Now, let us pretend this chapter isn't- a weeeeee bit late. Like, very late. SO LATE. I'm like three chapters behind. Color me surprised it's easier to write about Sasha than it is Eddie at times. Oy, these dang kids.

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The German man had to stifle a laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand, slightly hunching in his seat as he failed at stifling himself.

"I'm so glad you're feelin' such mirth at my sufferin'," Eddie dryly offered back as he did his best to dry his jeans off with the napkins he had. "It is your fault,"

Sasha smirked easily back, long green fingers pressed against his thin lips for the moment. He dropping his hand into his hand as he spoke. "I'm not the one who was swaying around, Mr. Riggs,"

"I was makin' a joke for you, jerk," He stuck his tongue back out at the lanky man across from him.

"I didn't ask for it," Sasha dryly offered back as he leaned back into the booth. Eddie could only blink a little at the toe of Sasha's shoe poking at his ankle. He not commentating it as he patted his leg dry, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth.

Eddie waggled his brows back, smirking slightly back at the German man. "Baby, that's what they all say,"

"I should throw water at you for that," Sasha rolled his eyes slightly. His amusement still somewhat clear in his voice, even with his chiding. "No rape jokes,"

"Ey, it's dubious consent jokes at the moment," He flapped his hand in a dismissive gesture back. "If it was a real rape joke, I wouldn't be makin' it in public,"

"I'll keep that noted," Sasha simply watched Eddie for a moment longer before shaking his head. "Here, you're barely even drying yourself by this point" He rose from his seat at the both to steal some napkins from the empty table across from them.

####

He found himself glancing back, warily tapping his fingers against the handle of his grocery cart as he stole another glance. He knew he wasn't the reason for the break up, but Eddie still felt, awkward, incredibly awkward when he caught sight of Milla. The Brazilian woman carrying a basket on her arm as she browsed the aisle. So far she hadn't really noticed him, much less looked up from her shopping.

He had been Milla's friend first, be it- she invited him to parties and his extended group of friends. She knew each and every one of them by name alongside their favorite type of chip dip. Eddie and Milla shared the similar vice for onion dip.

He wasn't sure why the thought of onion dip was what spurred him on, but it did. He casually as he could manage parked his cart and made his way over, mock browsing before acting like he just noticed the woman. "Yo, Milla,"

Eddie's sudden presence earned a bright smile from the woman, she brushing some hair out of her eyes. "Eddie, darling! How are you?"

"M'good, how bout you? Found everythin' you're lookin' for?"

"Do you work here as well, dear?" She said with a low laugh in turn as the roadie offered her a small grin in turn. "Ey, ey, I can ask can't I?"

"You can," She adjusted the basket on her arm. "Just odd considering you aren't wearing one of those stylish green aprons,"

"Ey, I could be a secret shopper for all you know, Milla," He offered a playful wink to go along with his words, it warranting an easy laugh from the woman.

"You are such a card, dear," She lightly batted at him, clearly happy to see him. "Before you ask- I'm fine. My life has been going, alright to say the least," There was a bit of hesitation as she added in, "Sasha and I decided to break up. The whole- thing wasn't really working."

"I, uh heard, actually. Sasha and I talked about it," He answered honestly back, feeling bad at the thought of lying to Milla. "He said about the same thing actually."

"Really?" Milla didn't seem upset by that, nor did she seem particularly thrilled. "Well, good."

Eddie opened his mouth, intent on saying something to make the moment less awkward only to be cut off by Milla. "I'm glad he's confiding in someone, he's been, very distant the past couple months. He needs a friend. Someone who isn't his ex girlfriend or a coworker,"

That certainly threw Eddie off, he hadn't remotely expected that. "Oh- he has? And uh, awesome, I mean- I'm glad to help him,"

His stumbling around on the subject warranted a playful smile from the Brazilian woman. "You're such a doll," She reached out to gently pat Eddie's arm, her smile softening at the edges. "Take care of him, I can't do anything for him now,"

He wasn't sure why that knocked the air out of him like it did. "…Right, I will,"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, dear,"

"When have I ever done that?" He weakly managed back, able to chuckle as he continued, "I've always kept my promises haven't I?"

