Lust had her hair done up and wore a classy dress, well it had a boob window cause it was Lust. But this was an office setting so she dressed sexy but appropriate. Sort of. She sat in Theseus' chair and her crossed heels were on his desk. She was doing her nails with a nailfile when he came in and all she said was, "Lulubelle says hello." she couldn't be bothered to learn the name of Theseus' actual wife, maybe it was Lulubell. Or Lauren. Lust heard Lulubelle. _____________________________________ Theseus had just come back from lunch, his father was off doing work or the secretary, gods only knew. The sea-faring Greek had not been expecting company, let alone Lust so it may have given him a slight heart attack. He wasn't nearly as jumpy as usual, he felt more confident when his father was out of earshot. "Making house calls now?" He'd been certain she'd wiped him off her list when she lost interest and hooked up with her Saint. It made him a tiny bit jealous---well----maybe a lot jealous thanks to her being stuck in the back of his head. He wondered what exactly had perked her interest to come visit him at his office, or if she'd just been happening by and wanted to taunt him. Either way he was determined to not let her get him with his pants down. _____________________________________ She pouted at him, "Only for you." she grinned, filing her nail into a talon, "I saw a woman who may or may not be your wife. May or may not be in mourning since her husband 'disappeared'. She showed me your picture and I thought to myself, now that face looks familiar.... and then I told her you were dead and to move on." she smiled in a way that could make a man die but with a smile on his face. _____________________________________ For a moment he thought she'd been talking about Phaedra. He couldn't even imagine that woman crying over him unless acid was thrown in her face. That was a headache in itself that woman, especially considering their past.
"You came all the way here to tell me that?" He seemed unimpressed. Lust didn't seek men out unless----"you must be desperate to try and hunt me down." He might be able to hide the hitch in his voice, but he wasn't able to hide the attraction in his eyes. In fact he kept snatching glances of her. _____________________________________ Despite how much Lust hated her sister Pride, she had a good strong healthy dose of her. Much like Greed, she tapped into nearly all the Sins, though she tried to keep Sloth as far away as possible. Nothing attractive about that. She smirked, "Darling, do I look desperate?" she pouted her perfect red lips at him again, "If you want me to leave I will... but if the boner that's forming is any indication, I think you want me to stay." _____________________________________ Theseus looked down as if she had magically pulled a stiffy from him by her voice alone. Not yet, but she still had the upper hand. "So what did you come for? To flaunt in my face because you missed me?" He didn't believe her for a second. "Unless you still seem to think I'm a dog on a leash for you to jerk around when you've got nothing else to do." He rolled his eyes, busying himself to a stack of folders on the desk. _____________________________________ "Every man is a dog because I have the leash. Don't act so angry... it's just what I am. Take it up with my mother. Tho I warn you... she's very charming and ten times worse than I am." she went back to filing her nails, observing them, "You're behaving like a grumpy old man." then again he was a grandfather with worries and responsibilities now. _____________________________________ "Lose interest in your orgy of Saints?" So it sounded a bit prickly because he was. Didn't he have enough women to worry over? Instead he was faced with his lusty appetite. _____________________________________ She said simply and matter of factly, "No." then swung her legs off his desk, "But my interests are varied." no one owned Lust. The only boy she was even part way committed to was Greed and he was being very very bad these days. She had been wondering how to get him back, it wasn't until that crying mess reminded her of Theseus that she realized she could use the rat to bait a bigger rat. "You look tired....." she said casually. She had to play this very carefully. She just wasn't a very careful person.. _____________________________________ "That's a surprise." He wanted to thwart that she needed to drag her brother back and out of his granddaughters life, but it would devastate Zoe. He hated that he even considered needing Greed around for her to be happy, but he knew it's truth.
