________________________ She laughed and just couldn't do it.. she only hit him when she was mad or upset. Instead she put her arms around his neck and gave him a big loud long smackin smooch on the cheek. She kept her arms around him and nuzzled his nose, "Do I have to jump in the water with you to convince you this is all real?" _____________________________________ "Maybe...." it was his mind's way of telling him he hadn't nearly been sick on a boat for god knows how long. "You're wearing yellow...." he had noticed that like a beacon, he was still a bee to honey even in his dreams. _____________________________________ "I'll do it. I'll pick you up and throw you in.." she teased. She smiled and gave a nod, "Yes.... I wanted you to have something happy to wake up to." she'd bought it at a market stall when she and Theseus explored a bit. _____________________________________ Greed's face was flat. She knew better. He'd just spent hours on water sloshing around. Like a cat that like the taste of water but not being thrown in, he was not going to get his clothes wet. "I haven't seen it before...." he stared at her dress hard, reaching out a hand to touch. _____________________________________ She still smiled, she was only joking! And he looked cute all grumpy. "Mr. Moreau and I poked around the market a little, and I-- oh!" she turned pink when he touched her boob. Her grandfather was right there.... _____________________________________ Now he knew this was real. She was squishier out of his dreams. His hand pulled back and he zombie hugged her as Theseus rolled his eyes. Honestly this was why he'd wanted her to come alone. "Break it up. I don't want to have to send you to different ends of the island." _____________________________________ She laughed and squeezed Greed as he hugged her. She still had her arms around him as she looked over at her grandfather, "You know, I'm surprised you haven't insisted on separate cabins for us." she was kinda amused and touched by how overprotective he could be. And this wasn't even kissing or anything, it was just squishy hugs. _____________________________________ "So far you haven't been in the same cabin for more than five minutes." He waved his hand for them to follow as he started off along the island. It was nice to feel the sun on his face and not the prickling needles of cold ice. The air was hot, moist agains the ocean spray. Finally, real fresh air.
Greed still had a hold of Zoe like the walking dead, except he wasn't feasting on her neck yet. _____________________________________ She grinned, "That's what he thinks.." she whispered to Greed, since they were in each others cabins quite a bit.. just not here. She laughed when he still wouldn't let her go, "You wanna change first?" she asked. _____________________________________ "What's wrong when what I'm wearing?" It was a little warm as he fanned his shirt out. His fancy shoes and plaid wasn't going to survive the heat, but he'd had no time to change before they'd left. _____________________________________ "Nothing... but the weather is gorgeous. And you and I are gonna have a hard time sneaking kisses cause between those and this." she plucked the warm fabric, "You're going to be super uncomfortable." she turned her lips in and raised her brows in a mischievous way, "Tho I guess that might mean you have to wander around shirtless..." _____________________________________ "I can do that." It would make her grandfather uncomfortable and rightfully so. He started for the buttons of his shirt, one, two, three...
He already felt better. _____________________________________ She covered her face with her shy grin, "Ahhh you're actually doing it... I should have known better!" she took his hand, "Should leave your fancy shoes here too." she sighed, "Mannnn.. some island babe is gonna kidnap you, I just know it." he was a gorgeous guy and now he was gonna get a tan. _____________________________________ "This time I'll smell of coconuts." Once the buttons were undone, he slipped out of his shoes and handed them to her. "Don't get sand in them." The were a thousand dollar shoes. _____________________________________ She raised a brow at him and put her hands on her hips, "Do I look like a maid?" seriously, she didn't mind helping him now and then but she definitely could tell when he was acting like an entitled child. _____________________________________ "Am I supposed to carry them?" He was being a smartass, most of which was a face in front of Theseus. Greed hadn't opened up yet to the idea of this trip. It only made him look bad. _____________________________________ She gave him a look, "You can leave them in the cabin and buy some flip flops. Or yes, you can carry them if you want to be a jackass." she couldn't believe he was acting like this, especially with her grandfather on hand to witness his douchebaggery and undoubtedly scold her later about her awful choice in a boyfriend. _____________________________________ She was being a brat! Greed huffed and walked to the cabin and back, flip flops jeans, and a t-shirt draped over his arm. She would suffer his bare chest, and her sea rat grandfather. _____________________________________ She frowned as he stalked off and when he was ready, she still eyed him and then got off the boat to follow wherever her grandfather was going. But she looked over her shoulder and held her hand out to Greed. She was willing to overlook his assholeness if he was. _____________________________________ He eyed her hand suspiciously but took it before it was gone. "Where are we going?" the sand already kicking up into his flops to squish in between his toes. If it were snow he would have hurled one at Theseus' head as he looked back at the two teenage-like lovebirds.
