This is based on a RP done between me and Earl-Hayate on gaiaonline. I do not own FMA.
And as I said in the summery, the Greed x OC pairing was not intentional or planned. It just happened. Sorry. bow bow
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Envy sat at a table just outside a coffee shop, looking out into the streets of Germany. He had escaped from the gate, finally. Not to seek revenge on the pipsqueak. No, he was dead long ago. The world on this side of the gate had changed. Everything was advanced.
He blew a stray green lock from his face. Luckily he wasn't forced back into his true form. He still was the same green-haired homunculus he always was. Now he wore a ragged pair of jeans and a faded black T-Shirt. Looking over his cup of tea at the newspaper he read the date on the heading.
November 14th, 2006.
Greed hadn't questioned why he was still alive, what did it matter as long as he was still present? Though it had taken him a while to get used to the new feel of life, but it was needless to say that he loved the endless supply of new things to own and limitless freedom. He sped down the now paved roads in a black motorcycle, a nameless blonde woman's arms circled around his waist. Coming to stop next to a pleasant little coffee shop as he bid his lady friend goodbye in vulgar manner, not caring about the sideward glances and glares.
Nudging out the kickstand to the bike he swung his legs over it also, pulling out a cigarette as he slid his modern day sunglasses up onto his forehead. A satisfied smirk was plastered on his face as he took a seat at a random table with his newly lit cigarette. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, grabbing up a menu as he crossed his legs on top of the table. "No booze…hu-" He stopped in mid-sentence catching a look at the green haired man in front of him.
He...looks…almost exactly... He thought to himself, not being able to tear his eyes away from the other.
Envy's attention was too focused on scrutinizing the newspaper in front of him to notice the motorcycle, or the rider for that matter. His boots tapped the cement to an unheard beat as he flipped another page. As a waft of cigarette smoke reached his nose, he wrinkled slightly at the unwelcome smell and turned around to look for who it was smoking. His eyes rested on Greed, who also seemed to have noticed him. His face went from blank shock, to unpleasant confusion to rage in a matter of seconds.
"Greed?" he growled, hoping to whatever gods there were that he was wrong.
Greed narrowed his eyes, letting the menu in his hands fall back to the tabletop in front of him as he pulled his legs off the small piece of furniture as well. He brought the cigarette back to his lips, still trying to decide how to approach this new problem as he inhaled another thick strand of smoke. On the outside he tried to seem unaffected, but on the inside he was trying desperately to think of other ways there could be someone who looked identical to Envy without the person actually being Envy himself. The very last thing he wanted was to share his new and delightful world with him...
"Greed?" His name was growled out with the same hatred he could feel rising in himself.
"Envy…" He seethed out, his hands balling into fists as his hope averted into anger.
Envy let his lips form their familiar smirk as he leaned back into the chair, still keeping his body facing Greed. The younger wrinkled his nose in disgust, watching Envy's lips form the smirk he'd been familiar with since the beginning of his existence. "So, it seems you aren't as stupid as you look, little brother. Finally got out?" he sneered at him, using Greed's old nickname.
It seemed that the elder homunculi wasn't making a move, and even though his blood was boiling, Greed didn't either. He rolled his cigarette in his hands, his mouth twitching into a smug smile as he blew out smoke in Envy's direction. He had to stifle a laugh as he watched the cloud of gray surround Envy, then evaporate into the air.
"Ne... shouldn't I be asking the questions?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. "Don't tell me you're upset because you didn't find that Daddy of yours?"
Greed's grin widen slightly as he noticed his brother's darkened expression after the question. Envy turned his head away ever so slightly.
"Don't try and play that card Greed. I found him alright. And I killed him; he's as good as gone." Turning his gaze back to his little brother he said, "So what are you doing here anyways? Still bent on your stupid goal to get everything?"
He took a moment to admire Envy's clothes as he continued to smoke. There were real questions he was dying to ask but he became distracted by the little game he and Envy were playing.
"Of course..." He narrowed his eyes still. "And what? You've decided to become just a regular citizen.. Reading newspapers and drinking tea…" He grimaced rolling his eyes. "How boring…"
Envy scowled at him, recognizing the validity of his statement. Now that Hoenhiem was dead, along with his sons, he had lost a purpose in life. Now here was Greed to point that out to him. Stupid, pathetic...
He made himself calm down. He wasn't gonna let Greed when this contest of seeing who would break first.
"Like you're one to talk. As far as I can see, you're no better than you were when you left old Dante," he sneered back.
Hearing Envy speak of Dante left a bad taste in Greed's mouth, though he did take pleasure in that fact that he gotten under the other man's skin. He leaned back on the heels on the chair, tossing the cigarette behind himself as his smile seeped into another glare.
"At least I'm not wandering around like a lost puppy without a master to bark orders at me..." His tone was as cold as ice as he spoke.
Envy let out a scoff of distain. Standing up he left his money on the table. "Oh, so you're gonna be my master now? Sorry Greed, I position's been filled by me." turning his back on him, he sneered, "Get lost. Go find someone else to bother." he walked away, hoping to put as much distance between them as possible before his rage got the better of him.
Greed leaned back up putting the chair back on all fours before he stood, shoving his hands in his pockets while he watched the green haired figure retreat. His eyes burned holes into Envy's back as the elder walked away, then he sighed chuckling to himself slightly.
"Alright, run away then…" he sneered. "It suits you."
Envy turned, his temper reaching a breaking point. Turning around, he launched himself forward, and grabbed Greed by the collar. "Let me remind you, little brother," he snarled, "That here you've lost to ability to use a shield or regenerate instantly. So I suggest, you keep your smart-ass comments to yourself."
Greed was a little startled when he felt Envy grab his collar, he narrowed his eyes listening to the threatening tone of his older brother. "Yeah? Well you can't transform either…" He shoved Envy off of him, brushing off his black T-shirt as if the other man had left unseen dirt. "I'd keep that in mind… seeing as how I'm almost twice your size."
Envy scowled, "Just stay out of my way, baby brother" he snarled. He really was pissed that Greed was imposing on his life like this. No matter how boring and frustratingly ordinary it had turned, he would rather go back to the gate then have to deal with Greed.
Greed laughed in a dark sort of way; normally he'd be enjoying himself. The way the world had changed was just to his liking, in this day and age money made the world go round, it was as if it were his time to shine. But now Envy had made his way back into his life...which was not something he took pleasure in.
"Shut up.. You can't boss me around here." He spit onto the street, glaring at Envy. "Go live your average and pathetic life somewhere else..."
Envy turned, but left. He was fuming as he made his way back to his apartment. He hated loosing. That's what had happened; he had lost. No matter how petty of stupid their game was, he had broken first and lost. And Greed...
He shook the thoughts from his mind. He was going to forget Greed. He wasn't going to ever voluntarily get near the homunculus again.
Greed huffed in satisfied manner when Envy left, glad to be rid of the elder. He'd had enough of Envy to last him a life even before today's encounter. He stalked away from the forgotten coffee shop, mounting his bike as he tried to rid himself of the image of greed dreadlocks and evil amethyst eyes.
"Alone at last…" He smirked, pulling his sunglasses back down over his eyes.
A police car pulled out of its spot in a parking lot as Greed's motorcycle sped by. The sirens were ablaze and whining as he trailed after him. It wasn't because he was speeding or anything normal. He looked similar to the description given this morning of a thief. Trailing behind, the officer hoped he would comply. The last thing he needed was for this to become a chase.
Greed narrowed his gaze as he looked in his rearview mirror noticing the red and blue lights flashing around him. He knew he wasn't speeding so he pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, wondering what the officer wanted. "What now..." He muttered under his breath, turning off his bike.
The police officer heaved out a relieved sigh and parked the car behind the cycle. Getting out he went to the cyclist, hand resting on his gun. "Are you Greed?" he asked in a serious tone. These criminals he thought, always with the weird nicknames...
"Maybe..." He started, "Just depends on who wants to know." His playful tone went along with a grin. He couldn't help toying with people; it was just part of who he was. "Alright," He shrugged his shoulders, his smug grin still present as he chuckled dryly. "I'm Greed..." He nodded, noticing the man's soft grip on his gun. "But what I don't understand is who you are...and why you're tapping that lovely little hand-gun I see there.."
The police officer scowled at Greed's tone, "You're under arrest for the theft of the Nethlac from the Berlin museum," he informed him sternly, slapping a handcuff on Greed's hand…
An officer slammed the door to Greed's cell, locking it."You are allowed to make one phone call," he informed him as he put in a phone book through the food slot. "Choose wisely, you bail is around 2,000 Euros," he snickered before closing the slot and walking away.
Greed glared, sticking up a choice finger. He looked down at the phone book before sighing, his eyes closed as he rubbed the back of his head. "What a pain..." He grumbled, remembering the downsides of living in a world where he no longer had his original power. Then he realized he'd have to call someone.
He thought for a moment, of course he had all kinds of people he knew, but they were more like fans rather than friends. And his desire for status wouldn't allow him to ruin his reputation by asking for any kind of help. Suddenly a thought came to mind…
Picking up the phonebook he flipped through the pages, stopping at a name he'd once heard Envy mention. He dialed the number with a sour expression, not believing that he'd actually had to stoup this low.
"Pick up, damnit..." He mumbled as he dialed Envy's phone number.
Envy had not yet returned to his apartment, but Manny was there. She was the girl from down the hall who cleaned the apartments for a little extra money. Envy never minded her much. She was annoying to him with her perky nature and borderline repulsive in her constant innocence, but she didn't ask him anything about his personal life or touch any of his things while cleaning so their relationship remained neutral.
Manny jumped as the phone rang. No one ever called here. Picking up she timidly asked, "Um...hello?"
Greed's eyebrow rose when heard a female voice answer the phone. Since when did Envy have a girlfriend? "Hello is Env-... Er, William, there?" He asked, stumbling over the new name while hoping the other homunculus was around. He'd only get one phone call, and if no one came to bail him out he was stuck for the night.
Then again he didn't know what Envy would actually say…let alone if he'd come bail him out of jail.
"Um...he's not--" Manny stopped as Envy stormed into the apartment. "Oh Mr. Elric." she said, putting her hand over the phone.
"It's Envy," he growled. The last thing he needed to hear right now was his last name.
"Oh, right. The phone's for you."
Envy wrinkled his nose. "Who is it?"
"Um..." she put the phone back to her ear. "Who's this?"
Greed leaned back on the wall behind him wondering if he should actually give his real name. There was a good chance once Envy found out who it was that he would hang up, or tell the woman to do it for him. A small chuckle escaped him when he heard the female voice address Envy as 'Mr. Elric', the name reminding him of the blonde headed boy who'd almost ended his life in their own world.
"It's Greed…"
Manny looked up, repeating the name to Envy.
The green-haired sin's scowl deepened. "Let me see." he said, hoping this was just some sick, coincidental joke. "What?"
Greed snickered slightly, grinning as he spoke. "Do you have 2,000 Euros to spare?" He asked, having no shame in asking. If Envy didn't bail him out it meant spending some time with more people like himself, something that he didn't know whether to be glad about or not. "I've seemed to have gotten into a little trouble, that's all… I need someone to bail me out."
Envy could hear that grin. Ignoring the question, instead he barked, "How the hell did you get this number?" He was fuming that Greed was asking him for money after today.
Greed's grin widened slightly, when Envy was upset it usually meant that he'd gotten under the man's skin. "I looked it up, William…"
Envy's hand slammed on the table. "Don't call me that!" he snarled. Getting control of his massive anger he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What'd you do? Bad night at poker or great night with hooker?"
Manny took this as a good time to leave and scurried out the door.
"No…apparently I've stolen something that I didn't steal." It felt unusual to say such a thing; it was even hard for Greed to believe it.
"Something you didn't steal? Wow, I didn't know such a thing existed..."
2k? Envy had money to spare thanks to the inheritance he got from Hoenhiem. But bailing Greed out?
"No way in hell." he finally seethed. "Now don't ever call me again." This conversation was over.
Greed frowned, not that he was surprised by Envy's reply, he'd expected as much. But the thought of being locked in a cell didn't thrill him; even now he was getting a bit edgy. After being sealed away for 140 years, who could blame him for not liking being caged? "Never call again, eh?" He glared at nothing in particular. "We could play phone tag until you bail me out, if you like…"It wasn't much of a threat, but there was really nothing more that he could offer.
The idea of Greed calling him over and over wasn't pleasing. And knowing Greed, he's find a way to do it. "Well little brother, what's in it for me? Other than you paying me back my 2k plus interest of course." he asked, his rage settling slightly. The wheels in his mind began turning, digging up countless things he could get Greed to do.
Greed's eyes narrowed, not liking the idea of giving something to Envy. He'd been given orders before, and it just didn't seem to suit him to obey. "Ngh, what's in it for you?" He said more to himself than the man on the other line. "What is it that you want?" He asked, gritting his teeth. Of course he knew he'd have to pay Envy back, or then he'd never be rid of him. But doing something else for him? Not a welcoming thought.
Envy's grin widened on the other line. "Respect." he said in a taunting tone. "If I bail you out, you have to start calling me 'big-brother'."
Greed's eyes went wide, and he was glad Envy wasn't there to gloat. He could either stay in jail, or call his sworn enemy 'big brother'? A sigh escaped him, never being one to turn down a good deal, even if he wasn't happy with the results. Being Greed he did whatever it took to get what he wanted, and right now he wanted to be free again. "Fine…big brother…" He spoke the last words flatly with little emotion.
"Then it's a deal." Envy said. "I'll be down there to bail you out in a little while." and gloat...he added silently. Greed calling him big-brother was the fulfillment of pure revenge.
Hanging up he left his apartment. The jail was far enough that he'd have to drive. Putting his keys into the ignition of his black supra, he headed down to the jail, unable to wait to see the look on Greed's face after their new 'deal'
Greed slammed the phone down, crossing his arms as he continued to glare at the bars around him. "Damnit…" He mumbled to himself, not happy about the deal he'd just made. Calling someone your older brother was a way to show status and respect…which meant he was lower than Envy. "What a load of crap…" He continued to grumble to himself, waiting for the elder man to come bail him out of jail.
He didn't have to wait long. Envy parked and went in. After informing the front officer of his business there and paying the bail, he was escorted to Greed's cell. Looking down at the younger he leered, "You were locked in a cell for nearly a century and you still haven't learned your lesson, Greed?" he said, bringing back the old conversation from Yok island what seemed ages ago.
Greed looked up from where he sat, the look on Envy's face making his stomach churn in a disgusted sort of way. "At least I had a mind of my own…" He said, glaring at the outside of his cage. "Did you come here to gloat, or to bail me out?" He asked, wanting to be released as soon as possible. Being kept in a closed area was making him feel trapped, and that wasn't one of his favorite feelings.
"Now now, is that any way to address your big brother?" he taunted as the officer opened the cell door.
"This way." the officer said, leading them back to the front desk. Greed gritted his teeth as he rose off the bench, shoving his hands into his pockets as he finally exited the cell. Though he didn't let it show, he was relieved to be out, now feeling more like himself again. "Pft..." He scoffed, "Some big brother…" He said to himself.
Neither Envy or the policeman acknowledged him. The policeman handed Envy a large legal document.
He gave it a detested look. "What's this?"
"A liability contract. Since you are the one who bail out Mr. um…Greed, you are responsible for him making it to trail."
Envy snorted as he signed the paper. "Don't worry I'll make sure my baby brother gets there alright." he shoved it back to the officer.
"He is also to be under your supervision until the trial." Greed rolled his eyes. Who said he was going to show up anyway? Though he'd be happy to take credit for someone else's crime, he didn't want to go back in another cell.
Envy paused. "What?" he sputtered.
A rather large and smug grin appeared on Greed's face. "Oh, how the tables have turned.." He said, giving Envy a sideward glance, flashing his toothy grin at his elder brother.
Envy glared at Greed as the younger grinned at him like some Parana. Scowling he turned. "This is so not my day." he muttered as he made his way towards the door. Having Greed stay with him for who knew how long? Who were they kidding?...
Grudgingly opening his car door, he got in. Seriously contemplating driving off without Greed. But of course, Greed knew his number, so he knew his address. Envy cursed in German.
Like a good younger brother Greed followed, feeling very full of himself as he opened the elder man's car door and plopped down on the seat. "Can't wait to see where you live, big brother..." He chuckled, throwing his hands behind his head as he leaned back into the chair.
Envy glared daggers at Greed. The tables had turned and Envy wasn't happy about it. But after ten painstakingly long minutes, they arrived. Envy stormed into his apartment.
It was clean thanks to Manny, but was filled with bookshelves laden with volumes of various things and a small piano was shoved into a corner. Envy collapsed on the old sofa in front of the TV, sighing. "This cannot be happening." he growled as he looked up at the ceiling.
Greed had started to observe where he'd be staying. It almost reminded him of their old dwellings. It certainly fit Envy's personality, but that almost meant it wouldn't suit Greed. He moved toward the bookcase, looking bored as he scanned the titles. "What a bookworm..." He commented, shrugging as he looked away from the shelves.
"Hah…so I'm stuck in this place till my trial?" He shook his head, shoving his hands back into his pockets.
"You could sleep outside." Envy suggested, watching Greed with a careful eye as he approached the bookshelf. A headache was mounding in his head and he wasn't enjoying a single moment of having his space invaded. At least he hadn't made some wise-crack about how clean the apartment was.
Greed ran his finger over the surface of one of the shelves, grimacing at the fact that there was no dust. "Yuck…no dirt? Hn… You're more anal than I thought."
I spoke too soon, Envy thought with an inward groan. "Pft, you think I clean the place? Not a chance. A girl from down the hall does it," Envy scoffed. "I'm hurt, I thought you would know me better," he said in a mocking tone.
Greed rubbed his fingers together, still trying to find some grit as he looked over the rest of the apartment with a judgmental eye. "A girl, huh?" He noted to take a look into that later, seeing as how he knew he wouldn't find entertainment with Envy's possessions. Flirting passed the time, and wouldn't it annoy Envy to for him to have someone over? "Hn…Well it doesn't suit you to have minions…you usually are the one being ordered around, big brother." He replied with a smirk.
Envy had been in the middle of taking off his boot when Greed made his snide remark. "Shut it you can opener," he snarled, throwing the boot at him. The last thing he need was a reminder of the old days. Greed caught the flying object, looking it over with a skeptical glance. "Well, at least your style has improved…" He smiled to himself, remembering Envy's old outfit. "No more skirts and socks with holes in them?" He asked, chuckling softly.
Envy kicked off the other shoe. "With my identity no secret there's no point, now it there?" he pointed out. True, everyone one this side knew he was the descendent of Hoenhiem, there wasn't a point to hiding any more...
Hoenhiem...
His brow furrowed as he thought for a long moment. "What did they say you stole?" he asked Greed after a long moment.
Greed shook his head, scratching the back of his head as his brows furrowed together out of annoyance. "Something called the Nethlac?" He said, shrugging his shoulders. "In this museum..." He scoffed, shaking his head. "If I had taken it they wouldn't have been able to trace me." Being an expert at taking things made him a careful and precise thief.
Nethlac. Museum.
Envy stood up and went to the shelves, ignoring everything else Greed had said. He had read somewhere about that, hadn't he? His eyes ran across Hoenhiem's old book he had published back before WWII. He scowled at it for a moment before pulling it down and flipping through it, at the moment forgetting Greed was even there.
Greed glanced at Envy, confused by the elder man's sudden response to his confession. He walked up behind Envy, looking over his shoulder in a curious manner. "What the hell are you doing..?" He asked, not understanding.
Envy pulled himself back to the present. "Here," he said pointing at the page. "It says the Nethlac posses the ability to give the user the powers of a homunculus. It was something Hoen--some scientists were studying a while ago. I says here it was never perfected though. Maybe whoever stole it used my shape-shifting to look like you to make sure you're out of their way."
Greed looked at the words, not understanding even half of it. "If someone who looked like me walked out of that place..." He started, talking more to himself. "Then they must have it on tape…which is how they knew me by just looking at me." He growled in frustration. He may not have known much about books, but he did know about the modernized objects of the world. "Damnit... That kind of evidence in court could put me away for years!" Crossing his arms he turned away from the book Envy was holding, glaring daggers at everything around him.
"Don't see why they bothered, it's not like you can cause much damage in your current state." Envy sneered.
Greed moved toward the couch, sitting down in a huff as he crossed his legs. He snorted in mock amusement. "As if you're any better than I am…" He retorted, reminding Envy that he wasn't the only one who had lost his powers. "If he could shape-shift…then that book is wrong. Whatever the hell you were talking about, the Nethlac, had to have worked."
Envy closed the book. "So glad you're seeing the important part of this situation," he sarcastically said. "You getting locked up isn't our problem here. It's the fact that the gate's been opened. I know you weren't here when the pipsqueak got stuck over here, but I thought you had enough brains to know that's bad." he thwacked Greed over the head with the book. "Idiot."
Greed made an 'oof' sort of sound when the book made contact with his head. He slanted his eyes in a glare, pursing his lips together as he looked back at Envy. "I said I'd call you big brother…not let you bully me like one." He jerked the book away from Envy, smacking him over the head in turn as he stood. The elder glared at him, his hand forming a fist.
"And how the hell was I supposed to know?" He asked in a raspy tone, sighing as he tossed the book to the floor. Envy nearly tripped over himself as he went after the book. Dusting off unseen dirt he carefully put in on the shelf again. "Be careful," he chided. Hoenhiem's research was hard to get a hold of, and he hated the idea of the book getting even slightly damaged.
Greed fell back on the couch, laughing at how Envy pampered the book. "My God…you need a woman, or something." He continued to snicker to himself, still picturing Envy fawning over his book. "My big brother…is a nerd." He started to chuckle again.
Envy glared fiercely at Greed, highly offended by this insult. Turning away from the book his hands rested on his hips, ready to retort, but thought better of it. Putting a gloved hand to his forehead's headband he sighed.
"We're off-topic." He thought for a moment. "Who would frame you though? Who would know about your true status?" He was really just thinking out-loud. The sooner this mystery was solved the sooner Greed could prove his innocence (that sounded weird; Greed, innocent...he thought) and get out of Envy's life.
Greed narrowed his gaze, his playful manner subsiding. It was a little strange to actually be talking to Envy about something serious for once. Normally they just bickered back and forth, or insulted each other until it broke out into a fight. "The hell if I know…" He thought for a moment. "I know so many people…and none of them seem to do anything but do what I say…or mope around until I do something." Being greedy meant having the desire to be known, so naturally he knew plenty of people.
Envy shook his head. This was getting them no where. He thought hard about who could help him out of this situation and to his sickening surprise, only one name was coming to mind. A girl with strange black scars and large brown eyes came to mind. A girl that had been an ally and enemy as long as he could remember.
"You don't remember old Gwen do you?" he half-sigh, half moaned. Like some kid who didn't want to do his homework. He couldn't believe he was resorting to her, but he was desperate at this point.
Greed blinked obviously, trying to remember the person Envy had just mentioned. "Gwen...?" He asked, the name sounding familiar, though he couldn't place a face to it. "Eh...who the hell is that?" He asked, quite curious now, seeing Envy moan in a childish sort of way.
Envy rolled his eyes, unable to believe Greed couldn't remember her. Just as well...
"She was that gate devil. The brunette who worked for the gate before you left our world, remember? Or did that final bout with Ed permanently screw up your memories?" another good point to tease Greed about. He had gotten himself killed by a half-pint.
Greed flipped Envy off, not justifying his insult with words. "Yeah, yeah…I remember her." He answered, thinking back on it. "And you want to get her mixed into this three ringed circus, I'm guessing?" He raised an eyebrow with the question.
"All I want is you out of my apartment and out of my life. Gwen does a pretty good job of solving problems, so maybe she'll solve mine," he snapped, returning the hand gesture. Sitting on the floor, he crossed his arms and sighed. "I'll have to find her tomorrow..."
"All I want is to be out of your apartment and out of your life." He barked back, sneering at the elder man as his hands fisted. Greed stalked off to sit down, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, not caring if Envy minded the smoke or not.
Envy made a sound between a snort and a sneeze as the smoke reached his nose. "Take that outside," he snarled. "Last thing I need is to end up smelling like you." This wasn't going to end well, he just knew it. And if Greed got anywhere near his books with that acid stick there'd be hell to pay.
Greed exhaled raising an eyebrow as he grinned. "Oh what, big brother?" He asked, inhaling a cloud of the smoke. "Do you mean this?" He inquired, blowing the smoke out in Envy's general direction, on purpose, of course. "Nah…it's much more comfortable indoors." He snuggled into his seat.
Envy sneezed again as the smoke came his way. "I said outside!" he yelled. Night was falling and Envy was sure one of them was going to be dead by morning. Maybe Greed wouldn't have to worry about his stupid trial, if he was in a grave...
Greed smirked at Envy from his sitting position, still smoking away. "You know, you should really get those allergies checked…" He told the other, still ignoring the fact that the elder man was nearly yelling at him to take his bad habit outside.
"I don't have allergies." he snarled back. "I have a dislike for smoke. Now get out!"
"I have a dislike for smoke too…" He nodded in agreement to the subject. "Especially when it's not inside your apartment and not making you sneeze." He chuckled, shooting Envy a 'come and get me' grin, wondering how long it would take until the other finally snapped.
Envy scowled, unable to believe the situation. This was not what he thought he'd be doing today. Greed was going to keep going to annoy him and there wasn't much Envy could do about it. He hadn't tested to see if he had lost his homunculus strength and now didn't really seem like a good time to test it...
Standing up, he turned his back on Greed. "I'm going to bed," he growled.
Greed kept his seat, smiling as Envy stood to leave. "Alright…Goodnight, sweet dreams!" He said in teasing manner, still grinning as he realized he'd gotten his way. He continued to smoke but decided on giving Envy one more run. "Hey, sleeping beaut-.. ugly! Where's the ash-tray?"
"Use the sink," Envy barked as he slammed the door to his room. He fell back on his bed with a sigh. As the angry thoughts of Greed's insolence eventually subsided he thought about the situation he had gotten himself into. If this person knew about Greed, did they know about him too? This could be bad for both of them.
Not that he was going to let Greed know that...
Envy knew he should go back and see what Greed was up to, but fatigue was getting the better of him. He wasn't ever going to get used to the human schedule of sleep, having not rested for two days now. He dozed and eventually dropped off...
In his dream he was in a dark room. There were sharp pains all over his body. Lights came on and he found himself suspended above a transmutation circle. Something urged his large mouth to shut. he resisted, not sure why, but refused to comply.
His jaw finally gave and they crushed down on a body. Blood filled his mouth and everything turned white.
His eyes snapped open and he looked around, forcing his mind to remember where he was. He was drenched in a cold sweat and panting. His mouth still tasted of blood. He slammed his fist hard against his bed's head board. He cursed in German. "Get out of there." he said, rubbing his head.
Greed had leaned back in the chair, falling asleep with his head hanging over his chest. His sleep was dreamless, but he awoke when he heard a loud thump come from Envy's room. It annoyed him that he'd been woken up, so he got to his feet marching toward the elder man's room. He leaned on the door, letting it slide open silently. As he opened his mouth to speak he noticed Envy's disposition, his jaw clamped shut as he heard Envy curse.
The scene was all too familiar, Envy'd had a nightmare. "Don't you think we're a little old to still be doing this?" He asked solemnly. Envy jumped slightly at Greed's voice. He was surprised that no snide comment was attached to his assessment of the situation. They had both seen each other at their worst, but nevertheless, the gesture did surprise him.
They were silent for a long time. Then Greed sighed. "I'm going to get breakfast…" He closed the door behind himself as he left the room.
Standing up, Envy shook his head clear of the dream and went to the kitchen as well. He collapsed in one of the chairs, head in his hands. "I'm only awake for ten minutes and already the day sucks." he mumbled to himself.
Greed opened the fridge looking over the assortment of foods. "Yeah, yeah…what do you want to eat?" He asked, not that he'd ever admit it aloud, or to himself, but he was trying to get the other man's mind off of things.
Envy didn't look up. "I'm not hungry," he replied.
Greed shut the door to fridge, not feeling hungry himself. After years of not needing to eat it was a little strange to depend such things that he'd never really noticed before. Of course he did drink from time to time, he'd never eaten anything during his time as a homunculus. "Alright then... " he said with a sigh, turning to lean against the fridge, facing Envy.
Envy didn't move or say anything for a long moment. Then he got up. "I'm going to go call Gwen." he said simply as he made his way to the phone. The thing he dreaded doing seemed to be the only thing to keep himself from breaking down in front of Greed. That was something he knew he couldn't ever live down.
Greed nodded in response, but Envy probably had already left the room. He didn't make an attempt at letting the other know he'd heard him, Envy wouldn't care about it anyway. "I'm going outside..." He said, deciding to leave the other sin be for a while as he moved toward the door and stepped outside it.
Envy didn't reply. He dialed Gwen's number and waited for her to pick up. After six painstakingly long rings, Gwen's answering machine came on. "Hi, you reached me. Leave a message." There was a click and Envy sighed, "Gwen? It's Envy. I...need your help." he barely managed. "Call me back." he recited his number and hung up.
Meanwhile, Greed walked around to where Envy had parked his car the night before, leaning against the wall of the building to support himself as his lit another cigarette. He'd had enough of life feeling like the old days, he simply wanted to enjoy his cigarette and forget about everything else around him.
He closed his eyes upon the first drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs comfortably before exhaling. He tilted his head to the left, still feeling a bit tired. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain throb from his right cheek, his eyes shooting open. There'd been a sound of a bullet whizzing past him, and he could feel warm blood spill from the open gash the speeding piece of metal had left behind. It had only skimmed the flesh on his cheek, thankfully inflicting no fatal injuries.
His eyes hurriedly scanned the streets around him, finding no soul present, save himself. He knew it had to be the person they were looking for, and the conversation he'd had with Envy popped into his mind. If this person did want him out of the way, did that mean they thought he still had his ability to shield himself?
"You caught me off guard, it seems.." He spoke loud enough for whoever it was to be able to hear him. "Come out and I'll show what I can really do!" He threatened, though it was only a bluff. If they thought he still thought he had power, he might be able to scare them away.
Somewhere off in the distance he heard the scattering of feet, someone was running away. Greed sighed with relief, glad his lie had fell upon believing ears. He slowly walked back to Envy's apartment, opening the door and slamming it behind himself.
"We're in deep shit, big brother..." He sighed still facing the door, taking a desperate drag from his cigarette that was still located in his hand.
As the door slammed Envy looked to see Greed looking as nervous as he had been before being locked up in his cell. His eyes fell on the gash on his younger brother's cheek. "What's that supposed to mean? What happened?"