"I know you care nothing for my well-being, so no need to pretend." Did she think him stupid? _____________________________________ She frowned like she didn't understand what he meant, "It makes you look old." she said flabbergasted, why the hell would she ever care forhis well being? He was such a strange little man. "It must be all that... fathering you're doing. Sometimes I look at mortals and shudder at how much they age when they have children. Haggard looking husks." her green eyes flitted to him, "Something like what you're turning into." she didn't even say it like an insult, just a fact. _____________________________________ "I don't age," he responded flatly, shuffling his files as if he were actually looking at them and not the cut of her dress. He knew she thought his ruggedness disgusting, but now that hed been in his father's business for some time now he'd had to keep up that clean cut look. _____________________________________ "And yet you still look old. Older than when I last saw you." she smiled like a cat that had shredded a mouse to piece and licked her paws clean, "And look at you with rat fur on your face. An attempt to look younger?" she ventured a sharp guess. She was good about things people did to look good, she enforced a lot of those rules on Greed. _____________________________________ "Maybe its part of the uniform." He wiped his hands over the expensive suit, something he felt uncomfortable in. He wasn't used to all the formality. He was a rugged sea man, he wasn't sure why his father had turned into this cold, money grubbing banker. _____________________________________ "Perhaps." she watched him in a way that she knew would make him uncomfortable. Appraising him. Seeing what she determined was his worth. His weaknesses. "But there's more to you. A... heaviness. As if you were... anchored down." her tone making her remark seem light and innocent. _____________________________________ Theseus didn't like hearing that. It meant he wasn't able to just hitch up his boat and leave as he pleased. "I'm not a settling man." He traced his finger on the edge of the desk. _____________________________________ She frowned in a mocking way and tilted her head, "No? I thought you'd have a lease on an apartment. Do little dinners with the family. Work this job till you die. Oh wait, you can't die... I'd feel trapped. But of course, you don't." she paused and then those slippery words came out like a harpoon to snare him, "...do you?" _____________________________________ "This job is not my life, it's a stepping stone." He cleared his throat, loosening his tie because he suddenly felt a bit claustrophobic. "No, I don't feel trapped." But he did and she probably could sense it. He didnt want her to use it against him. _____________________________________ Lust was good at rooting out people's desires and Theseus had a strong desire, greater than the one in most men's pants.. he wanted freedom. She stood up and moved closer to him, her natural scent invading his senses, little heavenly whiffs designed to make a person want. "That's good... you rather be here. Than on your boat... waves below you... wind in your hair.. going where adventure takes you... no worries... no responsibilities... nothing to strap. you. down." she was less than an inch away by the time she finished speaking. _____________________________________ She didn't smell of expensive perfume, just pure desire. But what he desired was more than just a sexual encounter. Any number of women could give him that. He wanted the things she described, he could taste the salty sea air, feel the water spray as the boat rocked on the ocean. It was the most freeing feeling he would ever have, just lost on the water letting it guide him. He couldn't help but close his eyes, lost in the mirage in his head. _____________________________________ People forgot what lust really was. They always associated her with sex but it was just a part of things. Sex just happened to be what people repressed the most. She could root out a person's desires easily, it was what called to her. Sometimes, like with Nicolas, the desire was dark, a brutal side they kept hidden but enjoyed, or it could be something so sweet and simple like with the Greek. Lust put the tips of her fingers on his cheek and it wasn't that sexual jolt, it was the ocean breeze, the sun shining on his face instead of the harsh office lights, more than that, it was that feeling of what he had before he came to New York, his ability to have no ties, his wanderlust that he'd been trying to squelch down. Her touch was like liquid desire, racing along his skin, melting into his bloodstream and awakening everything that he'd been tying down, she was cutting the ropes and letting him free... to destroy everything he'd created. _____________________________________ She had drugged his system down to the core. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The words hit his ears like silk, rolling in waves through his body. Suddenly all his responsibility went out the window. He was a restless rogue that needed nothing but himself.
He hadn't opened his eyes, still living in the dreams that she set off with her words and her touch. _____________________________________ Men were too easy. She smiled with satisfaction as he lulled to his fantasies and leaned in to him, her lips next to his ear as she whispered, "What are you waiting for?" filling him with a powerful desire to make his daydreams a reality. _____________________________________ He was about to respond, the words "nothing" on the tip of his tongue. The phone rang and he was dropped out of that drunk haze Lust had put him in. He opened his eyes trying to refocus to answer the call. _____________________________________ Lust tried to get Theseus to ignore the call but the ring was sharp and distracting.. the caller was bound to be distracting as well as it was Zoe, who still got nervous whenever she called him. Which is why even tho she knew Greed didn't like Theseus, she was glad to have him with her whenever she called, it just made things easier. But with every ring that went unanswered, she looked more and more disappointed. _____________________________________ The phone was going to keep ringing, it was the intervention he needed. Not that Lust's influence wouldn't snag him eventually. He answered seemingly surprised. "Hey---" he didn't want to announce her name while in front of company. _____________________________________ "Hi!" Zoe said brightly, maybe a bit too much. "Are you busy? I mean I know you're working so I didn't want to disturb you and I know I did but I just wanted to see how you were." she kept the phone away from Greed as she continued on rambling nervously, "I would have called earlier but I was a little sick." _____________________________________ "You just wanted to check on me?" It was thoughtful. How he'd seeded thoughtful children he didn't know considering his own lineage. Especially seeing how she attacked online a few weeks ago, he wasn't so sure she wanted to speak to him at all. "I'm well enough I guess..." he turned from Lust so he could focus on the picture hanging from the wall. "You were sick?" He was worried especially when he could hear Greed in the background trying throw out crude remarks so that Theseus assumed they were just rolling around in bed. _____________________________________ Zoe tried to cover Greed's mouth with her hand as she said into the phone, "Yeah.. it's not a big deal but I was out of it for a couple of weeks or I'd have called sooner." she really didn't remember the online encounter. Greed had to literally take her phone away for a few days so she wouldnt go after people. "I haven't