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[gloriana-.insanejournal.com]

WHO: Elizabeth & George
WHEN: Saturday afternoon
WHERE: George's apartment
WHAT: Excuse you, sort-of-husband, I never gave permission for torture.
WARNINGS: mentions of said torture

George had been tortured by Lucifer. In what world was that possibly something that was okay? Just the idea of even meeting Lucifer made Elizabeth feel like she was on the verge of one of her panic attacks, and that wasn't even bringing the torture into it. Despite the world she was in, where gods walked the streets and imaginary creatures were everywhere, Elizabeth was still a Christian at heart. Not, perhaps, a very good one, but she still believed that God was the True God and that Lucifer needed to be avoided as hard as one possibly could.

So when she arrived at George's house it was with worry - over what had happened - and anger - that he'd somehow allowed it to happen. She didn't care if that was foolish. It was easier to be angry than to be scared. She would always choose fury over fear.

She knocked impatiently on his door, calling through it, "it's Elizabeth!"

Comments

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

With Patrick out and Wrath curled up asleep in the bedroom, George had been taking advantage of the lull to catch up on what he'd missed while he was a prisoner. That included telling people that he was alive and kicking. Or at least alive.

The knock startled him, and it took him a moment to calm down even when he heard Elizabeth's voice.

"Hey," George said, opening the door with a small smile. "See? I'm walking around and okay."

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"You look awful," Elizabeth said, staring at him. "I'm forcing myself not to hug you for fear I'll injure you more."

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George held his arms out. "Hug gently and we oughta be safe."

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Elizabeth hugged him, squeezing her eyes shut and trying not to crush his body body. "Oh George, what happened? How did this happen?"

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He patted her on the back gently, hating to see Bess this upset. "Come in, sit down, I'm making tea."

While waiting for the kettle to boil, George sat next to Bess on the couch. "Michael the archangel was killed. Lucifer buried him in this little town in Kansas which is the center of the US, and so it makes us mortal while we're there. Yeah, I know. I wasn't thrilled to discover this either. A friend of mine found out and told us, and Lucifer learned about it. We got Michael back, but..." George gestured to the still-healing bruises visible along his neck.

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Elizabeth said, hands clasped together on her lap and she watched him with worry.

"George," she whispered sympathetically, reaching out to touch his cheek very gently. "I wish I could have done something."

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

George leaned against her hand. "There was nothing you could've done, Bess. And what if Lucifer had noticed you, too? He likes to hurt people we care about."

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"Believe me when I say I have no intentions of coming to the notice of Lucifer," Elizabeth promised, "but still I wish I could have done something to protect you. You are the closest I have to a husband, after all." It was a gentle teasing with a small smile, but it couldn't hide the genuine fear that was behind all her words. She couldn't bear it when bad things happened to George. He was England, or the closest Elizabeth could have to it anymore. Things that caused him pain, caused her pain as well.

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

"It ought to be over, at least for now," George said. "He's been killed. He'll come back of course, but I hope he'll be busy with the little Hell civil war that's in the works."

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Elizabeth nodded slowly, wanting to believe him. "I don't want to know," she said, regarding his last words. "In fact, it's probably for the best that I don't."

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"I agree," George said. The farther Elizabeth was away from his pantheon's diabolic squabbles, the better. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

He really needed to tell her.

"So, um, been seeing anyone recently?" he asked instead, voice not quite smooth enough to be natural.

Oh man, sorry it's been forever!

[gloriana-.insanejournal.com]

"Not since that debacle with Arthur," Elizabeth sighed, lips pursed in annoyance. "My old fashioned ideas of dating and rarely finding a man my equal make the whole thing a little... complicated." She so rarely got romantically involved with anyone. It just didn't feel right most of the time.

"Why do you ask?" she added, looking at him strangely. It seemed an odd thing to bring up right now.

No worries! I have been mega-slow lately XD

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

George scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Oh, well, um...I kind of am. Seeing someone, I mean."

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Elizabeth's expression turned very suddenly from curiosity to shock to hardly veiled anger. When she stood the movement was sharp and unexpected, even to her. She had to admit that her very first instinct was to strike him but she reeled it in. Instead she hissed, through her teeth, "and how long has this been going on?"

She sounded for all the world like a cuckolded wife.

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George closed his eyes briefly. He had hoped she wouldn't react like this, but he'd known it was likely. They'd done this song and dance plenty of times, with both of them doing the yelling.

"A while," George said evenly, staying on the couch. "She's the friend that I mentioned earlier."

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"So you lied to me," Elizabeth said coldly, turning on him now with a glare. "You lied to me for a woman." Somehow that made it even worse, even if that 'friend' comment had only been made moments before. "And how long is a while?"

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"I 'lied to you' so that I could explain what happened without you getting crazy jealous!" George said, more petulant than he'd admit to. "And I didn't lie, anyway. She is my friend. We just started dating recently, jeez."

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"I am not crazy jealous!" Elizabeth snapped, violent air quotes in effect.

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

"I got tortured and the thing you're most pissed about is me having a girlfriend," George said, standing up as well.

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"I'm pissed off because we are supposed to be friends and we are supposed to share things with each other!"

Elizabeth would wonder later why she was getting so angry about this. Yes, and and George had a... complicated relationship when it came to others and, yes, Elizabeth had a temper, but today in particular seemed even worse. She only knew right now that every fibre of her being felt furious with George's betrayal of her.

"And because apparently whoever this girlfriend of yours is," Elizabeth spat, "she's more entitled to know the going ons of your life than I am!"

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"She got tortured with me!" George snapped, hands on his hips. "She almost died, and it's my fault, so yeah, sorry, she's taking up a little more attention than you right now!"

Having this conversation with Wrath being in the next room probably wasn't the best idea, George reflected. He wasn't sure if she still sent out little rage-beams when she was asleep, but he wouldn't be surprised. Bess seemed extremely pissed, anyway.

[gloriana-.insanejournal.com]

Elizabeth was furious that he'd think she was making this all about her when she clearly wasn't. This was about them, and about his lack of trust in her, and about this huge betrayal of... everything! Elizabeth wasn't quite sure, but she knew she was not pleased.

"Well," Elizabeth said, stalking past him towards the door. "I'd had to take up any more of your precious time, in that case!"

[monster-slayer.insanejournal.com]

"Fine!" George yelled, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Go! If all you're going to do is yell at me, then I don't care!"

It was possible, he thought distantly, that they were both being a little immature.

Yes, it's possible. Just maybe. SUCH GROWN UPS

[gloriana-.insanejournal.com]

Elizabeth made sure that, upon exiting, she slammed the door behind her. Halfway down the street from his apartment she wondered if, somewhere in all of that, she'd overreacted. But it was too late now.