Assidvous - * , ! - Tumblr Blog

his words bring a smile to her lips , eyes cast down at her hands so she doesn't look at him . the warmth that spreads across her cheeks embarrassing . the years she had spent dedicated to a man who did nothing but use and abuse her as he liked , not a loyal bone in his body , no matter how much he always claimed to love her . ‘ i've been doing a lot better without him . no more constant waiting up , washing other women's make up out of his clothes , hating myself for his behaviour . . . ’ dark hues look up to meet his now not an ounce of regret to be detected as she speaks . ‘ i think i held on for as long as i did because i didn't want to lose ellie ... or you . you guys are the closest thing i have left to family . ’

the male shifts awkwardly in his seat, his steely gaze dropping to the contents of his drink before he meets her gaze. he’s not surprised—he’s known for a while now that things weren’t right between her and his brother. still, hearing it said so plainly hits harder than he expected. a part of him wants to defend his brother, to say something—anything—to salvage some sense of loyalty. but he knows better. she's right."yeah," he murmurs, long digits rubbing the back of his neck, "i guess you're not wrong about that." there's a soft bitterness in his voice, one he tries to mask, but it slips through. "we may look the same, but we're not." he would have never taken for granted a woman like her, not when life had been so cruel to him. "you're amazing, you know that, don't you ? you deserve better anyway."

head shakes in silent conversation with himself , anger and disappointment having been a near constant for the past six months . hasn't known a moment of peace since , might never again . ‘ it's true though , isn't it ? i know you think it too , don't lie to me . ’ it was his job to find the missing , bring them back home to safety where they belong . the inadequacy at failing to find his baby girl and bring her back weighing his mind down like a tonne of bricks . ‘ i can't find her , she's still out there somewhere , scared out of her mind , and i can't do anything about it . ’ cannot bring himself to look at her anymore , see the horror he feels mirrored in her eyes .

chest tightens at his words, and for a moment, the air around them feels too thick to breathe. she wants to reach out, to offer him the solance he so desperately needs, but her fingers remain frozen, trembling in her lap. his pain is nothing but a reflection fo her own, raw, bleeding, and always present. "mercer," she whispers as honeyed hues finally work up the courage to meet his gaze. but he won't look at her, he hasn't for weeks. "don't sa ythat," she finally continues, swallowing the lump in her throat. " baby, this is not your fault. it was never your fault. " the words sound empty even to her ears, and she wonders if either of them still believes it.

NICHOLAS ALEXANDER CHAVEZ Grotesquerie 1.03

“you are a gift from god, you are my gift. he sent you to me.” while he bruises my cervix >>

soft pink glow spreads across delicate cheeks as she playfully shoves him after his comment about her binder . ‘ shut up . ’ mumbles with a smile , head shaking with gentle laughter , feigning nonchalance . beneath the surface , a small knot tightening in her stomach , reacting to the way he seems genuinely impressed by her . praise or admiration doesn't come her way often , and when it does , it leaves her feeling awkward , reeling , unable to accept any of it . though she knows she deserves it , the immediate need to belittle herself springs to the forefront . a habit she's been trying to squash . quickly moving on from the intrusive thoughts noa launches into the nuance of how the binder came to be ; ‘ i pretended to be interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement . . ’ starts like its the most casual thing in the world , who wouldn't do that . ‘ so , naturally , sheriff anderson lets me shadow him for a week … and every time he took a bathroom break or decided to play into the cop stereotype by going for donuts , i volunteer to stay behind and file things ... ’ emphasises the words with the shrug of her shoulders and a look of complete innocence . ‘ of course by file things , i mean copy all the relevant case files for myself ⸻ i even hacked his email account so every time he gets an update on any of them , i do too . . ’ finished just as they come to a halt at her house , a slow , sly smile creeping across her lips , just enough to hint at the quiet satisfaction she feels , though makes no effort to flaunt . ‘ you don't have to worry , sid , ⸻ they’re not home . ’ reassurance is offered as she notices his hesitation . ‘ probably won’t be for hours either . they’re down at the church , helping sort donations for the victims’ families , like the good little christians they are . ’ words are spoken with batting lashes and mock prayer hands to drive the point home . ‘ they don’t ever need to know . ’ she smiles , as he jokes about them locking her away , but it doesn't quite reaches her eyes . the tightness in her expression betraying the sadness she fights to conceal . the thought of them catching her with a boy in her room is terrifying . the repercussions dire . not that it'll stop her . bruises hidden beneath long sleeves serve as reminders of what happens when good girls don’t listen . she swallows hard , the action quick , almost imperceptible , pushing down the emotion before it rises too close to the surface . ‘ let’s go . . . ’ she stops at the front door , unlocks it , and takes a step inside . noa pauses and calls out for her mother , a precaution to ensure their safety . voice echoing through the empty house , and when no one responds , she turns , smiling at sid . ‘ coast is clear . ’ still sensing his apprehension , reaches over , grabbing his hand with both of hers , and pulls him inside , swinging the the door shut behind them before quickly making her way up the stairs and into her room . soft click as she locks the door once inside .