seen you since our little trip..." a very subtle hint that maybe she did want to see him again. _____________________________________ She actually missed him? He was about to respond when he heard Greed make a loud orgasmic noise before it broke off into a laugh. "We'll have to get together sometime...." if he didn't leave town before then. That thought was so strong in his head with Lust here in his presence. He had thought for the longest time that that woman had gotten bored with him. Now, he supposed without her fake Saint hubby she needed someone else to toy with. _____________________________________ He'd also hear Zoe smack Greed on the chest but she as smiling, pretty happy that her grandfather wanted to see her, "Yeah!" she coughed and tried to act more somber, "I mean.. yeah, that'd be great. We could go out to dinner or if you wanted you could come over here.. I'm not a great cook but Chance and I are trying to learn and I can do pasta or something simple." of course she was including Greed in dinner plans, she desperately wanted the men to get used to each other. Theseus had said one day he might accept Greed but would never like him, she knew he wasn't even close to accepting him but she wanted to try. Plus, she did want to spend time with him. _____________________________________ "Maybe dinner out." He didn't want to be locked in her tiny apartment with Greed. He might punch him again. There wasn't enough punching going on when he was met with that blonde social butterfly. "Can you spend five minutes without your boyfriend to see me?" It was like talking to a teenage daughter that didn't want to give up her slightly obsessive, moronic boyfriend. Duties still called in being somewhat a parent even with Lust there trying to erase everything. Maybe she'd leave and he wouldn't have to be faced with his inner demons. _____________________________________ She hesitated and looked at Greed as she said, "Ummm...." rubbing her lips together. She made a winced face and finally the words tumbled out, "Yeah, no, I can see you without him..." and she made a pleading look at Greed to not sulk over it till she was off the phone. She put a hand on her obsessive, moronic, boyfriend's big chest as she asked, "When?" her work schedule was still cut so she had a lot of time free. _____________________________________ Greed's mouth formed a giant O as he was ready to protest, pushed back with her hand as if to give a physical warning he wasn't to say a thing. He wasn't a rambunctious puppy! He was her boyfriend and that was uncalled for! Theseus thought for a minute before speaking, taking time to try and weed through his clouded brain. "Tonight? At Taverna Kyclades? It's a Greek Seafood place..." It would give him an excuse to get out of the office early. _____________________________________ "Great! I'll see you tonight.." and she hung up before he could change his mind. Then she had to deal with her pouty boyfriend who looked very offended. She put her hands on his chest and gave him her own puppy look, "It's a Greek seafood restaurant... you hate seafood!" as if that made it better somehow that he wasn't invited. Meanwhile, Lust sat her perfect ass on Theseus' desk and asked while pointing to the phone, "Hot date?" _____________________________________ "Maybe," he hung up his phone to slip in his pocket. "It's no one that could concern you." He didn't need Lust on Zoe's tail. One Sin was bad enough. He brushed past her to sit in his chair. "I'd have thought you'd be bored now." _____________________________________ Lust's position on the desk made her higher than Theseus. She moved her knees apart, her killer heels on either side of his chair at his torso so he was trapped between them, "I'm not bored yet." yet being the key word. "Considering you were talking about a boyfriend... and you sounded like an old man.. I'm guessing it was one of those kiddos that's sucking the life out of you." _____________________________________ "Might be. Or it could be I'm the other man." He wanted Lust's sniffer off that trail. He used his knee to nudge her leg out of the way. "I'm sure you have another Saint to hang up?" Was he bitter? Maybe. _____________________________________ She observed him and shook her head, "No... being the other man would have given a sexual spike to your voice.. your voice just sounded..." she made a face, "...old. Worried. Unattractive." then she smiled, "But jealousy... that does look so adorable on you." she rested back on her elbows and said, "What're you doing tonight?" as if she was asking him out. As if she hadn't just heard him make plans. _____________________________________ "I'm having dinner. No Lust you aren't invited." She was a black widow weaving him into her web so she could bite off his head later. He didn't really want to be desert. Not her version of anyway. "You've got other puppies dangling off leashes I'm sure that are willing to bite." He was trying to not let her in, the problem was she was already in there playing around. _____________________________________ She smirked, "Darling, I have no interest in going to your little..." she looked disgusted and waved her fingers, "...family outing." she hooked her feet around him and yanked the chair closer so he was trapped between the desk and the back of the chair and of course, her. "I thought you were a free man.... able to go where you want... when you want... no ties... no worries..." she was worse than the sirens that caused sailors to crash into the rocks, "...the only thing to listen to and follow is the ocean breeze..." she painted that beautiful picture again, "...with your ship under you, your hands on the hard wood... steering it onto dangerous waters but you're an expert.... you can handle the excitement." she traced a nail down his cheek. _____________________________________ She was seducing him skillfully again but not with sex. Her words just pumping the blood, putting life back in his veins. He was letting her seep in but deep down he knew he didn't want her to. It would destroy all this hard work. Or maybe....
Just maybe it proved he really was useless at sticking around. _____________________________________ "Buuuuuut.... you have responsibilities." Lust giveth and Lust taketh away. She took her touch away, her words shredding the fantasy she built for him, "You have a job. Working for Daddy dearest. Who needs you around to shit on. I'm guessing an apartment with a lease is next. And then there are your own daddy duties. Worrying about them. And... doing other parenting things. And of course your ex-wives... and then there is this business suit. With it's tight tie." more like a noose. Scraps of that fantasy were flitting around the room now, begging for Theseus to come claim them... that fantasy was his life once, now it was a dream that was getting further and further out of his reach. _____________________________________ Within seconds she crushed his world and he could feel the air leaving his lungs. It was now just a wistful dream. "No I don't," it was more of a plea to himself than it was to her. _____________________________________ She looked confused but was only pretending, "Really? Because what's all this then? If not a snapshot of the rest of your life. Same job. Same apartment. Same overbearing father. Same insolent daughter. Same four walls. You will be trapped here till you die. Except you can't die.." she shuddered, "And I thought hell was bad..." _____________________________________ "I'm not living my life in this place. Besides I don't have an apartment." He was still in that fancy hotel. Except now his ex was living there too when she wished. So was it really his anyway? He had nothing tying him down....