"We're just enjoying the weather Greed before we go back into ice and cold. Can you zip it for a minute or two." The Sin was entirely too vocal. _____________________________________ Zoe threaded her fingers with Greed's. She didn't like his assholish behavior but she was going to cut him some slack.. not a ton but some. She also didn't like her grandfather calling him by his Sin name like it was a disease but she kept quiet. She said to Greed, "Maaaaybe I can finally give you a swimming lesson.." since he'd agreed to them but the weather hadn't been cooperative. _____________________________________ Theseus was just touring the island, keeping a safe distance from them but not keeping Zoe out of his eyesight. He gave them enough room to breathe, observing the chit chat and banter. So far he was less than impressed as Greed continued to whine and talk or make obscene comments about the random things they passed. "Should we go closer in? See the resort or stay out here?" Greed was still running around squishing his feet into as much sand as he could. He'd roll in it if it wouldn't get in places he didn't know existed. _____________________________________ Greed might be obnoxious but he did make Zoe laugh. She thought about it and said to Theseus, "I think we can stay on the boat and just wander around some more. See what the island has to offer. I've always wanted to go on an island, this is only my second trip to a foreign place." for a girl who loved to travel, she hadn't done much of it. _____________________________________ "It's a beautiful day..." he turned to see Greed kicking at the sand now. The Sin wondered if he could make a sand castle and just how big, so he plopped down on a piece of wood and started to play in the sand.
Theseus looked at Zoe questionably. "Is he five?" _____________________________________ She smiled at Theseus, "Sometimes." she stood next to Greed and looked at her grandfather, "You know, you're eternally young... but when's the last time you did something that you enjoyed doing when you were a kid? And I don't mean follies of youth like quickie affairs and drinking." it was something she loved about Greed, how in touch with his inner child he was. _____________________________________ "A long time. I didn't really have a childhood." He'd been brought up a man from a young age. Taught how to fight, how to be a warrior, how to rescue. It was a hero's nightmare obstacle course. There was no time for lollygagging and playing around. Greed just looked like an idiot. "Once I could walk I was brought up to be a man." But it looked like he'd done a lot of running then too. He watched Greed as he piled up some wet sand, forming it in his hands like putty. "Where's your sand bucket Greed?" This really was odd. They were in the middle of a gorgeous island and he was making sand castles. _____________________________________ She looked so sad for her grandfather, that was a horrible way to grow up. "Chance was born a man, he doesn't let that stop him from having a childhood." but the man had a point, "Hmm, you're right." She looked around and then took off her sandals and ran a little ways down the beach to where a family was relaxing. She talked with them a few minutes and cooed over their kids and when she came walking back, she had two plastic pails, a bright yellow one and a bright blue one with a little plastic shovel in one. She held the yellow bucket by the handle and grinned at her grandfather. She held out the blue bucket to him, "Come on, Mr. Moreau, reclaim what was wrongfully taken. Isn't that what heroes are supposed to do?" _____________________________________ "Ate you sure he's just not six up in here?" He waved his fingers around his temples, indicating subtlety that Greed was mentally a child. When Zoe returned with tools Greed squealed and started to build his masterpiece. Theseus was still unsure of what he could do, Greed had this set up for himself. _____________________________________ "Sometimes!" she said again. Someetimes him being a kid was fun, other times it was a giant pain. She shook the blue bucket out towards Theseus one more time, "Are you sure you don't want to build your own? Not even try? with a small one?" _____________________________________ Theseus didn't know what to say. He was reminded of a day at the beach when one of his other kids were small. Before he'd left them alone wondering what they'd done wrong. And her was his little Zoe playing in a giant sandbox with a Sin.