…                     for a moment, sidney's brain could barely catch up to her words, hitting him like a semi-truck barreling down the highway at midnight. did she just invite him to her house ? and . . . a binder ? she got a fucking binder for the grisly details of the murders ? sidney felt something warm and dangerous spark low in his gut, a rush of excitement mixed with something he couldn't exactly name. then, an exhale ; releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, a little too shaky, a little too telling. that look in her pretty brown eyes, that stupid toothy grin . . . hell, it unsettled him in the best way he never knew was even possible. and his gaze lingered just a moment too long on the curve of her lips, before his feet moved to follow her, as if drawn by some invisible thread. he didn’t know why it shocked him so much, but maybe that was the thing     ⸻    nobody really expected who they thought was the girl next door you'd see during sunday service to be so deep in this, so ready to run with something dark. and shit, he knew met anyone who could make something like murder feel this alive. ❝  a fucking murder binder ? damn, dovecote. you really don't mess around . . .  ❞ unnerved or impressed, it didn't really matter, because fuck, he was going. he was following. ❝  does it have all the juicy details ? every grisly little bit ?  ❞ and if there was one thing sidney had learned from this godforsaken bumfuck nowhere, it was that once you had found someone who understood the rot and decay just as well as you did, you better keep them near for as long as you could stomach it. still, it was undeniable how his feet dragged the closer they got to noa's house. not at all scared for himself, never that, but sid knew well enough that this probably wouldn't be pretty for her if her parents found out about him being there     ⸻    sullying their good christian house with his filth. hesitation stuck to him like tar, whispering not to get too close, not to walk through that door. and when the house came to view, sidney stopped in his tracks : staring at it as if it was the myers' house in haddonfield. ❝  you do know that your parents will have my head if they found out i was in your house, right ?  ❞ a chuckle as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets, corners of his mouth curling up into a crooked smile. ❝  or worse . . . you're getting locked in your room forever.  ❞ though, part of him already knew that noa didn't really care, that nothing in this world could ever really hold her down. and yet again, he surrendered : stomach knotting up, too curious for his own good, too sick of standing outside of him, quickening his pace to walk beside her. ❝  i guess we better figure it out before they find out then.  ❞

‘ yeah , well you didn't fuck over half the guys on my team , pen . your girls couldn't keep a cock out of their mouths even if their jaws were wired shut . ’ two fingers pinch the bridge of his nose letting out a deep breath as he steps closer to her , voice dropping into an almost whisper , dripping in frustration . ‘ so now i'm getting punished for what you think i would've done ? are you hearing yourself right now ?? ’ head shakes . ‘ maybe i should've fucked her , since i'm such a fucking animal .... who apparently can't control himself , at least then we would be fighting over something real and not some fictional goddamn scenario you just decided on in your head !! ’