Except..... _____________________________________ "Oh darling, you know you're going to get one. It's what symbolizes 'permanent'. And then you really can't leave. No more voyages, no more going where you want when you want. It's what mortals do. I wish that they'd just realize that they can.... go." she looked at him with her gorgeous green eyes full of his dreams, her hands touching his cheeks like the spray of the sea, "....you can leave it all behind right now. Just go before the ropes of responsibilities tie you down further. There is always a choice before it becomes too late..." _____________________________________ Theseus couldn't help but swallow down those words. They gutted him like a fish while still tempting him with their sensual goodness. That sense of open air and ocean was his life. Not this stuffed shirt and tie, begging daddy to keep his head above water. She was wearing her web and he couldn't help but lay in it. _____________________________________ She stroked his cheeks and leaned in to whisper, "Leave it all behind..... be free. Walk out of this office, to your boat, don't look back. The choice is yours.. make it." this was what she'd needed so badly, someone to succumb to her Sin. Between George and Greed both giving her so much trouble, this was like a shot of heroin to have someone fully give in to her. It was a high better than sex. _____________________________________ She may have needed it, but a part of Theseus was actually feeling guilty. He'd grown fond of Zoe. Did this mean men of his demeanor could never change? Was he a lost cause? As were all those families and broken hearts he'd left behind. He was scum abs he knew it. Art least he was willing to admit it as she fondled his face. _____________________________________ Lust leaned in even further and kissed him and he knew how potent her kisses were, it made you want to grab your desire and just do it. He wasn't moving fast enough for her taste. She needed this or she'd destroy him. _____________________________________ "I have somewhere to be...." but that could honestly be his future destination and not his dinner date. Before he could say anything else he was wrapped up in a kiss that had him glued to her. _____________________________________ While Lust unraveled Theseus' life, Zoe got ready for her dinner date with her granddaddy. She went through several outfits, she didn't want to be too fancy, but not totaly casual. Not like she was trying too hard but not like this didn't mean something to her. She finally settled on a nice top that was sort of casual but had delicate beading so it made it good for the evening. "Do I look okay?" she asked Greed with a creased brow. _____________________________________ Greed laid out on her bed with a frown on his face. "Nothing you put on will look good unless I'm there with you." He crossed his arms on his chest defiantly. He wasn't going to just let her walk out the door. She was crazy. _____________________________________ He was like a giant grumpy cat. She gave him a look and walked over to the bed, "That's fine, I just wanted to look okay, not good. So." _____________________________________ "I don't want you going. I'm gonna stalk you." He had a feeling about tonight and it wasn't going to be an outcome he wa going to be happy with. _____________________________________ She sat on the bed next to his obstinate lumpness, "You stalk me all the time. Don't you think a better use of your time would be to work or play video games or watch a movie or go shopping? Hmmm?" she was trying to tempt him from not crashing her family dinner. _____________________________________ "No because I have a feeling you're going to be carrying a bucket of tears instead of a take-home plate for me." It just had weird written all over it. "And I don't want you out of my sight." Like she was going to disappear from him if he let her go ALONE. _____________________________________ She looked wounded at that because she was starting to trust her grandfather more... she didn't believe he'd bail on her. It was dinner. It wasn't super special... but it was important to her that people keep their word. Especially him and Greed. Greed had been good about it but her grandfather and her were moving slowly to rebuild.. or even build, a relationship. She decided to ignore the implications of his words and instead said, "Okay and if I'm in your sight, magically I won't cry?" _____________________________________ Greed kicked at her leg as she brushed by. It was important to her but he'd rather dash her hopes now than have her dejected later. "Maybe I'm like a magic coin in your pocket. If you rub it then you get a fuzzy feeling again. No tears." He grabbed on her hand. "Stay here...." he whined, picking at her fingers and running her bracelet up her arm a little ways and watching it fall back down. "We can...play." Though it appeared as if Jonah was purposefully gone. _____________________________________ "If I rubbed you, I think you'd be the one getting the fuzzy feeling." she sighed when he whined and took her hand, "No we cannnnnn't... Jonah's not home. And I already told my grandfather I'd meet him for dinner. He hates you a lot. And if I can get him to only mildly dislike you then maybe that'll put him on the road to accepting you." she leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips as she tried to untangle her hand from his. _____________________________________ "Mmmmm no. Not buying it. Not one bit." He clamped onto her hand as she tried to sneak away with the whimper of a puppy. He even played the big sad eyes hoping it would plead his cause. _____________________________________ She