#Syume writes

[shindayyume]

Delirious .·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

An introduction to a new character. Dean Harrington is the son of an infamous scientist that was capable of changing their dying species for the better. Now, It’s Deans job to follow in his footsteps. Unbeknownst to him, he is just like the rest of the Freaks they seek to wipe out.

『••✎••』

Dean swayed in the cushioned swivel chair, side to side as if he was experiencing the most boring event in his life. Because he was. He had his shoes propped up against the meeting table, seated all the way towards the end as multiple other men and women in dark suits paid close attention to the white board ahead. Meanwhile, Dean's eyes were firmly set on the ticking clock at the corner of the room, watching the numbers count down right in front of him. Impatiently, he chewed at the end of his pink pastel pen, the muffled words of corporate numbers and business plans going into one ear and right out the other.

“Mr. Harrington? Mr. Harrington?? Harrington!”

The voice of an older man stretched across the board meeting, and every single eye in the room was pinned onto the youngster who had been lost in his own world. Dean's response was a quick “Hm?” scanning everyone's faces like a deer in headlights.

“.. yeah! Yeah, let's go with that.’ He laughed in between “uh… what was the question?”

The older man at the opposite end of the table was the only one up from his seat, the one going over the oh so important presentation. He sighed with annoyance. “Mr. Harrington, it's important you understand the gravity of the situation. Your father’s research is extremely important to our proposal, we need an update. Is it ready?”

Crap. He muttered to himself. His father. His father was all they ever mentioned around this place. Not only was his dad a highly presetine business man around the place, but he was also a very successful scientist. It's all he ever focused on throughout Dean's entire life. With the world changing, and becoming more destructive towards mankind, Dean’s father was the man in charge of chemical and biological “testing.” Dean could never remember the exact words for it, but his father was practically the Oppenheimer of his generation.

“Right! Cmon chief, don't sweat it. We're still working out the… kinks and symptoms.. I'll meet the deadline.” Dean stood from his seat, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves to a comfortable fit. “I'd say this meeting is adjourned, don't you think? We’re what- thirty minutes past our scheduled time?”

“Mr. Harrington, we still have so much more to discuss-” Before anyone could even try and convince Dean to stay, he was already maneuvering his way towards the door.

“Mhm! Tell Martha to add the next meeting into my schedule! Busy man, ya know.” He flashed a wink towards the entire crew before practically bolting out that office.

The team could only watch in disbelief and frustration. They dare not to talk back to Harrington, even in death, they fear the consequences of his parents.

Dean strolled through the long halls of the pristine building he attended. “Morning Susan!” he tapped against the lobby's main counter as he rushed past, catching the attention of the clerk behind it. “Good Morning Mr. Harrington!” was her response back, trying not to choke over her own words while she caught his smile. But it was nothing special, He did that to everyone he stepped past.

“Hey, Jason, love the new hair!”

“Oh- thank you, Harrington! Someone noticed!”

“Sara, is that a new dress? That color looks great on you!”

“It is! Thank you, Mr. Harrington!”

“Clark, saw your new debut! You're doing great, man!”

“You really think so?? Thanks, Harrington!”

These were all one sentence conversations he was bypassing, giving flirtatious waves and smiles from across the room. No matter who he was talking to, their eyes always panned in his direction with desire. Dean was well known around his company, not just for being the son of a pristine family, but boy, did he have a face blessed by Aphrodite herself. Not only that, but no one had ever seen him angry or sad a day in their lives. He was perfect.

He exited the large glass double doors, immediately greeted by a younger woman in a tight fit dress and clipboard in hand. She seemed to stumble over herself as she attempted to catch up to him. “Mr. Harrington! I see your meeting lasted longer than planned- I had some extra time to work on your upcoming speech at the gala-”

“Oh Meave, you work too hard, tell me about it on the way!” His hand lightly rested on her lower back, motioning for her to step into the car that was patiently parked in the valet. A team of security protecting their surroundings, and holding open the backseat door for the two.