"oh  my  god  here  we  go."  throwing  her  hands  into  the  air  aspen  can  only  laugh,  although  it  holds  very  little  humour.  "did  you  forget  that  i  was  one  of  those  sluts  when  we  met,  huh?  you  seemed  to  like  it  enough  back  then,  kell,  didn't  you?"  she  couldn't  outright  deny  that  the  girls  were  a  tad  on  the  loose  and  free  side,  but  when  you  were  pretty  and  wealthy  it  happened.  so  what?  she  hadn't  slept  with  anyone,  nothing  more  than  a  sweaty  dance  in  a  crowded  club.  "because  i  don't  know  if  you  would  have  turned  her  down,  that's  why."  hues  roll  at  his  comment,  "really?  'cause  right  now  i'm  not  feeling  it.  you  wanna  fuck  me?  act  like  it  babe  and  maybe  i'll  consider  it."

‘ you have no idea what you're talking about . ’ a warning , the only one she will receive from him . a half - hearted attempt to deter her from the path she is about to go down . does not like the way she looks at him , eyes alight with curiosity ; he cant help but want to snuff out .

for @assidvous , based on .

“ i know you won't hurt me . ” words are quiet , spoken without much conviction , and yet she holds their gaze , eyes wide and betraying something more dangerous than fear : curiosity . “ just talk to me . . . i want to understand . ”

heart weighs heavy as she steps back inside , air thick with the scent of dust and aged wood . she glances back at jericho , expression a mixture of resolve and unease . ‘ yeah , the universe has a really twisted sense of humour . ’ she murmurs , voice barely above a whisper . was it really a coincidence for this to happen the day she arrives in town . what sick freak would even plan something like this especially when grieving the death of a loved one . despite the graffiti marring the exterior , inside the home is a sanctuary of order . coming to a halt in the living room where an impressive collection of books spans the bookcases in the back she gestures at them with her hand . ‘ if you're looking to find something it's probably going to be here . ⸻ make yourself at home , i'll get the coffee going . ’ god knows they were going to need it . she walks into the kitchen , putting the kettle on while talking to him from the other room . ‘ actually i haven’t even thought about selling yet , but i guess i'm going to have to do some painting before that can happen now . ’ returning moments later with two mugs that she sets down on the coffee table . ‘ i gotta admit though , i thought small towns had better reps than this . ’ tone is playful , laughter that follows soft .

doesn't  want  to  point  it  out  to  her,  but  with  the  graffiti  and  the  neighbours  sneaking  a  peak  jericho  doesn't  think  selling  up  is  going  to  be  easy.  "so  you  just  got  in  and  then  your  first  night  here  this  happens  ...  "  was  it  simply  a  strange  coincidence?  she  didn't  seem  like  the  type  of  person  to  carry  an  upside  down  cross  inside  her  purse  or  praise  satan  in  her  free  time.  "philosophy?"  jericho  had  spent  precisely  two  semesters  in  college  before  deciding  it  wasn't  for  him,  philosophy  was  sure  as  heck  not  his  topic.  "okay  so  there's  a  chance  he  could  have  come  across  something when he was teaching",  it's  murmured  more  to  himself  than  her,  already  plucking  motives  and  grouping  them  together.  "maybe,  yeah  maybe  having  a  look  will  help  out."  it  wasn't  like  he  had  any  other  leads,  not  when  he  could  barely  understand  what  had  been  scrawled  on  the  property.  but cairo mentioned books and he could power through the night long enough to skim through a couple and search. "coffee  sounds  like  a  fucking  dream  honestly."  reaching  into  his  pocket  jericho  records  a  brief  clip  of  the  house,  capturing  the  weird  symbols  before  pocketing  it  and  following  her  lead.  "so  you're  gonna  sell  up  once  you  get  everything  sorted  out  here?" maybe there'll be some out of town family looking for a change of pace , someone who won't happen to know about this incident.