groaned when he wouldn't let her go and tried to act like a pathetic puppy. She sighed and folded her arms on his chest, letting him keep her hand for now, "You still don't think he's trying to steal me away, do you?" she was trying to check off his fears one by one. _____________________________________ "No I think he's going to disappoint you and I have to put you back together or just murder him in his sleep." He jerked her into his lap for at least a few more stolen kisses. "Maybe I'll let you go, but I will make you late." _____________________________________ She made a face and wrinkled her nose, "Why do you think that? He's been good lately... we haven't had any arguments or anything." she didn't really remember her envy coma days much. She grinned when he pulled her into his lap, "Noooo don't make me late, he might leave." but she gave him a small kiss. _____________________________________ Greed wasn't convinced. It was why when she left he followed her. She might not show up late, but he knew she'd be alone. _____________________________________ She'd given Greed many kisses goodbye, she didn't know why tho, she knew he'd be her shadow. She was trying not to get her hopes up but her emotions were written all over her face, she was excited and happy to be spending time with her grandfather. He rarely checked in with her and she wanted to give him space but part of her just wanted to tackle him to the ground and make sure he stayed forever. A tiny part. That she squashed as much as she could. She waited nervously for him to show up after she was seated at a table that had a circular booth type thing around it. Comfy! When the time came for him to show and he didn't, she didn't sweat it. He had a big office job, he was probably running late. Greed sometimes was two hours late. 20 minutes passed and he still wasn't there so she munched on a breadstick and checked her phone to see if maybe she'd missed a call saying he was running late. _____________________________________ When Theseus didn't show after at least half an hour Greed took his seat. She had the right idea with the breadsticks. He stole one (or two) while she looked around helplessly. "He's not coming." _____________________________________ Zoe didn't look thrilled but at least a little relieved to see Greed. She didn't argue about him beingthere just said, "You don't know that... maybe he got stuck at work." she was puling at straws. _____________________________________ "He's not stuck at work." Greed cracked open another breadstick as the waiter asked if they were ready to order. _____________________________________ Zoe said a bit more firmly, "You don't know that." she refused to give up on her grandfather. Any minute now he was going to walk up to them. She shok her head at waiter, "No, not yet." she was hungry but she'd wait. _____________________________________ "Well I want something to eat even if its an appetizer." The waiter stood kind of awkwardly not knowing what to do because when he tried to walk away Greed insisted he stay while he looked through the menu. He ended up with a side of cheesesticks and some cake. Who didnt need cake as an appetizer?
Hours passed and finally people were filtering out of the restaurant. Greed took a swallow if wine. "Still think he's coming? Because they look to be closing up." _____________________________________ Zoe didn't eat a thing, not even cake and everyone knew she loved cake. She couldn't meet Greed's eye as he pointed out that the place was closing and her grandfather was a no show. She only managed to lamely say, "He.. probably had a lot of work.." _____________________________________ "No, I think he stood you up." He wiped off his hands and gave the waiter no tip. "Come on, we're going home." She'd had enough humiliation for one day. He held out his hands, fully intent on dragging her to the car if he had to, chair and all. _____________________________________ It hurt to hear it and she shook her head, looking at his hands and not able to take them quite yet. "Maybe something happened to him." she needed to believe that. She finally looked at Greed with super sad eyes, "Please tell me something must have happened to him.." she was begging him to tell her this lie. _____________________________________ "In not lying for him." Greed said with a stern expression. He wasn't playing around. He was going to gut that fish of a man. "He'll have to tell his own lies the next time he sees you. If he shows up again." Greed was skeptical. _____________________________________ She looked like she'd been scolded and still sat there. Something must have happened to Theseus. He'd been so good. If he had a choice, he'd have come, right? Maybe Poseidon beat him up. "I have to his office." she was scared of Poseidon but she had to know if Theseus was there, or if he left to go see her. _____________________________________ Greed grabbed hold of her wrist. "No." What was that going to tell her? Nothing. "You can call him tomorrow." He was going to be firm in this. _____________________________________ She shook her head adamantly, "He won't pick up his cellphone, his work probably won't let me in..." she barely registered his hand on her wrist and then had an idea, "The docks." she looked at him with dread and hope in her eyes, "If he's still in NY, his boat will be there." and she stood up, she was ready to go to the beach despite it being so late at night. _____________________________________ "Zoe!" She was hungry for family, and she wouldn't stop until she had grabbed it. It was only going to tear her up if he wasn't there. Greed couldn't predict the future, but his gut told him this was a bad idea.