“But Mr. Harrington-” as she was motioned inside the car before him, her instinct was to scoot towards the other end of the backseat, leaving space for him besides her. She adjusted the glasses on her face, anxiously trying to get his focus straight.

“Yeah, I know? Don’t stress, I'll read it over when I get home. Woah! Bad hair day?” As he entered the car, he reached over to lightly fix the few fly away strands of hair that had escaped her neat bun. Tucking them behind her ear with innocence. Her face burned pink, attempting to recall what she was saying. “Mr. Harrington can we please stay on topic-” She was getting nowhere. Only able to watch as he stretched over to speak to the driver.

“Daniel hey, hi, can we put a rush on it? As fast as you can go without getting us pulled over?” He patted his hand against the chauffeur's shoulder, grinning before relaxing back into his seat.

“As you wish, master Harrington.”

Once Dean was finally seated and the car was in motion, his secretary once again tried to get his attention. ‘Um, Mr. Har-” her words were interrupted by his, “Its Dean, Meave. Just Dean,” he chuckled, turning his head to look at her. “Hey! Job for you, you think you can set up an appointment with marketing? They're all over my tail, I don't think I can reschedule for the third time. Also, see if you can ask my tailor to adjust the cuffs on this suit- the sleeves are bugging me like hell” He once again started to adjust the ends of his sleeves, twirling his wrist to stretch it.

Defeated, she began to write those notes down onto the clipboard in her lap. “Yes sir,”

Meave was new to being Harrington's personal secretary. Honestly, it seemed like he had a new one every week. It was impossible for him to keep a steady right hand man, mostly due to the fact that he would end up sleeping with them in a one night stand and they would soon become too clingy. Her and Dean have yet to run into that problem however.

As quickly as the driver could take them, they soon arrived at a large manor. It was protected by tall, shiny black gates that held the family crest right at the entrance. It was a symbol of a white dove being entangled by a large python. The car circled through the complex roundabout at the front of the house, stopping perfectly at the main doors. An older woman waited patiently outside, approaching the vehicle's back door and holding it open for the younger gentleman. Greeting him with a monotone expression, “Welcome back, master Harrington.”

“Thank you, Martha. Daniel, take Meave home for me, would you? We’re done for the day.”

The second he was outside the car, Martha reached for his coat, gently removing it from over his shoulders.

“Mr. Harrington, wait your sp-” The car's door shut in Meave’s face, silencing the rest of her concern.

“God that meeting took forever! I thought I was going to be late!” The house itself stood tall with confidence, as if it was alive and aware of who it was housing inside. As Dean walked through the hallways with Martha tailing right behind him, Their footsteps lightly echoed off the walls.

“Did you meet their expectations this time, master Harrington? And before you ask, yes, I had already set up the theater for you.”

“Ugh, Martha, I love you! Hey, you think we can have teriyaki for dinner? Janice brought a bowl for her lunch today and I cannot get it out of my head!” He laughed in the back of his throat, starting to undo the buttons on his dress shirt as he entered a large bedroom.

Martha stood patiently at the doorway, respectfully turned around to provide him with privacy. “That is actually something of importance we need to discuss. I will find you later after your show.” She knew who she was speaking to, and calmly began to walk off.

It hardly seemed like Dean was ever listening. He was always lost in his own world and priorities, humming the lyrics to ‘Bye Bye Bye’ by *Nsync as he stripped down his clothing. Leaving nothing but the silver cross that hung from his neck. He replaced his outer wear with a thin white robe that would nearly be see through if it wasn't for the intricate designs and patterns of gold embroidered into it. He raised his hands into his hair, ruffling it out from its neatly slicked back style into its natural golden fluffy look. “Finally,” he took a breath, glancing over to the king sized bed that was neatly done. Specifically looking at the dusty colored stuffed animal of a rabbit that drooped in between his pillows.

“Eh,” he shrugged his shoulders, exiting the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

Only to reopen the door within seconds, and grab ahold of the still plushie on the bed.

