Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann Fan Fiction / Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction ❯ Factory ❯ Toxic Tango ( Chapter 57 )

Toxic Tango

I: Simon + Emily:

How many years have they done this? She won't let him go. He keeps trying to break it off, but she won't listen.

“Do you understand that I am breaking up with you?” Simon would ask.

“Yes,” Emily said back. But does she really? He's not getting through to her. Simon tries to pull away. But he ends up getting sidetracked. Usually by Emily and her flirtation. He ignores her calls and texts now. Emily still won't give up. But lately she's been backing off. Simon isn't too convinced that she finally got the message.

For now, he waits for another coming storm.

II: Endless Cycle:

They will meet up. Simon will try to break things off with her. Emily doesn't respond at first. She doesn't even look at him. Nevertheless, he doesn't stop trying. He can't keep doing this to Nia anymore. They are getting married. He needed to end things with Nia. This couldn't keep going on.

He will keep trying to break things off with her for about twenty minutes. Emily doesn't reply. She'll either play with her ferret or text her party friends. She'll respond half-listening. He'll ask if she is listening. Emily will say yes. Simon will try one more time to break up with her. He will ask if she understands. She will say that she does but he will never believe her. Emily pays for everything and then they part ways.

Then later on, she will call him. Simon will try to ignore her until he gives in. It just takes one text and he's out the door. Nia never asks any questions. (He wishes that she would. Maybe that would be enough to stop him.) Pretty soon, Simon will meet up with Emily at the hotel she's staying at for the night.

In the morning, the cycle will repeat again.

III: Nia:

What about Nia in all of this? The poor dear doesn't have a clue. She never asks any questions. Simon feels so guilty about this affair. He almost wants to come out and tell her. But something is always holding him back. He can't exactly name what it was. Just once he wished that he would get caught. Maybe then the cycle could be broken. They were getting married for crying out loud! He shouldn't be cheating like this.

“Simon,” Nia said the next morning. He quickly jerked his head. She was sitting on the couch in their living room.

“Oh,” he said. “You're up early.”

“Where did you go?” Nia asked. “When I got up, you weren't there.”

“Oh… Uh… I got breakfast for you,” Simon said. He held out the bag of sweet bread and the coffee in his hands. Nia's eyes lit up.

“Aw, that's so sweet of you!” she said. Simon nervously laughed. He could've just told her the truth then and there. Told and been done with it. But the truth wouldn't come out.

The cycle would still go on again.

IV: Awkward Meeting:

Emily took things too far five days ago. She showed up at Simon's apartment without warning. The color drained from his face when he looked out the peep hole. He quickly opened the door.

“Hi!” Emily said with a little smile on her face.

“What are you doing here?” Simon hissed under his breath. He looked into his apartment.

“I came by to see you,” she said. She tried to look into the apartment as well. Simon blocked her view.

“Get out of here,” he hissed. “Please!”

“Why?” she asked. Emily tried to go in, but Simon pushed her back out.

“Please leave,” he pleaded. She batted her eyelashes at him. What was all of this about? Emily would never show up unannounced by his place. Was she trying to win him back? But why? Why now? They weren't in a real relationship after all.

“Please! Just leave,” Simon pleaded. “Don't do this to me. We'll talk later. So, please. Just leave.”

“Simon?” Nia asked from inside the apartment. The man froze and slowly turned his head. His fianc�e stood in the living room, tilting her head.

“Who is that Simon?” she asked. Emily's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands.

“Oh, you must be Nia,” she said as she walked past her secret lover. She grabbed the other woman by her hands.

“So nice to meet you,” Emily said. Nia blinked at her with a confused look on her face.

“Um… who are you?” she asked. The actress heiress smiled and giggled. Simon felt his stomach drop as the two women he had hoped would never meet were in the same room together. It would only get worse.

V: Hotel Room:

Another hotel room. Here he was again. Simon sat on the bed, waiting. The shower ran in the background. He could just get up and leave while he was alone. What was Emily going to do? Simon shook his head. Why was he here?

The room smelt like cigarette smoke. He hated cigarettes. Emily always smoked. He could never get her to stop. Simon tried to overlook that flaw of hers. But lately, it was all slowly getting to him.

He hated everything about this room. The pale red wallpaper made him want to vomit. The carpet looked like it still had some dark stains in it. Simon didn't dare to guess what they were. The quiet in the hotel didn't make anything better. Even the ballerina-shaped stain on the ceiling made his stomach turn.

Suddenly, the water cut off. Simon turned his head. Emily stood in the bathroom doorway in nothing but a towel. A little smirk came across her face.

“Waiting long?” Emily asked. Simon shook his head.

“Heh,” she said. She walked over and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back. This would be the last time. He made that empty promise to himself as she playfully pushed him back onto the bed.

VI: Confession:

Emily lay awake in the bed. Simon had his back to her. He pulled the sheets tightly around his body. Her eyes shifted back and forth before she leaned forward.

“I know that you don't want anything to do with me,” Emily whispered. “But I just can't let you go just yet. You might think of me as selfish for that. I am okay with that.” She moved her hand to her chest.

“I just want to keep you around as long as I can,” Emily whispered. “You might be ready to end things, but I'm not. Neither one of us want to walk away from this. I want to keep this game going as long as I could. Why? Because I love our game that much. We will keep playing until I get bored with you. Until then, I can't let you get.” Emily smiled as she playfully nipped him on the ear. She laid down onto the bed and went back to sleep.

VII: Long Walk Home:

Here he went again. Simon managed to get out of bed before Emily woke up. He put his clothes back on and slipped out of the room. Here came the worst part of this game. Why did the walk home have to be so long? He found himself alone in his thoughts. Simon wished that he weren't. Nia was probably still asleep in bed. She probably had no idea where he had been all night. Simon knew that he can't keep doing this. But he already knew what was coming next.

Simon stopped in front of a coffee shop. He sighed and stared into the giant window. He should get Nia some breakfast as atonement. He couldn't keep doing this. But Simon didn't know how to end this game.

VIII: Loops:

Round and round they go. He doesn't know how to stop. She doesn't want to stop. Both know that can't keep going. If only there could be an outside force to break this cycle…

Black Game