Needing/Wanting

@Aponi

He stood on the boardwalk near the rusty ferris wheel, pacing to and fro. Every minute or so he checked his phone, looking at the conversation he'd had with Aponi, staring at it and waiting to see if she'd write back or show up. He pulled a cigarette out of a pack in his grubby t-shirt pocket, lit it and took a drag. He held the smoke in for a moment, before he let it filter out past his lips. His shoulders were hunched as he paced, searching in the dark for a familiar face.

Her phone had been blowing up all day, seemed Karpos had loose lips and had told a whole bar she was knocked up with his kid. As if Karpos' I'm so sorry messages hadn't been bad enough now Mercy was requesting she met him at the board walk. Pulling her dark jacket closer about her she moved up the wooden planks, eyes focused on his figure in the distance.

It took a few minutes to walk the long length of the pier but once she arrived before him she leaned silently against the railing, staring off into the ocean.

She didn't say anything. Nor could he summon the words, either. What should he say? She ignored him for a moment, looking out over the water with her elbows up on the railing that would hold her back. His greyish blue eyes tried to appeal to her, but he knew she wouldn't just spit the words out. But as always, Mercy knew better than to talk first, He simply stepped up alongside her and rested his arms on the bar, and took another drag from his cigarette.

As always with them it was a game of power and neither wanted to be the one who spoke first, staying silent Aponi leaned against his side,resting her head on his shoulder. Once they had hated each other, they had spent their childhood bickering, but ever since they had gotten lost and then returned home their relationship had changed. Actually it truly changed the night they had broken into the back of a dive bar for shelter and split a bottle of tequila.

The night was a blue for the girl, she remembered nothing after opening the bottle and waking up the next morning to puke out the window. They hadn't said anything about it choosing to laugh it off and assume nothing lasting happened but ever since then they had been friends.

What to say, what to say. Mercy went over this or that and the other thing, but couldn't find where to start. He didn't know if he should tell her Chulyin knew- or even that he knew. He knew he had to say something about Karpos- especially given that he was on his way to tell Mapplethorpe what had happened...But he was selfish, and just wanted a few moments alone with Aponi- probably the last few moments he'd have with her before everything changed. She was there, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder and he didn't move, but accepted her.

And in a gesture that was simply habit, he took a drag of his cigarette before he held it over to her, but at the last moment, he remembered. And before she could take it from him, he fumbled. "Shit!" He said, and threw the cigarette into the water. "I'm sorry, I know you shouldnnnnn't...." He said, trailing off.

Well there was the cat, out of the bag, now.

Water is beginning to freeze and some fish are trapped. Hunt Opportunity

He didn't move away from her to Aponi stayed where she was leaning on his shoulder and let out a sigh, her brows furrowed as she stared at the water wishing to be anywhere but there. As a habit she reached up for the cigarette, a filthy habit she knew and one she only indulged in with Mercy but her hand recoiled when he flung it into the ocean. Her head tilted to look at him questioningly when he spoke and her whole body clenched.

Taking a few steps backwards Aponi needed a moment to compose herself before she said tonelessly, "And why exactly shouldn't I?" Had that bastard Karpos literally told the whole city? He was a dead man, even deader than before.

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2014, 10:36 PM by Aponi.)

He'd done it now. He felt guilty, apologetic and terrified all at once. He faced her, but as per usual, he wilted slightly, knowing that he'd do nothing if she tried to kick his ass. Especially not now, not knowing she was pregnant. Perhaps it was because he was an orphan himself, but Mercy couldn't stand the thought of Aponi losing her child.

"Karpos. He..." He said quietly, but knew that she'd erupt if he didn't do something to stop her, so he stepped forward to gently- but firmly- cup her elbows in his hands, to keep her from hitting something hard and hurting herself, or taking off pitching a proper fit. "Don't, please," He said quietly.

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2014, 10:40 PM by Mercy.)

Karpos. He... Fists instantly clenched and her teeth grit together, rat bastard. All she wanted to do was turn around and sprint to wherever that sniveling pathetic little worm was and beat the crap out of him, but she couldn't, not with that thing inside her.

At first his touch just mad Aponi more angry and she moved to rip her elbows away from his hands, but her anger wilted into helplessness. Instead she moved into the teen, pressing her face against his chest as a dry sob racked her body, "Mercy what do I do?"

The last thing he was expecting for her to come at him- gently. He was tense for a moment, but he relaxed and folded his arms around her. There was no way, as a child and one of Naira and Mapplethorpe's little drones, that he would have ever predicted Aponi to show such softness toward him. He was a dog, a mutt, to them.

And it was that thought that reminded him, and his heart began to race. He pulled back and sought Aponi's eyes. "Karpos- he's gone to tell Mapplethorpe." He said, urgency in his voice. "Just now, before you came," He said.