He seated himself comfortably in the center row, the room mimicked a small, more home settled movie theater. And of course, that slouchy rabbit had its own seat right besides him, both of their chairs reclined up. With one gentle push of a button, his arm rest opened to reveal a remote mechanically engineered into the seat itself. For an item so simple, it looks far too advanced to belong to his world. Looking blankly at the HDMI settings that reflected back to him, he clicked down to HDMI2, getting greeted by a ‘no signal’ warning once he pressed the confirming button. “Oh damn, wrong one.” Double taking after muttering to himself, he ended up figuring out the right settings.

And finally, the grand moment he had been waiting for all day. The one thing that he impatiently sat through the meeting for was now right here in his face.

The newest episode of love island.

. . .

“What?! No!! She got booted off?? But she was perfect!” He whined, at the edge of his seat as the ending of the show played through on the giant screen in front of him. “Uuuuggghhh..” He then slouched back, melting into the seat in anguish.

“Another week until the next…”

It wasn’t until now that he realized how silent the room was. Sure, the TV was still playing out its commercials and filling the background, but his voice was still the only real one in the room.

Uncomfortable silence.

He shifted in his seat, his eyes darting around the room while he thought of his next move. Then, an idea struck like a light bulb.

‘Bye bye bye’

He slid down the long hallway, fuzzy white bear shaped slippers gliding across the freshly mopped floor.

“-I loved you endlessly, When you weren't there for me

So now it's time to leave and make it alone,”

He had his fist raised near his mouth, holding an imaginary microphone that he was repeating lyrics into. In replacement for an actual microphone, was a short metal bat. It was not meant for baseball.

Making his way down the endless hallways, he energetically mimicked the proper dances to the song. The Lyrics dumped loudly throughout the house, playing from multiple speakers hidden around.

“Don’t want to be a fool for you,

Just another player in your game for two,

You may hate me but it aint no lie,

Baby bye bye bye.”

It is important to note, before this, Dean's bright idea was to partake in a few shots of strong alcoholic mixes.

He has stumbled his way to the end of the hall on the top floor, pushing open two large doors to reveal the biggest bedroom in the house. The room itself was cleaned, but untouched. As if it had been dormant for quite some time, even bits of furniture were outdated. Lined up against the walls, were displays upon displays of trophies and framed documents. They made perfect decorations around the large photo portrait of a man and a woman. Both equally resemble Dean in features.

“Don't really want to make it tough,”

He tightened his grip on the bat in hand, raising it to rest against his shoulder.

“I just want to tell you that I've had enough,”

He then twirled the bat like a baton against his fingers, confirming his grip with now two hands, and springing his arms back.

“It might sound crazy but it ain't no lie

Baby bye bye bye.”

With all the strength his drunken mind could manage, he took a heavy swing at the golden awards. Their shelves immediately broke and snapped, only progressively getting damaged as glass, wood, and other materials split into pieces from Dean's repeated aggression.

He bopped his head to the rhythm still playing throughout the house, a smile over his face to confirm how unaware he was of his own actions.

Unfortunately, nothing was safe within that room. He ran that bat through the expensive furniture that held up chairs and dressers, shattering glass that protected diplomas and displayed papers.

“I've lived for you and me

And now I really come to see

That life would be much better once you're gone,”

The room was quickly being torn into a mess. The floor now covered in scraps and damaged decor. The walls had its paint chipped and peeled, even a few holes smashed in from any impact. He mouthed the lyrics, raising his free hand to form it in the shape of a talking puppet as he stumbled over the trashed ground.

He came face to face with a specific shelf hidden in the corner of the room. It held up a few crosses and unlit candles. To pull it all together, right in the center was a framed photo of Dean around the age of 7-8, and his parents at each side. He huffed, chest raising up and down out of exhaustion while he stared back at the younger version of himself. The smile from before had now faded into a meaningless glare. The child's eyes could not mimic the older ones ahead. Their gloss faded, and his mind was not all that there.

“I'm giving up I know for sure

I don't' want to be the reason for your love no more

…

I'm checking out, I'm signing off

I don't want to be the loser, and I've had enough.”

