Stay out of it

"I was thinking a knife like the one you have," he said, looking at her tattoo before his eyes drifted back to her eyes, sending her a smile, "or maybe a rose with thorns." He wasn't really picky in that regard, which perhaps explained his tattoos a lot. His eyes moved briefly to her lips, wondering how big of a slap she would give him if he leaned in to kiss her. It was hard to think about anything else, especially standing so close. With that the fact she wasn't scared. His fingers stretched a bit, touching her hairline slightly, being rather gentle, but she seemed to like that. He heard the cat in the alley go crazy, almost screaming for attention and he chuckled, letting go of her face and popping his shirt back on. "Gotta feed the kitty," he reminded her.

He moved with her, smelling the dampness in the air. Yeah it was going to rain soon enough, but he wasn't too worried about it. Approaching the alley she asked a rather peculiar question, making him frown a little. "Well I haven't really planned that far," he confessed, shrugging as it wasn't a big deal. Reaching the alley he looked around, sticking to Emily's side as the cat knew her. "Why? Are you dying to get rid of me?" he teased, though there was some seriousness to his question. Was she tired of his shenanigans? Perhaps annoyed or did she feel forced to be around him?

Moving with her he watched as the cat slowly came forward. It looked in bad shape, but not deadly thin. He wondered if it perhaps had been a nice looking cat one time, but that had gone as it had been neglected. Watching it eye him down he scoffed softly, but it soon seemed to eat as they weren't trying to move forward and grab it. "Tell me why you brought me back to your place," he muttered in to her ear as he was standing slightly behind her. He smiled slightly, "were you hoping I'd give you a kiss goodbye?" Teasing in nature and yet he had been the one to look at her lips wanting that. He was deflecting a bit, but he didn't see anything in particular wrong with it.

Rhys grit his teeth as she pushed him, not that he was angry, in fact he like seeing this side of her too. Because it felt like when she pushed him she really wanted him closer. "So you would like to kiss me?" he deducted, walking closer to her, he placed a finger under her chin, leaning down, their faces mere inches between them. "If I'm such a brute, I could just take the kiss if I wanted to," he argued, would that make her feel better about it? That way she could just blame him, call him the bad guy. His eyes darted down to her lips, nice and full, and he wondered why he didn't just kiss her right now. Perhaps because with her he didn't want to be the brute who just took and made people scared.

Shrugging lightly, it was clear he wasn't denying it. Why should he? She was really something else, especially after today. But that was when she began to look upset, pushing him away and his hands instantly let go of her. He stood there in the alley, stunned and yet angry. Angry with himself, closing the hand that had held her chin in to a fist, hammering it against the wall next to him. The cat hissed in surprise, running off to hide and he just turned around and left. He had been stupid, hadn't he? Thinking that she would ever actually kiss him without him forcing himself on her. Heading out the alley he just went home, without truly realizing that she still had his jacket.

The next oncoming weeks it wasn't Rhys who came to harass the old man, rather some goon who clearly had nothing behind his blank eyes. Mary was starting to get nervous, wondering if they were going to be able to afford food even with how thinly they scraped by. "Cut my pay more," she told her father one day before the shop opened, "no, I refuse; You're saving up for your studies, I can't take that from you."

Mary looked to Emily as she approached. The idea was good, but for three people it was a little too much. They could barely keep the shop going as it was, and Mortimer wasn't getting any younger. "It's a fine suggestion, my dear, but I can't work much more than I already am," he excused, but it was true. He was here every day of the week, and besides his doctor's appointments he never took time off. As for Mary he didn't want to put all this pressure on her to work so much. It wasn't her fault. "No, we'll just have to tighten the belt a little nook more," he nodded, and that was final.
Mary looked from her father to Emily, being worried and yet she couldn't do much to complain. As her father went out back to start readying the money box, she went to Emily with her troubles. "The new guy that comes around to collect has been ruthless," she told her as they started to restock the shelves slowly to get the day started, "Mister Kaine was violent, but he never took the full amount .. I don't know which evil I prefer."

Mortimer was right, but how else would they turn the store into gaining more profit? However, it wasnt for Emily to decide and maybe that was a good idea. She just nodded at the old man's decision, though it didnt sit right with her. She didnt think they were earning less? The same amount of people came in every day so what had changed?
She thought about that as she went to help Mary with the shelves. She listened to her speak and pulled from the boxes to stack on the shelves before Mary's next words made her freeze. Had Rhys been nice to them all this time? She felt it like a pit in her stomach, because it was her fault that he wasnt coming around anymore wasnt it? "Shit..." she just mumbled, looking at Mary with saddened eyes. "Obviously the one that doesnt take the full amount." she then said before she got up and dusted off her knees. "I want to use my lunch break now." she said, knowing it was a bit earlier than normal. But honestly how could she sit here with the knowledge she had? If Mary had no objections, Emily would go and grab her purse, always having gone out to get food rather than bring any. She just couldnt risk it. But she wouldnt really be looking for something to eat.