‘ you mean do i want you to go and give someone else a hand ? ’ brow rises and chuckle rolls of his tongue as he buries his calloused hands in her hair , twisting the locks around his fingers before pulling her head back gently so she's looking up into his eyes . ‘ definitely not darlin' . ’ accent wraps itself around the endearment as he shakes his head . ‘ think i can find plenty for you to do around here . ’ walks her back slowly until the back of her legs make contact with the workspace behind her . fingers untangling themselves from her hair and skimming down her body to her hips so he can pick her up and sit her down on top of the table . ‘ why don't you remind me again just how much you like to be helpful . ’

the woman hums in agreement , even if he doesn't believe a word that comes from her mouth . evie's specialty and purpose aboard was determining if new atmosphere and conditions were viable for human life , researching the natural life to new planets if there were any --- she wasn't a mechanic . arms loosely chain around his waist , her head plopped onto his shoulder she cannot help but grin making some half assessed attempt to hide it by planting a kiss on his shoulder . " i could be a great hand . " for other things , she thinks nearly making herself laugh at the thought . " you want me to go bother someone else ? "

‘ always such a fucking asshole , analise . ’ can't help the laugh that rolls off his tongue , as much as he would like to be pissed off with her it doesn't tend to stick for long . ‘ if that ego of yours gets any bigger we're fucked y'know . ’

“   yea   …   i   know,   that's   what   i'm   trying   to   figure   out   —   but   i'm   going   to   take   that   as   you're   not   jealous   and   so   you   should   probably   tell   your   face   that   …   ”

I want - no, I need more long term, in depth ships. The kind of ships that I can’t stop thinking about. That have a real chokehold on you as an rper. Really thought out, headcanoned and plotted ships. Where we obsess over them endlessly. Go back and forth and stay up late just to read one or two more replies. Where you can get so attached to the characters involved that you can feel what they’re feeling, the good, the bad, the ugly. The kind of ships that really make the RP experience. The ones we can really develop, see grow over the months, have long angsty threads of, but also short fluffy or smutty ones as well. Or where we can post a random one liner just to mix things up here and there! Yeah, I need more ships like that. So please, like… message… send a carrier pigeon... doesn’t matter! Because as the great t.swif.t once said… it’s a need.

‘ well he definitely looks at you like he wants to be more than just your friend .. ’ isn't that he doesn't trust her , it's everyone else . ‘ i don't like it when he's around you . ’

“ well   you   should   care   ‘cause   it’s   true.   nothing   happened   between   us.   nothing   going   to   happen.   i   only   want   you. ”

‘ what the hell is that supposed to mean ? ’ brows narrow in confusion , annoyance sparking in his eyes . ‘ no , no , no . . . why don't you just say what's on your mind . 'cause i'm done with this , you've obviously got something you wanna say , so say it . ’ he challenges getting up after her , grabbing her gently by the wrist and pulling her back to him so she can't walk away .

"Oh, now you're worried what I think of you?" Fierce hues peer at him in puzzlement. "A bit late for that." Jaw tight with aggravation, the female shifts in obvious discomfort. "Actually, you know what-" Gracefully, she ascends to her heels, twirling away with a theatrical sigh. "-I don't have the slightest notion why I'm even entertaining this."

‘ riiight . . ’ exaggerated word rolls off his tongue , unamused as he looks at her , explanation that she offers going in one ear and out the other . ‘ with your friends ⸻ who ... by the way are the biggest group of sluts i've ever fucking met , doesn't really make me feel good when you're out with them , let alone not picking up your damn phone . ’ really isn't helping his case but it is the truth . ‘ so what if she wanted to fuck me ?? how's that my fault ? ’ the girl had definitely been flirting with him and maybe he was flirting back a little , didn't mean anything was going to happen . . . ‘ if i wanted to fuck her i would have fucked her , did i ? no . you're being crazy , you're the only one i wanna fuck , baby . ’

"i  was  with  my  friends  kellan,  we  were  drinking  and  honestly  i  didn't  realise  how  much  time  had  passed  —  but  would  you  have  even  read  the  messages  i  sent  you?"  in  the  midst  of  too  much  alcohol  and  dancing  aspen  had  unfortunately  momentarily  forgot  about  kellan,  about  all  of  this  drama  that  plagued  them  both.  she  hadn't  cheated,  unless  you  counted  rubbing  yourself  against  a  stranger.  "i  don't  care  if  you  talk  to  fans  or  whatever,  that  never  bothers  me  but  her?  she  wanted  to  fuck  you.  the  question  is,  did  you  want  to  fuck  her  too?"