He let her take him to the docks, finding Theseus' boat, but it out wasn't roped to its post. _____________________________________ Zoe's heart started hammering faster when she saw the boat was gone, "Maybe.. maybe he got a new place to keep it.. maybe..." she didn't know what to say, maybe it was stolen? Maybe he went for a moonlight cruise? She looked at the choppy waves and then looked out at the ocean where not too far away she spotted a boat and she held her breath trying to determine if it was Theseus'..... maybe he left her. _____________________________________ "That's definitely his boat..." and from what Greed could see on the dock he wasn't alone. They were still within earshot, but he wasn't going to call out. _____________________________________ Zoe looked upset and agitated, her mouth opened. She wanted to yell.. something... she wanted to ask him if he was okay.. she wanted to call him names.. but in the end.. she couldn't say anything and the thing she hated most was happening to her. She was watching someone she loved walk away from her. Or well.. sail away. _____________________________________ Greed put his large hand against the side of her head to press her softly into his chest. She was upset now but he knew in minutes he'd have a soppy, wet mess of a girlfriend drowning in tears. He hoped wherever that bastard was going that he contracted some sexually transmitted disease in a foreign country that kept him bed ridden for weeks. Because obviously he wasn't alone and Greed had a nasty feeling it was Lust. That silhouette was hard to miss. _____________________________________ As the boat kept going, she barely registered Greed's comforting gesture at first, it was kinda like she was in a fog. When she snapped out of it, she felt his strong chest and smelled his warm scent, letting herself curl up in it. She bunched a fist in his shirt, feeling sick, probably a combination of not having eaten and the gut punch she felt right now. She watched the boat until it blended into the darkness between sky and sea. _____________________________________ It took him a while to pull her away, get her home and some food in her system. He threatened to tie her up in the dining room chair and force feed her if she didn't even eat a pile of Greek fries. It was either that or a bag of gummy worms. After he'd enticed her with food he moved on to the next step, getting her to sleep (after a few kisses) with the lure of him in nothing but boxers and a warm bed. There wasn't going to be any use in forcing her to talk for the night, he knew when kissing and cuddling was all she needed. _____________________________________ She insisted she wasn't hungry but ugh'd and gave in, eating enough of the fries to appease him and letting him soothe her with kisses to come to bed when sleep was the last thing on her mind. But she had to admit it felt nice to have him there, be in his bed, their bed. She was quiet but that's because her mind was loud and jumbled as she rested her head on him and idly traced the pattern his chest hair made, he had an unusual happy trail that went from the above straight down to join the smattering of hair on his stomach, but it was Greed, there was nothing usual about him. _____________________________________ When she remained too quiet, then he felt like something had to be said to break the silence. "Looking for the Big Dipper?" as she was tracing his stomach like it were a map of the stars. "I'll give you a little hint...." his voice hushed to a whisper, "it's a little lower." He wanted her to break out into a smile even if it was a tiny one. _____________________________________ She was jostled out of her thoughts at his voice, her hand stilled and she looked at him, trying to give him a smile but it died on the way to starting and she looked down at his skin again, "I'm sorry.." she kissed his chest, "I'm no fun..." she knew he hated when she got sad, but she couldn't help it and at the same time she felt under pressure to not be sad... Greed was all she had left, she wouldn't be able to handle him leaving too. _____________________________________ "I'm not cuddling a limp fish for the night...." his smile turned into a grumpy pout. He'd find a way to drag her out of the slump because it was killing the mood. He could tell her he told her so and rub it in her face but that tactic wasn't exactly the right one. "No, you aren't any fun....but there's some alcohol in my fridge if you feel inclined." He hoped she did for at least a sip or two---and this was the only time he was slipping his okay. They were in his apartment he had her locked up like this was the Windsor castle. As long as he was there to oversee it and she was snuggled up on his bed nothing bad could come of it. _____________________________________ She shot up off him and looked at him with wide eyes, her hair falling across one shoulder, "Really??" and she jumped up to scamper off the bed and into the kitchen. Yes, booze would fix everything. Or at least numb it till she didn't have to think about it anymore. _____________________________________ He hadn't expected that quick of a reaction. "What am I then? I'm not as tempting as a Smirnoff?" Insulting. He crawled to the end of the bed to peer at her through the hallway towards the kitchen but all he could hear was the refrigerator door open and he suddenly thought she might take more than the alcohol (even though there wasn't much in his fridge to begin with besides chocolate). "HEY!" he scrambled off his bed, barefoot and following her when she didn't return quite as quickly. _____________________________________ Her naked feet could be seen shuffling under the fridge door as she found the bottle of alcohol. No glass, nothing, by the time he got to the kitchen, she had that thing to her mouth and had chugged back a good couple of gulps of it. She'd only intended to take one gulp and let it help her sleep. But when that drink hit her belly like a ball of fire, the smoke of it sent a haze into her brain that said if you feel this good now, just wait till you take more.... _____________________________________ "Hey, hey, heeeeeeeyyyy!" Greed grabbed the bottle from her before she took another swig. He wiggled around the liquid with a shake of the bottle noticing that more than just a few sips were gone. "I didn't say you could have the whole thing!" He had plenty more but that wasn't the point. "Get your ass to bed." She wasn't allowed to drink all his alcohol. _____________________________________ She made a disgusted face because it didn't taste that great but when he took the bottle, she looked annoyed, "There's so much left!" and she stretched out her hands, trying to grab the bottle again, she needed just a little more... _____________________________________ "No, there isn't because you've had more than a few swallows." He wiggled it again stomping himself back in the bedroom