-Halfway-
A/N A sequel of sorts . . . .
Disclaimer: I am in no way affliated with Warner Brothers or Static Shck's creator.
Rating: T
Warnings: Strong language, sexual implications
Ebon isn't exactly sure what this thing with Shiv is. He knows that it really fucking pisses him off every time Shiv does that thing he does, the overly-friendly, let-me-hang-off-every-thug-in-the-joint thing that he's always done, ever since Ebon met him three years ago, and it really shouldn't. It shouldn't because every night the only thug Shiv is hanging onto is him, and that status ain't changing any time soon.
Theresa does her little "men are such fucking morons" mutter every time he ends up in someone's face at the dive bar they go to, but what does she know? It ain't her boy wrapped around someone else's neck, it's Ebon's, and this is how it's handled.
Except Shiv is getting quiet, which is all sorts of fucked up.
"You know, jealousy is really irritating." Shiv is in a rare moment of seriousness, his head turned from Ebon's, and he actually looks mad.
Ebon shrugs and kisses that spot on Shiv's neck, where there's sensitive scar tissue, but Shiv keeps up the bitch routine. Frustrated, Ebon pulls back, one hand on either side of Shiv's head. "You don't like jealousy, don't be going around with everyone in the place right in front of me."
"You're the only one here, so why do you care?" And Ebon has always had a quick temper, so the next words out of his mouth are not well thought out.
"Well I ain't always here, am I?" It could have been interpreted in two ways, either him calling Shiv a whore, or him saying that he'd been with someone else, but whatever way Shiv took it, Ebon ended up being shoved off.
"Go away." It sounds so whiny it makes Ebon want to shake him but he refrains, and just goes back to his own, unslept-in-for-awhile area of the hideout.
He distinctly hears Theresa mutter her new trademark.
Shiv freezes him out for a week before they pull another heist and go back to the dive to pawn, and drink a bit. Ebon's playing pool, and keeping an eye on Shiv at the same time.
If that mother-fucker puts his hand any closer to Shiv, Ebon's going to warp him into the kennels where the cops keep those damn dogs of theirs. He knows it's not right to think of Shiv as a possession, but still he can't help it.
He nearly puts the cue aside to go carry out the idle thought, but then the mother-fucker leans real close, right in Shiv's ear, and says something that makes Shiv smile. Ebon turns and goes back to the game.
Fuck him.
They go home and Shiv and Ebon go to their respective beds, though Shiv gives Ebon a look of questioning that only Theresa sees.
After an hour of hearing Shiv tossing and turning, she's had enough. She glides down from her nest in the ceiling to Shiv and angrily pulls back his curtain. He squeaks like a kid, and pulls his covers up.
Theresa rolls her eyes. Oh yeah, great defense.
What a moron.
"Stop it and go over to him." Shiv sticks his tongue out. "Do it before I claw your eyes out!" He hastily scrambles up and pads over to Ebon's area, but looks back at her. She makes impatient 'go on' gestures before swooping back into the ceiling.
Hopefully they'll have sex then shut up and go to sleep.
Shiv is cold now. It was a lot warmer with shared body heat.
Ebon's still an asshole though.
But Theresa is scary, so Shiv pulls back the curtain and ends up sitting tailor-style on the floor by Ebon. Who is not sleeping.
He's sitting up and glaring.
"What do you want?" Really, Shiv does not have the attention span for this. He's mad, but he's much colder then mad, and Theresa didn't give him time to grab a shirt (the bitch, not that he's dumb enough to ever say that out loud), so he crawls into bed with Ebon, up against his nice warm body.
Much better, he grins gleefully.
Ebon wants to be pissed, but Shiv is pressed up to him, one leg making it's way in between his, the way he always curls up to Ebon at night.
And it's distracting.
Besides, Shiv is cold.
He pulls the psycho to him and settles down. Shiv mumbles something like "you're an ass" but he still buries his head in Ebon's shoulder and presses up to him like Ebon is a toy or a pillow or something.
And it's nice.
And that terrifies Ebon.
Shiv is his boy yeah, but they don't do this, this quiet, 'yeah, you're here, so I can sleep okay' thing that couples do, because they aren't really a couple, are they?
"Guy at the bar said I could do better." Shiv mumbles. "Said you were a jealous asshole." Ebon finds his anger again and nearly shoves Shiv away, but Shiv just never shuts up. "'Told him it was okay though. Haven't really got anything to be jealous of. You're better looking." He raises his head, and Ebon can see he's half asleep. He kisses Ebon. "Besides, I'm the only one who gets to call you a jealous asshole. Told him to fuck off because I'm picky and you're the only one up to standard." It's said so childishly, it's unbelievable that it came out of a seventeen-year-old.
But it's Shiv. And Shiv is always childish and moody. He's already put his head back down, like Ebon is a pillow, and Ebon's pretty sure he's already asleep.
He's really not sure what this thing with Shiv is, but he is sure that Shiv is warm and loyal and moody and possibly insane, and Ebon is afraid that he might be completely attached and halfway in love with him.
