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Sometimes there were weeks during which Emma's parents weren’t around for a few days and Envy spent most of his time relaxing at her place. The only exceptions were Father's orders but even those were rare enough for Envy to happily lounge in Emma's flat. He didn't have to do it but something about that place just made him want to be there. He blamed Emma, because of course it was always somehow her fault.
Emma told him about the trips her parents take and was actually the one who suggested he stay over. Envy was absolutely not responsible for coming into her flat without warning and declaring that he's going to hang out there when her parents are gone. The couch won't use itself, you know.
Emma herself didn't mind his presence at all. Moreover she secretly enjoyed it very much as she got used to his company and got irritated when they were apart and she couldn't hear him bemoan the fact that she's a human. His jealousy over her was also growing but she somehow managed to deal with it. The key word being “somehow”. Because, while the desire to whack him across the head for behaving like a spoiled child was very prevalent, she executed massive amounts of restraint and didn't do it.
“Why do you even have to be there?” Envy asked as Emma prepared to leave the apartment. “The old hag will manage.”
“Maybe, but she promised to teach me something in return.” The girl looked down at her feet. “Damn, I forgot my socks.”
Envy blinked, making a stupid expression. “Oh yeah? What exactly did she promise?”
Emma leaned over the drawer, pulled it open and began searching for matching socks. “Remember when I told you I was thinking about learning alchemy?”
“Mhm.” Envy didn't take her seriously back then.
“Mrs. Parks knows a fair bit about it and offered to teach me if I keep helping her.”
“What the hell do you even need it for?” Envy stretched on the couch.
“It seemed interesting.” She replied, hiding the actual reason why she wanted to study the art. “Ah, there they are!” Emma pulled out white socks and sat down on the armchair to put them on. “Got this idea to ask her about it. Turns out she's actually quite adept at one of them…water, I think. Envy?” She looked at him with a half-put on sock, feeling his eyes on her. At that very moment he was laying on his side. She tilted her head. “Something wrong?”
“What are you doing?” He asked.
For a few seconds there was silence.
“I'm…putting on socks?” Emma answered.
More silence, this time more prevalent. A sparrow's singing could be heard from the outside.
"What for?"
Another sparrow joined in, its singing intrusive.
“...so that my feet don't sweat in my shoes.” She adds gently.
Envy looked at her feet then at his own. “Walking is more comfortable without shoes.”
“Sure it is.” Emma rolled her eyes and put the sock on fully. “If I walked around without shoes and socks like you, princeling, I'd immediately have dirt between my toes or, better yet, glass splinters.” She looked down at Envy's feet. “I'm surprised you're comfortable like this.”
Envy gave her a shit eating grin, moved to lay on his back and stretched his legs out. He wiggled his toes. “Very much so.”
“Alright.” Emma got up and ran to the corridor to put her shoes on. “I'll be back in half an hour.”
“K.” Envy didn't bother getting up and gave a little bye-bye wave.
It took Emma an hour to get back to her apartment. Mrs. Parks unexpectedly sent her out to the shop. It was only half the shopping list, the other half was in the hands of Mrs. Parks’s granddaughter, and friend of Emma, Layla. Entering the house Emma only announced her return when she walked into the living room, and even then she was cut off half-way.
Envy was sitting in front of her lingerie drawer and was looking over her socks as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Envy for fucks sake!”
The homunculus then turned around and with a sock on his hand looking like an eyeless muppet, greeted her with these words. “You have interesting underwear.”
This was the first day in which Emma slapped him across the head with a litany of what an idiot and pervert he is.