‘ no , i only drove in this afternoon . went down to the hardware store to get some boxes so i can get the place squared away then this happened . . ’ elaborates with the soft shrug of her shoulders , foggy brain trying to give as much information as she can . ‘ i really don't know what to tell you chief . ’ honestly ? she had been in no rush to return to the home and sort though her dead fathers belongings . ‘ oh , he used to to teach philosophy over at the university , i don't know if that helps ? ’ explains as arms wrap around her a little tighter , the cool night air breezing past them sending shivers down her spine . ‘ we haven't spoken in five . . almost six years now . he started keeping to himself a lot after my mom died . eventually we stopped talking . ’ pauses , as she catches her breath , the realisation that she was now truly alone in this world making her chest feel impossibly tight . swallows the lump that's formed in her throat as best as she can before continuing . ‘ i haven't touched much of anything that's inside yet . you're more than welcome to come in , have a look . ’ more so an offer so she won't be alone in the house but it counts nonetheless . ‘ there's plenty books everywhere ⸻ maybe one of them will have our horror symbols in them . ’ muses as she steps towards the front door . ‘ i'll even make you a cup of coffee . ’

" doesn't  strike  me  as  those  kinda  kids  though,  this  is  some  weird  shit  cairo."  he'd  need  to  photograph  the  scene  once  he  finished  speaking  to  her,  whatever  good  that  would  do  given  how  jericho  couldn't  make  out  what  a  single  symbol  meant  aside  from  the  very  obvious  pentagram.  "probably  a  smart  choice",  agrees  with  a  slow  nod.  halloween  was  fast  approaching  which  could  possibly  be  a  reason  for  this  behaviour,  but  even  so  jericho  didn't  fully  believe  it.  why  drive  to  a  random  house  on  a  random  street  and  spend  probably  half  the  night  doing  this?  "wait,  this  ain't  your  house?"  blinking  he  turns  his  attention  entirely  to  her.  "so  your  dad  lived  here?"  he  had  foolishly  believed  that  he  knew  everyone  in  town,  but  this  street  was  one  he  rarely  got  called  to,  not  many  of  his  childhood  friends  had  lived  here  either.  "there's  no  need  to  be  afraid,  i'll  have  someone  drive  by  throughout  the  night  okay?  but  ...  your  dad,  was  he  into  anything  ...  like  this?"  hand  waves  toward  the  house  with  a  slight  grimace.  it  felt  awkward  to  intrude  on  her  after  losing  her  father,  to  probe  into  their  relationship  and  what  type  of  man  he  was. " or maybe he was interested in religion ? the occult ?" it was such a small town jericho felt sure he would have heard if anything weird and remotely satanic was happening .

This has been on my mind for long but I’m gonna do this - please reblog this if you’re comfortable with pre-establishing relationships. I do not mean “met at the grocery store two weeks ago” or “have a common friend”, but rather stuff like “have been best friends since kindergrden”, “go for a beer every friday”, “friends with benefits”, “dated in highschool”, “hate each other’s guts because -insert reason-”  etc. Something meaningful (but not necessarily shippy) and I mean with muns/characters you have not interacted with, because I cannot believe I am the only one who prefers jumping right into the heart of the human interaction.

‘ well , they sure do know how to make a girl feel special . ’ sarcasm is heaped on thick , concoction between a laugh and a scoff slipping past her lips as dark hues flick back over to the writings once more . would have definitely taken a dick or set of tits over what now tarnishes previously pristine white walls , at least she would know what they mean . ‘ horror movies ? no , way too scary , not my thing , i don't mess with stuff like this . ’ hand gestures to the giant pentagram adorning the side of the house , head shaking as she explains . ‘ i'm not even supposed to be here , only reason i am is to box up my daddy's house . ’ sigh comes heavy , exhaustion hanging heavy beneath tired eyes . ‘ he passed away last week . . this is his place ⸻ and i mean , it's a small town , right ? news travels fast , maybe they thought there would be something worth stealing inside . which could have been the case if my dad hadn't been the worlds most unbothered man , but whoever was trying to break in might not have known that ... ’ did not care for material things , kept to himself as far as she was aware . . . but they also hadn't spoken in years . could this have been something he was into ? dismisses the thought as soon as it pops into her head , not even bothering to verbalise it , the idea ridiculous . ‘ all i know is i won't be sleeping tonight . ’

"huh?  oh  sorry  ma  —  cairo.  i  just  wanna  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  because  normally  the  rowdy  teenagers  around  here  spray  paint  dicks  or  uh, breasts  on  to  people's  property  not  ...  this."  this  was  entirely  new  to  jericho,  so  no  wonder  the  rookie  had  called  him  to  come  out  and  take  a  look  himself.  "you  a  horror  fan?"  questions  with  a  small  chuckle,  "sure  might  come  in  handy  for  identifying  some  of  these  symbols."  they  weren't  hastily  created  either,  some  of  them  look  so  intricate  his  eyes  start  to  strain  when  he  studies  the  details.  "and  you  think  they  did  this  as  a  ruse  to  get  inside?"  it  didn't  make  sense  to  him,  home  invasions  were  either  meticulous  to  the  point  of  not  noticing  anything  had  been  stolen  until  you  went  to  search  for  it  or  sloppy  and  chaotic.  "do  you  have  anything  in  your  home  they  might  want  to  steal?  any  valuable  items?  did  you  come  in  to  any  money  recently?"  for  the  life  of  him  jericho  couldn't  figure  it  out,  but  one  thing  he  knew  for  sure  was  that  this  job  was  going  to  be  an  asshole  to  write  up.

‘ maybe because you are the paranoid one ? we were just talking ⸻ and don't you pretend like you not checking your phone was no big deal , who the fuck forgets to check their phone for five hours , aspen ! ’ counters heatedly , facial expression screaming i'm not stupid. ‘ yeah cause fuck how i'm feeling , right ? who gives a shit . ’ roll of his eyes as he speaks . ‘ she's some random bitch who asked me about how the season is going , god forbid i speak to anyone that isn't you . ’ throws his hands up in irritation , really laying it on thick .

"me?  are  you  fucking  with  me?  i  go  out  with  friends  and  don't  check  my  phone,  you  make  it  into  some  big  deal  and  yet  when  i  ask  you  about  that  bitch  you've  been  talking  to  it's  suddenly  like  i'm  the  paranoid  one?  as  if  i'm  the  person  who's  pushing  you  away?"  femme  scoffs  loudly,  head  shaking  in  complete  exasperation.  "who  is  she?  fuck  all  that  nonsense  about  not  doing  anything  right,  who  is  she  and  why  do  you  like  her  more  than  me  all  of  a  sudden?"

regret sets in at a staggering pace , not one to be mean , it had taken a lot out of him to even put up the front in the first place . her words causing him to crack like an egg . ‘ you know it's only going to make it harder , right ? ’ he means when he inevitably leaves again , to go back to the city . continue his life . the reason for his return to their small town brief , exactly the way he likes it . every corner of the place holding memories he's spent long and hard trying to forget . though the sacrifice of the people he actually likes and has to leave behind never does get any easier . ‘ i didn't mean to be a dick though , ⸻ i mean technically i did but i thought i was doing us both a favour .. i don't wanna hurt you . ’

…                     ❝  i don't     ⸻     i don't know.  ❞ ripley admitted, voice soft but firm, arms crossed and a stubborn tilt to her chin as she spoke. ❝  i know i should have walked away the first time you pushed me away . . . i guess i've just been through fucking worse than your walls. i don't scare easily.  ❞ she let out a small, humorless laugh. this might all be foolish, but she just couldn't let go of him just yet. ❝  or i don't know     ⸻     maybe i'm just a fucking masochist, 'cause i like the way you make me feel. isn't that what we all want, just feel something ?  ❞

soft laugh slips past cherry stained lips , not an ounce of humour to be detected in it . eyes focusing on nervous fingers as they fidget restlessly . deep inhale before she finally finds the words to speak . ‘ that's really nice of you to say , james ... ’ wry smile occupies her lips now as she looks up to meet his eyes . ‘ ⸻ but we both know that your brother doesn't love anyone but himself . and i'm so over it . ’ it had been hard for her to accept at first , now it rarely ever bothers her anymore . ‘ it's kinda crazy how two people can look so alike yet be so different . ’

" i know being with my brother isn't always easy, but he does love you." / @assidvous

hurt shoots across his face , looking away so she won't notice just how obvious it really is . he might have suspected it but does not make him any less taken aback to her speaking the words out loud . ‘ i thought we talked about this . . . that's not me anymore . i've changed . what else do i have to do to prove that to you . ’ frustration weighing heavy on his lips .

she hesitates , lip trembling as if even she didn't know the answer . “ i don't think so . . . not anymore . ”  

blush that creeps across delicate cheeks is telltale , tinging them pink with the simplest of compliments . her own body betraying her so easily when he's around it scares even her sometimes . ‘ two hundred plus years roaming around this place and you couldn't spring for some acting classes ? ’ amusement coats her words as she speaks , kicking the covers off over her legs so she can move closer . nights like these , with no patrol and minimum slayer duties are rare , reminding her of a time before prophesies and near constant death . barely remembers what it's like to be a normal girl as opposed to the chosen one , how ironic that the vampire in her bedroom would . ‘ didn't think you'd come over tonight , ⸻ i know how much you like to be out there when i'm not . ’ teases softly , getting on her knees beside him , as he takes off his boots . skin cool to the touch , smooth under her hands as she puts them on either side of his face , looking down into his blue eyes . ‘ no slayer things on the agenda tonight but theres plenty of other stuff we can practice . . . ’ delicate laughter follows as she leans down , crushing a kiss to his lips .

legs swing over the entrance to her window , always expecting to feel some form of barrier but he never does . long ago had silver began to invite him into her home , into her bed --- there was never a wall of force to bounce back upon . " you look nice . " it's her same usual get up , short night game that drapes over her so gently and all he can do is think about the warmth of her skin , how fucking alive she made him feel again . " oh , you want to practice . get all romeo and juliet about it , you can stab me and i'll play dead . " the blonde jokes , making a comical and poorly acted dead face for a moment tongue hanging out before he snaps back . " unconvincing ? " stepping further into her room , the man moves over to the edge of her bed and begins to untie his boots . " my love , i always miss you . "

‘ it's fine , i'm fine ... ’ waves her off , as he blinks to try and focus , pain radiating from his eye . ‘ if i get my hands on him though i'm gonna beat the shit out of him . ’ he laughs it off , just as soon as he manages to see properly again . ‘ what kind of pussy sucker punches a guy like that ? ’ complaint accompanied by a note to his future self ; next time stay the fuck out of it .

“ — Nevermind that, he hit you pretty hard there.” A pause as she leaned closer to inspect it better. “That’s definitely going to bruise.”

eyes roll in frustration , doesn't even deign it worthy to acknowledge her basketball to the head comment because his attitude was not ridiculous , not compared to hers . ‘ oh yeah ? and what tactic is that , aspen ? what else do you want from me ? i can't ever fucking do anything right for you , can i . . . . ’ doesn't mean to raise his voice but he does anyways , vitriol aimed at her directly .

" my attitude ? mine ? are you hearing yourself right now ? you're acting ridiculous --- did a basketball hit you on the head or something ? if you have such an issue with this attitude you should try a different tactic 'cause this ? it isn't working kellan ."