He took another frustrated swing, destroying the shelf of its prayer. The frame cracked and split into two, hitting the ground with the old family portrait still intact.

Dean left no item unturned. Even the sheets to the bed were draped off, and its pillows bursted with feathers spilling out the ends. The old clothing from the closet was torn and thrown about, and there was always a crunch of glass and debris following Deans steps.

. . .

Martha had later approached Dean's bedroom. The door was firmly shut and she didn’t have to try the handle to know it was locked. She lightly knocked on the wood with the back of her knuckles, “Master Harrington? I would like to discuss tonight’s plans. If you’re- done.”

The door swung open, and out rushed a dazed Meave stumbling to stretch down her dress. Her glasses were framed crooked on her face, and she no longer had that neat bun as before. She lightly muttered a polite “excuse me” while she bypassed the housekeeper.

Martha didn’t even have to see her face to know her mascara was running.

Dean, still being in the room, was in the process of retying the loop to hold his robe together. A few strands of hair stuck to the sweat on his forehead as he innocently smiled.

“Martha! Yeah yeah, what’s up? I’m not busy, I was just about to run a bath. Oh! Martha, do me a huge favor and fire Meave. Lay her down gently for me,” He chuckled, lowering his voice to a secretive whisper. “She's a crier..”

“Right… Master Harrington, did you forget that you are scheduled to attend the ceremonial gala tonight? They are expecting you to give a speech on your latest product release…”

She watched as Dean waltzed into his connected bathroom, running the water to the tub just to get it to the right temperature before filling it up. He immediately groaned over this information,

“Uuuuggghhhhh…

I'm not going.”

“Master Dean, you cannot spend your entire life alone in a mansion watching reality TV and listening to boy bands.”

“Uh, yeah I can” He shrugged, adding bubble soap into the filling tub.

Once the tub was filled, and hot enough to release steam, he turned off the faucet. Now undoing the loose knot that held together his robe.

“Well if you ask me, It might be a good idea for you to attend. Gives you the opportunity of branching out. And meeting new people.” She stepped inside the room, politely turned away from the bathroom doorway.

“Pfft, okay? Everyone knows my face, I doubt it's any different than work or stepping outside. Isn't that what I need? Some peace and quiet, protecting myself from the disgusting anomalies out there? Like hell to think I want to end up on that missing persons list.” He slowly dipped himself into the water, before sinking in further until suds were at his chest.

Martha hummed, grabbing ahold of one of the super hero figurines that had been displayed on his counter. Lightly dusting it off with the end of her apron before placing it back in its rightful spot. “You are not leaving the border, Master Dean. And besides, it’s not like you to turn down a party. Did something happen at work?”

“Uuhh-“ Resting his arms along the edges of the tub, he had a brief flashback to a few weeks ago- he had been downstairs in the lab with a few other crew members, and “accidentally” single handedly caused the contamination and destruction of their medical research planning to cure super viruses.

They were not the most thrilled.

“Nope! Just don’t think our product release is ready yet. Maybe for the next one!”

She sighed, giving her head a light shake from side to side in disappointment. “As you wish, Master Dean. But.. do take it into heavy consideration.” She began to make her way out the room, briefly stopping at the doorway. “Your father would be proud.”

Within seconds after, she quietly closed the bedroom door.

Dean sat in silence, using the nail at his fingertip to scratch at his thumb until the skin was red. He made yet another long whine, holding his head in his hand. “Martha! Can you please iron my suit? And have the car ready, I like when the A/C is blasting.. thank you!”

. . .

Dean swiftly stepped out from the limousine's backseat door, which had been respectfully held open by a security guard. Immediately, he was greeted by camera flash and microphones. Paparazzi shouted and catcalled to grab the attention of the face of Harrington enterprise.

Dean's smile was enough to make them all go wild. Not to mention that his golden hair was neatly slicked back, perfectly blending with the white tux hugged around his triangular frame. With a wave, he walked down the velvet carpet.

“Aww, I love you guys too! Stop, you flatter me!” He laughed, his words purring into the ears of the audience as their cameras followed his every step. However, they would soon lose sight of him the moment he stepped through the large glimmery double doors.

