fast eddie's | early evening | saturday | december 19

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Even though Alex's break week had started back on Wednesday, it still felt like it was official once the weekend started. To celebrate, he'd slept late, eaten something unhealthy for breakfast and lazed away the hours (all the while thankfully avoiding any mistletoe while Griff was in the room) until he actually realized he had something planned.

So, having already downed half his beer (he was celebrating, after all), Alex was leaning over the pool table and lining up a shot. It was easy enough but his concentration was off or the table was tilted or something and he flubbed the shot, shaking the cue ball off the side.

That just meant he ended up cursing under his breath and deciding that downing the rest of his beer was a good way to make himself feel better. He had great coping skills.

[possibly expecting someone but open place in town is open]

Comments

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy stepped up close, cocked her head to look at him.

"Doesn't mean it'll happen over this." That was the part he was counting on to make his win easier, if that was the way it went. "You're not that scary, as opponents go."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You haven't seen me scary," he said, holding his position and letting his smile turn a little dangerous. "You don't know what I can do. Wouldn't make assumptions that you'll regret."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"So, you're allowed to make your assumptions," she said, "but based on the same sort of evidence, I'm going to regret mine?"

That... sounded about as one-sided as things always did by Alex's logic.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"The same sort of evidence?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Well, they hadn't had one of these challenging conversations in awhile. "I've seen you fumble, you haven't seen that side of me."

And that side was there. It was just something he kept hidden and away for the most part.

"I know, you don't." Yeah, that logic was one sided and bad but he tended to do that.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"It's shit evidence," she said simply. "One incident doesn't make a theory."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"And you have no evidence," he retorted. "I've got something, you've got nothing."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Played a lot of pool," she told him. "And no one has ever scared me into losing before." That was a track record in her book.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"First time for everything," he said, smirking a little. "You're not that tough."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"But apparently, you are?" Another claim he couldn't really back up, since she'd never seen it. Seemed to be a few of those coming out today.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Hey, a pissing contest. They hadn't done this in awhile and Alex really hadn't missed it but it was one of those things he couldn't really pull himself out of.

"If the shoe fits," he said, shrugging and deciding to take her question as a statement instead. "Glad you agree."

She didn't, he knew that but he was just going to smile and get a little more under her skin if he could.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"I'll agree if I ever end up seeing it." Not that she did, particularly. Why would she? Enjoyed these little interludes about as much as he did.

"This mean you've decided to give up?" she wondered. He was essentially blocking her from taking her shot. Maybe he was worried she'd start winning if he let her continue.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You wish," he said, finally taking a few steps back and glaring a little for that comment. He was pretty sure she knew he wouldn't be that much of a pushover. He also knew that she could use words to hit nerves just as well as he could.

"I don't fucking give up. I don't have any need to. Nothing's too hard for me," he added. "And this will never be that easy for you."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Just checking," she said mildly, and slid in to take her shot (a nice easy one, that she sank, thank you). "Girl's got to try."

And hope that getting a few in would get him worried, at least.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"She does, does she?" Alex asked, watching that ball roll in with a slight smile. "Didn't figure you for someone who'd take the easy way out. Seems weak."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Prefer to call it opportunistic," she told him with a smirk.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Alex looked fairly unconvinced and shrugged. "I think it's you knowing you can't beat me and trying to get a cheap win. What's that about?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't look like I can't beat you," she pointed out, nodding towards the table. "Don't count on it just yet." Because the fall was so much worse when you started out with such high opinions.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You're not doing any beating right now," Alex said, refusing to show any sort of nerves over losing. Not that he had any but he wouldn't be showing them even if he did.

"I wasn't the one looking for a cheap win, remember," he said, leaning his elbows against the table to get a better view. "See if you're as good as you always say you are."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"I am plenty good." Done her share of pool shark behavior. As a pretty girl, it was so easy to get away with that.

... Unfortunately, this time she wasn't getting away with it, and missed that particular shot which was annoying. Would be when he was watching that closely, wouldn't it?

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Wow, that as a bad time to sing your praises, Effy," he said, grinning widely. It was easy to talk like he was a big shit when she was doing the shooting.

"I don't know if you I can believe all that good stuff now," he said, pushing himself into a standing position. "Seems like a fallacy."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy rolled her eyes, and offered him the cue. Not even touching that. Just not. He could assume whatever the fuck he wanted.

"Go on then," she said. "Do your worst."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex smiled and took the cue, moving behind her and brushing her waist with a hand. Probably not the most expected thing to do what with the trash talking but he wasn't that normal a guy.

"You don't seem to have a lot of faith in me," he said, trying to find an easy shot. "That spread out to more than just pool?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Ever consider I just have a lot of confidence in myself?" she asked, leaning forward, hands on the edge of the table. "Not everything revolves around you." Even if he liked to think it did.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I didn't doubt that," he replied, holding off on shooting for the moment. He leaned against the pool stick and eyed her steadily. "And I never said anything contrary to that. You think I haven't been paying attention to know you're confident?"

Please. He'd picked that up on the first meeting. "That wasn't the question I asked. This doubting of me you do, that spread out over other things?"

Because now he was curious.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Only when you're up against me." Because she, like him, liked to believe she could always win anything she put her mind to. Always been one to claim there was nothing she couldn't do. About the first thing she'd said to Pandora, even.

"Most things?" Effy shook her head.