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Everything was *perfect*. Everything was just *dandy*. For an instance, there wasn't a trace of sarcasm in the voice in her head.
Anna couldn't stand the thought.
Stepping out onto her sister's balcony, she let her land linger on lock of the screen door. Things hadn't exactly been the same since her accident. While details were brighter, the act of seeing everything all at once gave her a headache. Her mind worked harder and faster, but left many details overlooked.
Plus--her face was scarred to Hell and back. One ran across her cheek, leaving the skin beneath it mangled and course. Another left its mark over her nose before shifting into her brow. Zaeed had made a stupid joke about it; they'd both matched, in his words. They could be forever tainted together. In a sick way, it was comforting.
Anna frowned slightly and stepped forward, letting the door slide closed. Her hand was slightly gloved, leaving her thumb, index, and smallest fingers revealed to the elements of the atmosphere.
Esmea's apartment was rather nice; it was much greater than what Anna would have picked for herself. The interior was open and spacious, with matching furniture and decor for each room. Nothing was out of place; nothing had a single speck of dust. Esmea knew how to go out--even if half of what she owned was stolen.
The balcony had the same feel. A small chair and ottoman had been placed precisely to Anna's left, along with a coffee table. "One must always have a place for drinks," her sister had said. "Plus--what's another flamingo?"
Anna smiled fondly at the memory before moving forward toward the rails that encased the hard metal flooring. Her boot clicked softly against lustrous stage before pausing as she reached the painted banister. Esmea had deemed it bland, so she'd changed the color to something brighter; something one could see from far away on the ground.
Zaeed had called it tacky; Esmea had nearly had a stroke on the spot when she'd heard the comment. He had refused to change his opinion, leaving the assassin to nearly kick him out of her place. Luckily, Anna was capable of persuasion; even with her own sibling. She'd managed to keep her friend inside, instead of on the street where the killer was so *sure* he belonged.
Another thought hit her. Was he a friend or more? Possibly a foe? By the Gods, it'd been three years; if he were a foe, he would've struck by now. But he was unpredictable. He never played Esmea's games right.
A sudden wave of frustration bubbled into her limbs as if she'd been doused in boiling water. Her overactive brain worked at the speed of light; it pulled up memories into her view, like his gloved hand resting on the back of her neck or the heat from his torso pressing into her shoulder blade. The sudden thoughts rain a shiver down her spine that made Anna shove from the banister and speed walk in a small circle.
Thinking would get her nowhere. She was always thinking--worrying about something. Was Esmea okay? Were her pistols up to par? What was her next job? Would she lose her life over it?
Would Zaeed lose *his* life over his own project?
Anna put her fingers to her temples and let out an agitated growl. She ground her teeth together with enough force to break a bone if she'd had one between the pieces of dental tissue. Every thought seemed to build, and build, and build; before finally, she shot her head upward and crying out:
"Give me a sign! I know you Gods are listening; you always do! You can't ever mind your own goddamn business! I- I need something-
"Tell me why Zaeed plays when my hair when he thinks I'm not paying attention! Or how I can feel his eyes watching my every move, and- and he *knows* because he *knows* I'm not stupid! Or- or let me know why Esmea's an idiot and- and falls for a fucking *police officer* and lives a *lie*-- which is *everything* she's against!"
Anna let out her breath fan out into the night before slowly lowering her head back down. Her hands, once reaching into the open sky full of stars, fell back at her sides. She shifted her eyes around slightly before a small sigh left her lips. Her brows furrowed together whilst her eyes closed shut.
It was pointless; asking for something she knew she'd never get. Answers were never a truly *given* right--even if one asked extremely nicely.
Reopening her eyes, Anna scoffed and stalked back toward the railing. "Don't even bother," she murmured into the open air. Tracing her gloved fingertips across the banister, she drummed her finger pads against the metal before moving to sit against it.
Faced before her was a city. It was large, with blinding lights from cars, tall skyscrapers. Despite her own personal problems, the world moved on. It didn't wait for anyone; espcially those who moved against the grain.
A sudden voice behind her made Anna jump out of her skin. The sky was plenty dark, proving that it was late in time. She hadn't expected anyone to even be conscious--much less roaming about like she had.
"First of all," he spoke, "don't yell. Second of all, if you'd wanted an answer, you really just had to--you know--ask."
Anna let her head hang for a moment. Even if she wanted to wallow in her own sorrow, Anna knew it was comforting to have another soul prowling about because they, too, couldn't sleep.
"I apologize."
".. Where's the attitude?"
"I don't have one right now."
Anna could hear more footfalls approaching her position. Zaeed took his place beside her with his arms by her leg and leaning over the banister. Shifting her eyes over to his cheek, she took in his appearance. He looked better than usual.
Anna blamed the last bit of hope she had in her chest.
The duo sat in a bound of silence, listening to the sounds of a bustling city and slow wind. It was somber, perhaps melancholic. Anna was grateful Zaeed never liked to talk. As much as she liked listening to war stories or pestering him until he grew aggravated, she didn't have it in her to bite back. And he knew that.
"I play with your hair before I like it," he finally said. His eyes stayed forward, never leaving the tall window he'd been studying for the past few minutes.
"And I stare because-.. I don't need to explain myself- If I want to stare, I will."
Anna let a small chuckle slip from her throat. A smile slipped onto her face; however, it concealed her teeth. She knew there was a reason behind it; he just didn't *want* to admit it.
Unfortunately, he always had a way to make her smile; whether, it was sad, angry, or even like that moment--a little bit of happiness.
Since he was getting his own confession out of the way, Anna figured it was her turn. Shifting in her spot, she folded her hands in front of her.
"I give you a hard time because I like how you look; when your eye twitches and your lip curls up slightly to show your teeth- And then you get *really* mad at me, and I think it's *really* funny.
"And.. I don't.. necessarily *mind* when you look at me. Or play with my hair. Or put you hand on my shoulder, or my arm, or my neck- Sure, it makes me a little nervous, but I-"
Anna paused when she heard a small laugh. Her eyes had moved from the older man's face, back to the small building she'd been halfheartedly staring at. Flickering them back to his face, she saw a glimpse of a smile.
She watched as he took a free hand and laced their fingers together.
The only person Anna had ever held hands with was her sister; but even then, it wasn't anything special. Esmea just needed to show her something most of the time. She always let go after a couple seconds, though.
She stared at their interlocked hands before gently moving her thumb over a portion of Zaeed's index finger.
"Is there anything you *don't* like?" he mused. His voice held a certain fondness she'd only heard a handful of times. Unfortunately, they'd only been between people she'd been in earshot of.
"I don't like when you argue with me," retorted Anna.
"I can't help it; you're just wrong."
"I think you don't wanna accept when I'm right."
His grin only seemed to grow, which further moved her own. Leaning toward the mercenary, she pressed her cheek against the top of his hair. "Your arms make up for it, though, I guess."
"What a compliment."