On the other side, was a grand ballroom filled with the most expensive looking people.

They laughed and few even danced, intertwined with each other like the perfect society.

Many of them caught eyes on the new arrival through the thick crowd. It was the same routine as work, where people would step out of the way for the young man, greeting him with high regards. And Dean fed into it. He loved stopping to have a quick chat about his oh so busy, perfect life, or to stop and share a drink with the sexy marketing director.

“Harrington!”

A voice from halfway across the giant room called for him, making Dean turn his head from the group of ladies that had roped themselves into his arms.

The second the corner of his eye spotted the dusty brown hair, he muttered a brief “shit” under his breath.

“Harper! Hey! Don’t tell me you’re-“

“Coordinating the speeches for today? Yes, I am. We were expecting you to ditch on us again.” A young male approached the other, he was smaller compared to Dean, with a more feminine look to him. Even so, Dean would be lying if he said he didn’t find the guy attractive. Harper had long, Lusciously styled hair. The tips and ends a chocolate brown, while the roots gleamed almost creamy white. Today especially Dean could not avert his eyes. Mainly due to the fact that Harper was wearing an extremely low cut V neck.

“Haha- whaaaat? No way, I wouldn't have missed it for the world!”

“Really? So did your 15th new assistant provide you with a proper speech this time? Or did you.. make this one yourself. Again.” Harper raised a brow, crossing his arms together.

Dean laughed, cursing at himself in the back of his head. He should have listened to Meave in the car this morning. “Oh you know me, I speak for myself. Sooo.. where did you place me in the presentation?”

“Last.”

“Huh?! Last?? Harper, I don’t know if I should thank you or send a mutant to your house! You’re going to keep me here all night??” He slouched like a sad puppy.

The smaller man shrugged, the corner of his lips smugly turning up. “Like I said, no one expected you to show. And that’s what you get for ghosting me. Besides.. I have a very important run down for you about how this is gonna go, so listen up and listen well.”

Dean gave a slow, fake smile filled nod, his eyes darting around the room for an easy escape- Harper was on a ramble.

Behind his ear, like a cold whisper, the orchestra's music hit the back of his mind. Though, it wasn’t the instruments that caught his attention. It was the voice that echoed from the center of the stage.

Suddenly, his entire world became silent. Harper’s voice drained out with the hundreds of others around him. Except for one. A singular female voice flowed against his ears like ocean waves. At first, he tried to blink away the odd sensation, only for it to grow louder, and more clear. He could’ve sword he even heard his own name being called through it. He eventually gave his body a turn around, the crowd now full of blurred faces and dark shadows. All accept.. For the bright spotlight that showered over the lady in a dark seafoam dress. Her extended hair was loosely pinned back, held by clips that mimicked seashells and starfishes. Even so, it was a perfect silky black that waved at the ends.

And oh did that dress hug her in all the right places, draping as low to the ground, with a small train right behind her. The poor standing microphone was a victim of her entrancement, her lips being mere meters away from touching it.

She was as beautiful as her voice. And to Dean, it felt as if she was singing directly to him.

Snap

Snap

Snap

“Harrington?? Harrington?? Dean!” Harper snapped his fingers once more, finally getting the attention of the blonde in front of him, who has been long spaced out.

The many voices in the room filled his head again as he looked back, as if he had been dreaming previously.. Everything felt real again. “Huh? Hm? Yeah, yeah I'm paying attention- hey um, who is that” He gawked over the pretty performer once more, starting to walk closer to the center stage where the orchestra resided.

Harper rolled his eyes, following. “You don't know her? Now that's surprising. That's Lady Odessa, a famous musical artist around these parts. She's got a pretty good voice, don't you think?”

“Odessa..” he repeated, keeping his eyes pinned straight on the lady as he politely excused himself through the crowd. He was just steps away from the stage, her eyes shifting from her audience to the singular man approaching her side.