and dragging her by the wrist with him. He wasn't trusting her alone with the fridge. She was bound to walk out with a handful of drinks and that was HIS stash. Maybe tea would have been a better option. Maybe then he could have slipped her something else. The problem was her attention was on that bottle and not him at all! _____________________________________ "Hey!" she whined when he dragged her along, her feet stumbling over each other a little, "I did not.. I had... come on! You have like... so much!" she hiccuped and covered her mouth with her hand, "Gimme..." and she practically started climbing on him to grab at the bottle. _____________________________________ There was only one way to solve that problem. He'd have to finish off this bottle himself. He pushed her back with his hand, arm stretched out to keep her out of reach. "No, you've had enough." So, he'd told her she could have some and now he'd changed his mind. He could do that, this was his apartment. _____________________________________ She smacked him but it was more like birds wings flapping and she literally jumped on his front like a reeses monkey, arm around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist as she used her free arm to reach for the bottle, "Gimme!" they were gonna crash if he didn't keep them upright. _____________________________________ "You make me drop this bottle on the floor you're cleaning it up with a toothbrush." She wiggled all over him, causing him to hold his arms out so he could hold his balance. Between her and those flailing arms he wasn't going to be able to hold his feet on the ground. They were playing a game of twister in the air, and eventually the bottle slipped from his hand and rolled onto the floor, magically without smashing into a million pieces. He fully expected it to roll out the other side of the bed, but it didn't. It stopped right in the middle of the fucking bed. _____________________________________ "Just gimme it and then you don't--" she gasped when he dropped it and watched it roll and roll and... it didn't come out the other side, "Nooooooo..." she whined and got off him, getting to the floor and peeking under the bed, she wriggled around and stuck her arm under the bed, stretching with a grunt but her fingers didn't reach but she kept trying, her butt wiggling in the air. _____________________________________ He wasn't small enough to wiggle around under that bed. "Move it!" It didn't mean he wasn't going to try, which he did, using his leg then his arm to try and grab the bottle that was too far out of reach. There was a whole case of those in the fridge, and while Greed was down on his back trying to grab at air she had a clear shot for it. _____________________________________ She looked at him with his leg and arm under the bed and then narrowed her eyes, hadn't he said he had more? Maybe... while he was still rummaging with his big limbs, she scrambled to her feet, scampering away back to the kitchen to go for the fridge and see if he had more booze in it. _____________________________________ She was no more quiet than an elephant thumping on his hardwood floors. Not everywhere had carpet and he knew just where she was headed. "Zoe!" he wiggled out from under the bed, getting stuck for a minute but by that time she probably already had another fresh bottle in her hand. Once he was on his feet he stormed into the kitchen with a serious look on his face. "Stop it. Now." His jaw clenched really getting agitated. _____________________________________ She did have a fresh bottle in her hand and pouted, looking like a petulant child and staying at the other end of the kitchen, "No." she said flatly and kept her grip on the bottle, trying hard to look serious too but there was a glaze to her eyes and she hiccuped loudly. She had had the worst night and she needed this. Why couldn't he let her have this? _____________________________________ "Put it down." He pointed to the kitchen counter expecting her to do as he said. Then he wouldn't be out of another drink. "Is it really better than me?" What did she want more, him or the booze? "One more swallow and you're not sleeping in my bed with me tonight." _____________________________________ She looked really hurt when he gave his ultimatum. She then had a burst of anger, "You can't be right AND get the bottle!" and fuck him, she didn't need him, she had the bottle and she didn't need the bed. She stormed (stumbled) into the entertainment room, she could sleep on the couch. Jerkface... except he wasn't really. She was just upset and had nowhere to take it out on. But it wasn't fair.. he couldn't be right about Theseus and then take away her only escape from it, he couldn't get all the things in one night. It wasn't fair. _____________________________________ He was hurt that she wanted that more than him. "Are you-----seriously?" She chose to not sleep with him for the night? No warmth, no playing footsie, or kisses and hand holding. She'd rather have a Smirnoff over him? "Fine!" He stormed back into the kitchen, grabbed two more bottles and into his bedroom where he pulled a couple of pillows off bed. If she was going to sleep on the couch, he was going to camp out on the floor and warch Zombie movies. _____________________________________ She curled up into a ball on the big couch, clutching that bottle but after one drink, she kinda wasn't feeling it anymore. She was surprised when he came in and started setting up camp on the floor in front of the sofa, "What are you doing!?" she kicked her feet out, she would have stamped them but she was lying down. She didn't want to see his stupid face. _____________________________________ He settled down comfortably, stealing the blanket from the back of the couch and made his little cot on the floor. He ignored her question and flipped on the giant screen with his remote. He left it on one of those late night horror flicks and popped open his own bottle off Smirnoff. This one she wouldn't take away. _____________________________________ He knew that she didn't do well with horror movies and he was being such an ass! She smacked his shoulder from behind from her elevated position, "Turn that off! If you don't, I'm gonna go sleep in the bed instead." but she was already backing up against the couch cushions with the scary movie music.. there was no way in hell she'd spend the night alone in the bed, in another ROOM... _____________________________________ "Go right ahead..." he waved to the open door, the dark hallway inviting her with its secret corners and looming shadows. He flipped his head back with a swig of liquid fire siren his throat. He was baiting her so she would be in his lap and not hugging her bottle. _____________________________________ She whined when he called her bluff, just looking at the dark hallway was creeping her out. "I hate you." she said in a childish voice and kept