Mary hummed softly, perhaps that was true. At least with the way things were going now, they were going to have it rough. However frowning as she said she wanted her break already, "sure, I'll take care of the store," she smiled at her. Mary was a sweet girl, raised right and with a kind heart. But kindness couldn't always bode well in this cruel world.
As Emily left, people started to enter the shop. The streets outside was already rustling and getting busy. Rhys was sat at the park on the grass where him and Emily had fed the ducks. Though he looked different, perhaps scarier than usual. Dark circles under his eyes, almost as if they were bruised, and his skin a little paler, cheeks sunken in somewhat.

She didnt even really know where to go but eventually she thought of one place to look. It felt silly because of course he wouldnt be there! Why would he? She decided to check regardless. And maybe it was like luck was on her side because she saw him sitting there on the bench, not far from the pond. Crossing her arms, she noticed that he looked a little roughed up. "Hey." she said, unsure whether to sit down or stand, she chose the latter. What if he didnt want her here?

Being here he could be alone but not have to mope around his apartment. However his lonesomeness came to a halt as he heard a familiar voice. Frowning he just kept staring at the pond. "Hi," he said, his lips pulling up in a smile, but his eyes looked a little hazy as he turned to look at her, "oh shit, sorry." He scooted over on the bench, making room for her. He acted different, but perhaps it was just how he was. Maybe everything with her had just been an act, even though he knew it hadn't. "I got you something," he chuckled to himself, digging in to his jean pocket, not wearing a jacket because he had left it at her place. From his pocket he took out a small can opener, "for the tuna cans - thought it would be useful," placing it on the bench between them.

He smiled but it didnt seem like he was himself. Not that she knew him that well, but clearly something was up. She decided to sit down next to him, trying not to look as worried as she felt. He had gotten her something? She frowned a little at the notion, to then see him pull out a small can opener. His explanation was sweet. "Thank you." she said, looking at it as she took it. "Is this your resident go to place when you feel like getting away from everyone?" she just asked point blank.

Her question made him chuckle, "nah, this is where I come when I want to resurface again," he said. He had been gone for a while, but perhaps she was happy about that. He couldn't fault her for that. To be fair, he had expected her not to come near him ever again, and yet here she was. He chuckled to himself, "did you miss me?" he asked before shaking his head no, like he didn't want to hear the answer. "I suspect you've had the pleasant surprise of someone else coming to collect .. Bet he's much sweeter than me," tapping his fingers against his knee, a little too energized to sit still and yet he also felt too tired to actually do much.

Scoffing he nodded at her reply. But was that better or worse than a grunt, as she had so aptly named him? But her admittance made him grit his teeth, shrugging as he wasn't sure why that was even important. People didn't care about what he did, only what he seemingly symbolized. She had been right to judge him. He wasn't a good person. However her question made him sigh, shrugging a bit as he considered how he wanted to answer. "Well for one I didn't think you'd want me around," but since when had he ever been considerate of anyone, "and secondly I kinda relapsed." The last statement was followed by a light chuckle, "not your fault, I mean yeah, you shutting me out felt shitty, but I don't blame you." Rhys was a troubled soul. He liked drowning himself in pills, powder, any drug that you could chew, snort or inject he was there for. "Right now I'm celebrating 24 hours of me being quote on quote clean," he scoffed, turning his head to look out at the pond once more.

"Fuck off, princess, not everything is about you," he chuckled, sending her a slight smile, moving over to rub his shoulder teasingly against hers. In truth he wasn't angry with her, he didn't even blame her for this. "I've been dealing with addiction all my life .. It comes and it goes," because he might as well be honest with her. She hadn't been the only reason, he had been slipping the weeks up until this huge binge. "The old man takes me off of duty when I'm like this, basically because I get a little too intense," he explained, turning his head to look at her, "but if you want me to come back and torment you every week, then all you have to do is say it .. Admit we were on a date, I mean."

"So what, you're not getting paid anyways, right?" maybe that was a crude way to look at it, but Rhys was just being honest. Why should she worry about a job where the boss couldn't even pay for her work? However as she seemed to admit that it was indeed a date they had been on his lips pulled up in a happy smile, looking at the pond. Her question made him scoff softly, placing his hand on the bench next to her, "I can come back if you want me to," he said. Wasn't it a bit weird that she was asking for him to come back and be the brute she had gotten to know? "Will you let me steal the lollipops?" he asked.

"Hey, I cut the old man some slack and in return I steal a few sweets - I think that's a fair deal in my opinion," he sent her a cheeky smile. He wasn't going to care about what she had to say, though he liked how riled up she was about this. It wasn't like he dipped in to the cash register or stole anything completely valuable. She seemed to just unload on him and he couldn't help but scoff, turning his head to look at her. Had she been worried for him? Missed him? Or had she just realized that he wasn't as bad as she thought he was, even though he knew he was much worse in other departments. "You look cute when you yell at me though," he argued.