FicWad

Let me break down the temple walls
to let light so shine in.
I wish for you in an untitled moment
to hold my hand through
this flimsy veil of humanity.
I am faulted for much even in this
secret intrusion.



When It told her Its name, she was worried, but her anxiousness was subverted by a wave of perverse amusement. She almost wanted to laugh, because Ling was greedy in an endearingly childlike way and it just seemed like a hugely cosmic joke that his body now housed a homunculus that called Itself Greed. But though it was muted by this almost-cheerful thought, her worry was still there because she wanted Ling's greed, not this entity that she did not know. Ling's greed was harmless and almost sweet -- he was selfless in all the ways that really mattered -- and the jagged edges of the creature's smile made her think that perhaps this Greed was not as innocent as her young master. She worried what It would do to him... what It would do to her.

So when It dragged the back of Its borrowed forefinger lightly down her face, when It traced the line of her chin and the swell of her bottom lip and purred, "Don't worry, pretty one; I take care of what's mine," she couldn't control the quaking of her body. She shook with rage because she didn't belong to It, she belonged to him/, and because It borrowed his voice and she had to remind herself that /he hadn't said it. She hated herself for wanting to believe, just in a corner of her heart that hadn't been hardened by her warrior's life, that he had said it, too.

She saw a quick struggle, something flashing in those eyes, saw when the lines of his face changed and his expression was once again familiar, once again human; when his smirk was only gentle arrogance and not the hard edge of something that went so far beyond smugness that she didn't have a word for it. He tried to say "I'm sorry" and only got part of it out before he winced and It was looking out through his eyes again.

Later, she would wonder what possessed her. In the moment, her only thought was Ling! and all she knew was He needs me and that rogue little corner of her heart sent her lurching forward to press her mouth against his. She took It -- him? them? -- off guard and she felt the brief struggle for dominance as one of them kissed her greedily, the other tenderly... but they both kissed her. And when she pulled back, blushing and quivering and feeling lightheaded from the kiss and from sudden panic, she saw Ling in those eyes, full of surprise and wonder, before Greed sent her a sly smile and all but licked Its lips.

It regarded her with a new expression, as if It were sizing her up, re-evaluating her. "So," It finally purred, Its hand going out to touch the fringe of her bangs. It was all she could do not to finch back from the caress, but she held her ground. "That's the way of it, then." There was a long, lazy blink, and a hungry smirk turned up the edge of that mouth. "I wonder, pretty one, how far would you go for him. What would you do for this little prince?"

Answering in words felt foolish, but she steeled her spine, curled one hand around the metal of her left arm, and turned serious eyes up to It. "Whatever I have to do." It was the only thing she could do.