But then, Dean was stopped by a very tall security guard. He was large, with darkened brown hair tied into neat braids. The most obvious feature about him was the disgusting scar that stretched across the bridge of his nose. All the guy had to do was place his hand against Dean's chest, blocking his view from Odessa.

Dean had to turn his head upwards for once, making a very nervous chuckle as he surrendered his hands up. It seems like Odessas security was not one to mess with.

“Hey big guy- woah, nice scar? Where'd you pick that one up? Ya know, I got a few around if you ever wanna take a-”

“Shut up and step back.”

Dean froze for a brief moment, staring dumbfoundedly at the larger man that had a very intimidating glare across his face. No one had ever told him to shut up before.

“haha- “

Dean felt another hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. It was Harper, with an irritated look on his face. “Don't be dumb. Besides, I need to talk to you more. I have a gift,” Harpers words sung out from his lips, dragging his hand upwards under Dean's chin to pull him into a trance.

Dean was enough of an idiot to completely forget about the lady on stage after that, raising a curious brow to Harper. “Oh? You didn't have to get me anything, birdie..”

“I know, you don't deserve it,” Harper hooked his fingers underneath Dean's bowtie, dragging him away from the stage like a dog on a leash. He pulled him into a more secluded area, hidden in one of the halls that only one or two other people passed down.

“Woah, don't you think we’re still out in the open? Maybe there's a bathroom or storage closet near by-”

“Shush, think with your head for once. Here,” Harper pulled out a small box from his pocket, carefully handing it over to Dean. “That's what I wanted to give you. As a- good luck charm. It was pretty obvious you were avoiding this presentation so.. Maybe it'll help boost your confidence.” Harper crossed his arms behind his back, looking up to Dean with a faint smile.

Dean instinctively took the box, he was a sucker for gifts and trinkets of all sorts.

Opening it, it revealed a shiny silver band, sitting on a dark blue cushion.

“A ring? Woah, Harper, you're not getting on a knee for me, are ya?”

“Of course not, I'm not that desperate. The ring is actually blessed by a magical entity.. It gives the wearer the ability of enhanced strength, knowledge, power, like an anomaly.”

Dean and Harper had a thick moment of uncomfortable tension between them. Until they both broke out in laughter “good one! You had me scared for a second there”

Harper laughed, waving his hand. “I’m just teasing. It’s from my family's collection, go on, give it a go.”

Dean removed the ring from its protective case, taking a closer inspection. Inside the ring had the tiniest engravings he had ever seen. With the words written,

‘Till death’

Yeah, not creepy at all. At this point he really was questioning if Harper was trying to sneak in a proposal. He should really start paying attention to the documents he signs blindly- but the ring itself showed no flaws, it was beautiful. Though, it seemed a little too big for his finger. Curiously, he slipped the jewelry onto his ring finger, and was surprised to find it was a perfect fit. He could have sworn it was a size too big, but it seemed to just.. adjust itself perfectly. Must be a trick of the eye.

He stretched out his hand, admiring how it perfectly blended in with his other rings.

“Charming.. Thank you, Harper. Does this mean I owe you one?”

Harper made a “tsk” sound with his tongue, shaking his head. “Consider it a thank you, for even showing up. Can’t wait to see your presentation. Which reminds me- I have to start the ceremony, don’t forget you start in 30!”

Harper was quick to trail off, giving Dean a wave goodbye as he disappeared into the crowded abyss.

Dean hummed, inspecting the ring once more. He swore that he saw the spotlights reflect off its surface, glimmering with.. approval.

He shrugged it off, turning to return back with the many people who now had all their attention on stage.

“Alright! Everyone give a round of applause for the lovely Odessa, her performance was breath taking!”

The crowd cheered with applause as she lightly bowed her head in thanks before she was escorted off the stage by her security. Alas- Dean saw his opportunity.

“Excuse me- ‘cuse me, thank you,”

Odessa had now been pulled onto the floor, still guarded, but open to interactions as she accepted a wine-filled glass from one of the bypassers.