He took the blue bucket, settling down in the sand but not having a clue where to start. Greed glanced infer his shoulder, "You put sand in it." That was just common sense. _____________________________________ Zoe grinned, "He's right about that." since well that was how you played in the sand. She sat down too, right on the sand. She wasn't like most girls that would crib about their clothes getting dirty. The dress had been cute, stylish, and thrifty, like most of her wardrobe. She sat in between them and enjoyed the ocean air and dug in the sand to unearth the cool part and started to bury her feet for fun. _____________________________________ Greed packed in the sand until his bucket was full with water and then let it slide our for the tower to his castle. All he needed now was some seashells to make the drawbridge. Theseus followed packing in his own bucket of dirt, not nearly as precise as Greed. He didn't dare lump it over in his imaginary works or the Sin might go ballistic. _____________________________________ Zoe watched her grandfather and since Greed was very busy making his Greedland, she helped Theseus with his. She pushed more dirt towards him and shaped it with her hands to make two rinky dink towers, "Zoetopia!" she said with a laugh as she stuck a twig with a leaf on it into the bucket of sand he formed on the ground to act as a little flag. _____________________________________ Greed stuck an even bigger stick in his tower. "Greedland," he pointed at his masterpiece once he had it decorated with shells. Theseus laughed. "Are you sure you're in the right profession? I'm sure there's a market for sand building." He was sarcastic but since he had met Greed, it was the first time he said it in jest. _____________________________________ Zoe beamed proudly and put her head on Greed's shoulder, "He excels at anything he puts his mind to. I'm sure he could be a great sand sculpture artist but he's waiting to get promoted at the advertising agency he works at." she knew her grandfather hadn't really asked to know all that but she wanted him to know how hard Greed worked. _____________________________________ "Advertising?" Theseus asked curiously. "I thought you were into money?"
Greed sat back to wipe his hands clean of sand. "I am into money but I wanted to do something new." Poseidon had killed that job, butt Greed found a better one. _____________________________________ Zoe smiled, "He's an assistant right now but his bosses love him so it's just a matter of time before he moves up." she looked at Greed, "I think it's a better fit for you too, you get to be creative." and this job he got entirely on his own. _____________________________________ "Ah." Theseus was basically a glorified secretary under Poseidon, so he knew all too well about being just an assistant. "Cubicle?"
Greed shrugged. "For now at least, but it's the size of two. I'll have an office in a few months." He could weasel his way up as high as he wanted. "Don't think I won't. My name is gold." He could get anything he wanted. _____________________________________ Zoe nodded, "He's working really hard so I know he'll get that promotion soon." she grinned at Greed, "Then you can put my baby picture in your desk drawer again." since they weren't allowed to have actual pictures of each other and she knew he kept that at his old job. _____________________________________ Greed was grinning from ear to ear. Zoe sounded so proud of him. Every word she described him with pride. He puffed out his chest like an inflating balloon. "My name will have a plaque in gold."
Theseus poked his finger into Zoe's little sand tower, writing his name down below. "You're very sure of yourself." _____________________________________ Zoe shook her head, "It's not even that, Mr. Moreau, he's confident because he's good. I mean, he loved his old job but after the whole Poseidon thing... Chance really took a risk trying something new but he decided to try something he loves but didn't think of before. That takes guts!" she wrapped her arms around Greed's buff arm and gave it a squeeze, "Starting over is really scary, especially in a new field. But he got the job himself and he's doing the work to prove he's as good as he says he is." _____________________________________ "Poseidon?" He'd forgotten that he'd used Greed as a means to get to Zoe. That locket had caused a lot of problems, more than Theseus had ever bargained for. He wiggled his finger around in the sand, eyes dropped as he felt that pang of guilt. Greed looked up about then with sharp eyes. "Your father is more than greed, he's envious of what he didn't have. He takes what doesn't belong to him. Next time he tries to come after me or mine, you will suffer too." Greed wasn't going to let either if them get by with pulling the rug out from under him. He was also warning Theseus that he better not try the same. _____________________________________ Zoe's mood instantly sobered, "Yeah.. you know the whole locket thing. He got Greed fired and then blacklisted.. he even tried to take his home. But we got through it. Saved everything best we could." when Greed started getting worked up she rubbed his arm and kissed his cheek, "Chance.." she said softly. Not stopping him or scolding him, just a gentle reminder they had what mattered and Theseus wouldn't be stupid enough to try and take it. _____________________________________ "He is relentless in the worst way, don't worry Greed you have nothing I wish to take." It wasn't what satisfied Greed, it was Zoe's concern and her touch.