*****Hello dear reader(s). This is the start of a new story arc that I hope you will enjoy. We continue to follow our frosty and frivolous lovers as they enjoy the benefits of their relationship (each other) while also broadening the scope and dipping into the lives of others, seeing how their day is going In This Country. =) Don't forget to comment your thoughts below! -DM23*****
*****Special thanks to Decal_last as always for proofreading this story. *****
*****
Arc Two: Partners
Chapter One: This is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars
"Six in the morning here we come," Eddie grinned forty minutes from the end of their shift.
"You mean seven in the morning, right?" Reggie asked with a frown.
"Oh come on man, it was an accident," Eddie rolled his eyes.
"Accident or not, we still don't want it to happen again," Maurice crossed his arms. "If I have to listen to my wife accusing me of sleeping with another woman, I'm charging you for it."
"You can't do that!" Eddie scoffed uncertainly.
"Alright, we'll see," Maurice slightly nodded.
"Grey believes me," Eddie proclaimed as Grey came back from the bathroom.
"Whether I believe you or not doesn't mean Maurice won't charge you if you do something stupid again," Grey chuckled.
"Thanks for having my back," Eddie called then mockingly muttering, "Asshole."
"Anytime, dickface," Grey replied.
The morning was officially beginning as the workers finished moving crates of fish to the correct location to be shipped out to their proper destination. By the time they finished, the clock hit six and the buzzer went off, telling everyone to get their asses home and get some much needed rest. As for Grey and his friends, they waited an extra hour while Eddie cleaned the bathrooms, unable to believe he managed to flood one of the bathrooms in the warehouse at the beginning of their shift.
"Just drop it already," Eddie rolled his eyes as he caught up with them once he made it outside.
"I hope you don't mean the soap," Reggie replied.
"Hey, I'm straight through and through," Eddie declared. "Right Grey?"
"If you need confirmation about your sexuality," Grey smirked, "then that's a question you should ask God . . . or the devil if you don't like God's answer."
"He could be a flat chested transgender, you know," Reggie pointed out.
"I'm a heterosexual male, fuckers," Eddie insisted.
"We all hope so," Grey smiled.
"You ready to leave, Grey?" Maurice asked as they walked up to his truck.
"I've been ready," he nodded and hopped in the truck.
Saying their goodbyes, the two coworkers took to the road, listening to the early morning radio station for traffic problems.
"So, hows life?" Maurice asked when they stopped at a light.
"Good," Grey shrugged.
"Just good?" Maurice said, looking for more than just good.
"I mean . . . well, yeah," Grey responded. "Everything's all good."
"If everything's all good then what happened last week?" Maurice inquired.
"Nothing? Was supposed to happen last week?" Grey asked worriedly.
"No," Maurice shook his head as the light changed to green. "It just felt like we couldn't get in touch with you all last week."
"You know I sleep in the morning," Grey reminded him.
"We all do, wise guy," Maurice replied. "It's just none of us could get in touch with you when you're awake in the afternoon."
"Oh, I had my phone on silent," Grey remembered. "I didn't want to be interrupted by some stupid prank calls while I was chilling with my girlfriend."
"You think we'd do that?" Maurice smirked, knowing he and the others had been outfoxed by the wolf.
"Uh, yeah," Grey said as he pulled out his phone. "If you're going to prank call me, don't let Eddie go first. I almost never pick up the phone when he calls unless he texts me first."
"Damn, we told him to wait," Maurice revealed as he turned on the street Grey lived.
"Doesn't matter," Grey said. "I've been putting my phone on silent the moment I get in the house."
"Well shit, I guess we won't bother you again unless it's something serious," Maurice promised. "Are you still coming to the Volleyball Tournament this Thursday?"
"I don't see why not," Grey said.
"Are you going to bring your girl?" Maurice prodded when he stopped in front of Grey's apartment complex.
"If she feels up to it, yeah," Grey agreed. "See you Thursday."
The vehicle drove off as Grey went up to his door, unlocked it, and went inside. Already, goosebumps rose up on his skin as he felt the decreased temperature inside his house. But in the chilly air, there was also a distinct scent, a smell similar . . . to breakfast. Walking into the kitchen, he saw Crystal putting her cooked food in a container.
"Morning beautiful," Grey whispered in her ear.
"Morning sweaty," she greeted.
"Am I supposed to guess what that is?" Grey asked.
"No, this is my breakfast," Crystal said. "I just mixed everything I made together."
"Then what'd you make?" he inquired.
"Sausage patties, bacon, ham chunks," Crystal shrugged. "And eggs, I used up the rest of your eggs."
"They weren't being used anyway," Grey grinned. "Is it any good?"
"See for yourself," Crystal replied, giving him a spoonful of her food.
Mouth open wide, he took the spoonful whole and chewed. Of course, it was as she said: just a whole bunch of food mixed together. Not that it was bad or anything, it was actually pretty good. The eggs were seasoned well enough whereas the sausage, bacon, and ham had enough juice for themselves and let the excess be soaked into the eggs.
"That's some good protein right there," he said.
"I'm not exactly a cook," Crystal admitted as she searched for a top to put on the container. "The only thing I know how to do is make sure the meat doesn't turn black"
"That's not a requirement to be with me," Grey snickered, "but if you want my opinion, you did an excellent job not letting the meat turn black."
"That's nothing to be proud of," Crystal rolled her eyes, and just so happened to look at the clock. "Did you . . . did you walk home . . . again?"
"No, I got a ride from Maurice," Grey answered. "The boys and I waited for Eddie to clean the bathrooms since he flooded them."
"You should've called," she replied as she led him to his bedroom. "I'd have picked you up."
"I don't think that's going to help you keep a low profile if you do," he snickered. "Besides, you're Crystal. If my friends saw you, they'd probably freak out and turn into morons. Well, one of them would."
"I wasn't going to show up as a heroine," Crystal denied. "I could've given them a different name to call me instead of my heroine name."
"Good," Grey sighed as he fell on his bed, "because my friends have been getting onto my case about not meeting you."
"For how long?" she questioned.
"Uh . . . ever since Reggie saw you on my patio, I think," Grey answered.
"I wouldn't mind meeting them," she said.
"Good, the guys want to go to the Volleyball Tournament this Thursday," he grinned. "I told them I'd see if you wanted to go."
"We can't go out tonight?" Crystal asked. "I thought you'd be off work since it's a Tuesday."
"Not anymore," Grey shook his head. "My work schedule changed now that spring is setting in. My new schedule has me off on, if I can remember correctly, Sunday and Thursday."
"That's not bad," she shrugged. "I get you a day early now."
"I think you got it backwards," he smirked as he pulled her onto the bed with him. "I'm the one who's getting you."
"We'll see about that," she challenged.