her own bottle tight to her. She wasn't in his lap yet... but she was in a ball on the sofa right behind him, peeking at the screen. _____________________________________ "The bed is waiting for you." He was teasing her horribly just to get what he wanted. The scream on the screen was silenced by a man with a knife and buckets of blood. It wasn't a proper horror flick without excess amounts of blood. _____________________________________ "Channnce!" she whined in an upset voice and smacked him again, when she got an eyeful because the scream took her attention, she made a disgusted/scared noise and slid down onto the floor. She burrowed into his side, hiding her face in his chest but still keeping her bottle to her chest. _____________________________________ He's given her the ultimatum, but she still hasn't let go of the bottle, abd he wouldn't be satisfied until she did. The screen went black, quiet, then another blood curdling scream. _____________________________________ She wasn't thinking about the ultimatum, she kinda didn't remember it. He had a bottle, she had a bottle. She wasn't letting go but she squished into his side some more, using his hulking frame to hide her face from the screen. She wanted to forget tonight and well, now she was. _____________________________________ Zombies started to crawl out of nowhere looking like they could jump through the screen into the room with them both. He finished off his bottle and started on the second one as she cowered into burrowed like a rabbit. He made a grab for her bottle so he could coax her into his lap. _____________________________________ She kept her eyes from the screen but hen he pulled on that bottle, her grip was tight, "I'll give you this if you let me pretend about him tonight.." she said. "I can't... no, not right and the bottle." and she hiccuped. It was too much. She either got to ignore reality tonight or she got to get drunk. _____________________________________ He kept his hand on the bottle. "So use me, not the alcohol. Do whatever you want." He wasn't being sexually cute. If she wanted to slam her fists into his chest she could do that too. _____________________________________ She hiccuped again and her grip slackened but didn't let go, "Will you.. let me pretend tonight... and not make me face the truth till tomorrow?" she was putting it off as if that'd make a difference, they both knew it wouldn't but she wanted to run from it anyway, "Can we pretend that he left to..." hiccup "...get me a birthday present... he missed my birthday..." _____________________________________ "I want you to be mad if you really want to be mad. Or cry if you really want to cry." He wasn't really going to bandaid it and cover it up. "It's not going to change in the morning, it's still going to be the same as it is tonight." Greed wasn't one hundred percent certain that Lust was on that boat with Theseus, but if she was he made that bargain himself.
And Greed was gonna kill him. _____________________________________ She shook her head adamantly, "No... tonight is different. I swear! Tonight is... I just can't handle it tonight. I will tomorrow." she nodded even though she knew he was right, tomorrow was going to be no different but the thing was tomorrow was not right now. Tomorrow was far off. It was a problem for Future Zoe and she'd hate to be future Zoe but this mess was that poor girl's problem, not hers. "See I figured it out... he didn't stop because he wanted my present to be a surprise.." her hand let go of the bottle to do spirit fingers in the air with both her hands. But her tone suggested she was even having a hard time believing it. _____________________________________ "You're not making any sense." He used the opportunity to seize the bottle though and get it out of her reach. "No more booze tonight." He fingered her hair at the ends with a heavy sigh. "I saw someone else on that boat." He finally said. If he kept that back then tomorrow was really going to be a shitstorm. _____________________________________ "No.. it makes total sense. He missed my birthday and he knew he was going to see me so he felt bad," she knew her birthday had been months ago and she'd seen Theseus since then but her alcohol marinated brain was telling her this made sense, "So he decided to go get me a present... and it was so special he went on his boat.. and when he saw me, he pretended he didn't because then it would have... would have..." she trailed off and looked at him, "...who?" she looked hopeful, "Someone kidnapped him?" _____________________________________ "No, someone that would make us both angry to know is there." He didn't say her name, in this state Zoe would liquidate in his lap if he did. At one time he'd wanted to get her drunk and calm her nerves. Now he wanted her to stop so that she could face this and not run from it in circles like Theseus was doing. He realized it was in her blood, but he realized he was the only thing that could ground her when she needed it the most. _____________________________________ She kept staring at him and then her eyes widened, "Ohmygod... Derek kidnapped my grandpa?" she made a face, "Why would he do that....?" she wasn't feeling so hot and her head fell against his arm, "He's trying to steal my present..." _____________________________________ "Not Derek. She was with him. My sister." The words she would hate him for. Let her hate him. She needed to confront some emotion. _____________________________________ Zoe's cheek stayed plastered to the skin of his bicep as she frowned, "Wrath? I thought she was with Saint George.. did they break up? My grandpa doesn't seem her type..." he ran away from fights. He ran away from a lot of things. "Maybe she's helping him buy my present." she added as an afterthought, her voice a little slurred. _____________________________________ "Not Wrath, not Pride, not the Sloth hybrid. The sister whose name you don't want to say." He knew she was in lala land in her head but he wanted her to think realistically for a moment or he'd have drool to wipe off his arm. _____________________________________ Zoe frowned in confusement and it took her a few moments, she counted the fingers on one hand as if counting the sins and then she took Greed's hand and counted one of his fingers and drew in a breath and looked at him as if she finally got it, "Gluttony became a girl." she gave a sloppy smile and touched his cheek, kissing the opposite one, "Mazeltov." _____________________________________ "Glutt is MIA and last I checked he was a boy. Youre thinking of Sloth not Lust." There that finalized it. She was making no sense so he just curled her into his arms. _____________________________________ When she was in his arms and he dropped the bomb, she didn't say anything and then all she said was, "No." she rejected it. So it wasn't real. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes.