Title: Allotted Design.
Pairing: None as of yet; some to come; most all involving Envy.
Rating: Currently standing at... a PG-16, most likely, for language. But the chapters will hop between PG and NC17.
Plot: Bullied for his obvious difference, Envy abandons all hope of fitting in, and drops out of High School. Deciding that she's had enough, Dante ships her two sons off to a preparatory school.
"Faggot," Another blow to the stomach, "Fucking faerie boy. I thought I told yah that yew ain't welcome around here no more! Don't want you gettin' no ideas about suckin' our cocks!" And another.
"I would never go anywhere near your dicks!" I retorted, only earning myself another kick to my already bruised ribs.
Once he had finished his oh righteous beating, and sauntered off, pants hanging low to his knees, to a circle of his friends, I rose strongly to my feet, brushing dirt from my pants. I moved as quickly as I could to gather the items littered around the pavement, and returned them to their usual spot in my bag, not bothering to check to see if everything was there. They only ever stole one thing; my cigarettes, which ironically enough was the reason for this particular beating in the first place.
Giving in to a craving for my long time favourite pass-time, I'd snuck out of the house and made way to a secluded and locally well known authority free area to indulge myself, expecting to be alone at such a time in the night. Boy, was I wrong.
The short walk home was less eventful; the quiet after the storm, if you will; just how I like it.
"Envy! Envy!" I could hear my greeting before even turning onto our weed littered lawn; bare feet running across the tiled floor, and then two eyes framed in tousled hair peering through a hole in the curtains.
The slightly smaller boy threw himself against me, almost knocking us back down onto the lawn, and I laughed.
"Hell, Wrath; what's got you going this time?" I ruffled his hair, and stepped past, heading inside. The loud music from below vibrated the kitchen floor, and I knew.
"Greed's drunk again." The solemn voice behind me spoke. I nodded, stepping over the carelessly tossed shoes on the doormat, barely taking notice of the red high heels.
"D'you think mom knows he brings different women home all the time?"
"How could she not?" I started up the narrow stairs, "I mean, more often than not you can hear them down there, no matter how loud the music is." Wrath's silence was enough of an agreement.
Falling comfortingly into the closet of a room that I'd dubbed my own, bag dropped into its regular place by the door, I collapsed onto the mattress. The door clicked shut behind Wrath.
"Hey, Envy? You're not going to turn out like Greed, are you?" He was avoiding my eyes again.
"Oh, Wrath, I'd never let that happen. Don't worry." I smiled assuringly, and he seemed happy with my answer, burying himself happily amongst my mismatched blankets, almost immediately dozing off.
Once his breathing fell shallow, I rose from the bed, careful not to disturb him, and stripped myself of the daily attire, donning a pair of baggy plaid pants.
When I awoke the next morning, Wrath was already gone, and I could hear Dante yelling from downstairs. Immediately fearing she fought with Wrath, I tore to the top of the staircase, until I could hear Greed's mumbled responses to Dante's accusations.
Wrath was where I should have anticipated him being; barred in his bedroom, attached to his TV and video games. When he'd come home with the second hand PlayStation 2 over a month ago, I'd questioned myself as to where it came from, considering that he'd never have to money to purchase such an item, but in fear I would find out he had stolen it, I didn't ask.
"Why did you leave?" I leaned heavily against the cool doorframe, knowing the answer before he opened his mouth.
"You kick too much." He stuck out his tongue, grunting in determination, fingers working a frenzy across the colourful buttons of the controller.
After preparing myself for another day in the hells of High School, I was trudging down the staircase when confronted by Dante at the bottom. Avoiding her eyes, I tried to sneak past her, but she jumped aside to block my path.
"Envy! Why didn't you tell me that your father had another woman in my house?"
"Because Dante, I didn't want to get involved," I tried to get past her again. "The same reason as last time, and the time before."
She grabbed my wrist, and twisted, bringing me to the floor. "Don't use that tone with me! And what did I tell you about calling me Dante?" She raised a boney hand, threateningly emphasizing her point.
"Not like you've ever been any sort of a mother to us!" I spat, seeing but not fully acknowledging her hand until my head snapped to the side under the force from her palm. I moved to retaliate, but before I could Wrath bounded down the stairs, and grabbing me on his way past, tore out the front door. I followed his lead, and we ran far from the house, ignoring her screams for us to come back.
A block and a half away, I staggered to a halt, wheezing for breath.
"You need to exercise more." Wrath hovered over me, grinning cheekily.
"Oh, I think I get quite enough trying to keep up with you."