Seven deadly sins
Sloth
Collins snuggled into Angel's shoulder, pulling the squishy duvet further around them both. He watched the slow rise and fall of her breathing as she lay contently in the depths of sleep. He sighed happily. Sleep or more specifically sleep with Angel was one of life's little pleasures.
The mid-September sun shone weakly through their threadbare curtains, the morning air was cold and crisp, Collins felt it as he poked his toes out from beneath the warm blankets. It must have been about time for him to get up and get ready for NYU.
Sure enough, just as Collins was drifting back into a soft slumber and dreams of his Angel their battered alarm clock, that stood on the blue milk crate they still used as a bedside table, rang shrieking through the silence.
Collins groaned softly and reached up to slam down the button on top of the alarm.
He really should get up.
He had an early class, a lecture to prepare and then about sixty papers to grade. Collins' deep brown eyes were drawn back to the sleeping body beside him. She really was beautiful, last nights mascara a little smudged around her eyes that fluttered through her dream. Angel's legs were entangled with his and their heads shared the same scruffy pillow. He heard her mutter something that sounded oddly like, "Evita noooo!" Collins let out a chuckle, this was the only place her wanted to be.
He felt Angel gently pull gently on his arms, clasping them tighter around her slim waist.
Collins smiled, "Just five more minutes."
Wrath
"Please. Mark please! Just one more hit, I promise, it'll be the last one, I just need-"
"Go back inside Roger" Mark's voice was tired and strained. He was pale, thinner than he had been. And Roger, Roger's bones jutted out through his papery thin skin, his face was gaunt, his body shook as cold fingers with their bitten nails reached towards Mark's arm.
"Just one more, you don't understand Mark, I just want to-" Roger shuddered falling back against the wall, his whole body ached, his veins were empty. Gaining strength from somewhere he stood up to face Mark,
"Let me past."
"No." Mark's answer was simple. He had spent all night every night for the past month sitting up with Roger, holding him through the sweats and shakes, whispering that it would all be over soon, he had had enough of the scars, enough of the bruises, and he wasn't going to-
"Let me past!"
Roger's voice was louder now, his eyes desperate. He slammed Mark back against the wall. Who was Mark to tell him what to do? What made him so fucking perfect?
He wasn't expecting the fist in his face.
But Mark was weak, weak from days watching Roger 24/7 taking shifts with Collins so that Roger wouldn't sneak off to buy smack. Weak from watching his best friend slip away.
Roger didn't think- he just wanted to stop feeling. Before he knew what was happening he felt Mark's head hit the floor with a sickening crack. Roger stared at his bloody fist in disbelief. Guilt started to creep through his veins, he needed to block it out, he needed the drug.
Mark moaned something, his head twitching; Roger was about to leave, about to escape his pain.
"Roger please," Mark groaned, "remember-"
Roger remembered, two skinny boys, one with a guitar slung over his shoulder one with a camera clasped to his chest, on their first day in New York.
Roger's face was pale, he ran a trembling hand through his short hair "We met Collin's in that bar" he said softly, "and he said-"
"he said you should always remember who your friends are" a deep voice finished his sentence.
Roger turned to see Collins standing behind him his eyes dark and full of anger.
"Look what you've done to him Roger"
Roger reached out a shaking hand to touch Mark's frozen cheek. Blood was still oozing from the wound on the back of his head. Roger dropped the needle he was holding.
"I'm sorry Mark," he sobbed, "I'm so sorry."
Gluttony
"Did you eat?"
"Hey! Maybe we could all go to Tompkins Square Park later! It's lovely this time of year. I'll bring the basket ball, you can call Angel and-"
"Don't change the subject Maureen."
"Pookie! I'm not changing anything, well except maybe the lighting for the show cos to be honest-"
"Maureen! You haven't eaten anything since yesterday's dinner."
Silence
"Well umm, Pookie I gotta go, someone's just arrived with something I really can't put off, I mean… Bye!"
Joanne sighed and hung up the phone; she had to find a way to get Maureen eating again. She had talked to Mark about it; Maureen had always been like this. She didn't understand why, as far as she was concerned Maureen was beautiful, and she always would be, fat or thin. Soft chocolate coloured curls, brown eyes that glittered and sparkled daring people to come nearer to her. Whenever Maureen entered a room the whole place lit up, like she was being followed by her own personal spotlight. So why was she so insecure? Whenever Joanne got close to the subject Maureen would suddenly realise that she had something very urgent to finish that absolutely couldn't wait. Joanne slumped backwards in her chair and clicked her ball point pen, there had to be something she could do. She wanted her Maureen back, not the panicky, paranoid stick figure that ran around counting calories and cutting meals.
Maureen was already home when Joanne arrived, the lawyer watched her rush out of the bathroom shoving the plastic scales that she had bought for $3 at someone's yard sale underneath the sink with her foot, hoping that no one would notice.
"Hey baby!" Maureen smiled and wrapped her arms around Joanne's waist.
Joanne smiled weakly, "How was your day?"
"Fine" Maureen brushed the question off, "but I'm much more interested in what's going on with you," Maureen smiled seductively slipping her fingers beneath the waistline of Joanne's office suit.
Then it hit her, an idea! Joanne smiled mischievously, "Go and wait for me in the bedroom," she whispered, kissing Maureen's earlobe softly.
Maureen looked confused,
"I'll be right there," Joanne assured her.
As Maureen made her way to the bedroom Joanne ransacked the kitchen, grabbing strawberries, grapes, chocolate, honey and cream.
"If this doesn't get her to eat then nothing will."
Two hours later the two lovers lay together surrounded by strawberry stalks, empty chocolate wrappers and a can of whipped cream. Joanne smiled at the thought of how beautiful her lover looked, laughing, healthy and happy with whipped cream and melted chocolate smudged across her lips.
Size zero was way overrated.
A/N: so, that's sloth, wrath and gluttony, hope you liked! There's still pride, greed, envy and lust to come, but if there are any to specific characters you'd like to see together for that one then please tell me, cos I'm having trouble picking! Feedback is always appreciated, see that button? Know it. Use it. Love it. xx