Milla paused at that, the seriousness on her features edging away as she let out an amused sound of her own. "True, very true,"

"Hell, I've got onion dip that one time for you when you said it was impossible,"

Now that earned a real laugh from Milla, she gently leaning against Eddie for a moment as she spoke. "You got me there, dear, you've yet to break any kind of promise,"

"I'll be doin' my best to avoid breakin' any promises,"

"Good," The Brazilian woman pulled away, rifling through her basket as she put space between the two of them. "I should get going, darling. My groceries won't buy themselves sadly,"

"If only they did,"

"I know, it would be wonderful," Milla laughed with a flip of her hair, offering a tiny wave before making her way down the aisle.

Eddie's smile only tampered off when he felt his phone buzz, he pulling his phone from his pocket as he moved back towards his own cart. Sasha's name and message glowing back at him.

'Are you up for lunch?'

Eddie's typed in a response easily, 'no shit see you at 12?'

###

"Duuude, c'mon,"

Eddie rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. He leaning more against his front door, refusing to open the door. "No,"

"C'mon, Eddie! Please open the door?" Eddie could hear Kage shuffling around in the hallway. His heavy gait hard to really miss with how the pudgy man dragged his feet around.

"Dude, hell no. Not until you fuckin' apologize,"

"You're just being a pussy!"

"We fuckin' talked about this, Kage! I told you shit I don't like hearin' and you ignore me every fuckin' time. Stay the hell out there,"

"Asshole!" Kage pounded his overly large fists against the door before stomping away. Eddie easily picturing the balding man pouting like he would be by this point. It made Eddie irritated as much as vaguely amused a 38 year old man could behave so childishly.

"Fuck that guy," He murmured to himself as he moved to flop into his arm chair. Eddie somewhat oblivious to the fact he was pretty much sulking just as much as Kage was by this point. Be it a much less angry sort of sulk than the other man.

###

He hefted his bag close to his body as he walked down the empty sidewalk. The plastic crinkling slightly as he opened the bag briefly to peer inside. "Hell yes," He said with a low laugh as he looked over his purchase. Delicious, delicious beer, his favorite meal of all time.

Knowing his friends, the beer would barely last a week if anyone decided to stop by for a visit. He couldn't say no to offering anyone a drink, hell no.

His smile only lessened as a slight chill cut through the air, he needing to adjust his jacket somewhat as he kept walking. The weather always dipped down into the coldest degrees when night fell, now was a perfect example of that. Snow might be gone completely, but the cold wasn't about to go away. Eddie hoped by the end of February the weather would warm up again, he missed seeing the sun.

He missed a lot of things, the more he thought about it. That realization warranted a brief blip of surprise from the roadie, he not expecting a sudden introspective when he was on a beer run of all things.

"Christ, what is my life," He breathed into the cool night air as he tipped his head back somewhat with an exhale.

Maybe he should try and call Sasha later, leave a message on his cellphone. It would be worth the effort all things considered. He shook the thought off as he hurried his steps, wanting to get home and actually crack open one of his newly purchased beers. He might as well drown his introspection away before it muddled everything simple up in his life. Thinking about Sasha too much wouldn't be the best thing for a friendship. The two of them already spent a lot of time together when Sasha actually had a chance to get away from the office at lunch.

He put his bag down as he patted his pockets for his keys, finding them with an easy 'aha' as he moved to unlock the front door of his apartment. He walking into his cozy be it run down apartment to drop the beer case by his TV. He turned back towards his main apartment door, pausing when he saw something shiny down in the parking lot. Eddie having to warily squint, as he leaned a little against the door itself for a moment. His confusion was only worsened when he saw the fact it was a strangely tall woman in shiny latex walking through the parking lot. She was digging through her bag with an angry snarl he could hear from a story up.

"…What the hell?" He quietly murmured to himself, just staring for a moment longer before just closing his door. He locking the door and dead-bolting it behind him as he gave a baffled blink. "The freaks are out tonight…"

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And there you go, folks. Enjoy this new chapter. You crazy diamonds.