“H-hey! You were stunning up there..” he cleared his throat, pressing his hand against his own chest as he introduced himself. “Dean Harrington, Billionaire, bon vivant, inventor, playboy, and the Capitals most eligible bachelor, like, five years in a row now-”

“I know who you are, Dean.” With a laugh, she returned a light smile to him, taking a drink from her glass out of interest.

His head cocked to the side, the expression on his face a tad shocked as she called him by his first name. No one ever did that. “Oh I'm sure you do. Oddly enough, I've never seen you before.. I guess I must be a lot farther behind in today's media than I thought. Even so, I've never heard a voice as entrancing as yours..”

She nodded, with another laugh. “Oh, you flatter me! It's truly an honor to make my way up to such a luxurious event. I was starting to get bored actually, but i've seemed to run into quite the sailor..” She inched herself closer, clearly enthralled by Dean's simple words. She pulled back when she noticed a shine from Dean's finger, “Oh- oh I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you were..” She pointed to the ring.

“Huh- oh- OH, no no, i'm not-” he cleared his throat, attempting to figure out a more professional explanation. Truly, he wasn't going to just expose that it was a gift from an ex. “I'm not tied down or anything, it's only a fashion statement. A gift- from a family friend, if you will.”

“I see… so, the capital's number one bachelor is.. Available?” her lips turned upwards again, lightly dancing her fingertips against the collar of his shirt. Dean felt his heart thump against his chest, his eyes tracking down every move she made.

“Far more than available, Miss Odessa.. You know, I know of a pretty secluded–” at the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her hand. Her fingertips were suddenly stained back, like dark charcoal. His immediate reaction was to jerk himself away, blinking his eyes in a panic.

“Mr. Harrington? Is everything alright?”

Like nothing ever happened, her hands were completely normal. He could have sworn, he spotted an anomaly.

“I, yeah I,”

Then, there was a cold touch against his back. He could feel the palm of a person phase right through him, grabbing a hold of the breath in the back of his throat.

“Harrington! Harrington, there’s been an urgent change of plans, we need you up there first.”

It was Harper. He had grabbed Dean by the coat, forcibly snapping him back into reality. “Do you hear me?? We need you up there now!”

Odessa smiled, taking the open opportunity to excuse herself with her security “Goodluck up there, Harrington. I look forward to seeing you around.”

No one was giving him anytime to process. He felt hot, and panicked. But his mind was blank. “What?? Now?? Seriously?”

“Yes! Now cmon! The president is watching.” Harper pushed and shoved against Dean's back, getting the gears in his legs moving. Before he knew it, he was escorted backstage with minimal downtime. “Wait wait wait- but my tech, I didn’t bring any?? And the presentation is halfway done, I can’t just-“

“Martha sent it all to us.” As the opener on stage gathered the crowd, he spoke loudly through the microphone. And Harper was quickly adjusting a clip on mic to Deans collar.

“Attention! Attention ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to have you here, and as you may have heard.. We have gathered a collective group of leaders, scientists, doctors, and senators to present to you.. the first look into our future. Ever since monsters and demons have awakened from our land, we have been at war. Determined to reclaim our home, and stand on top, everyone here today has taken a step forward. One more. Step forward. Into the downfall of anomalies.”

The audience roared and clapped, this was no ordinary Gala. This was the event Dean had been avoiding his entire life. A chance to prove one’s worth, in the eyes of the Capitals president himself.

“She.. brought it? She brought it??” Dean's voice lowered into a stern whisper.

“Yes. Leave it to me. Now go! You’re up!” With another Shove, Dean could step nowhere but into the spotlight.

“I’d love for you to all give a warm welcome to our first presentation of the night. The son of a man who changed the way we create. Changed the way we live. A legend among mankind.. he is here to follow in his footsteps, and enhance our world for the betterment of humanity. I present to you, Dean Harrington!”

Dean's eyes were flashed by cameras and glowing smiles. They gave their cheers and undivided attention as if he was in the center of a gladiator ring. His smile came naturally, raising his hand as a greeting while he walked in front of the podium centered on stage.

“Thank you, Thank you, everyone..”

His own breathing overwhelmed the crowd's voices. But soon, they settled into respected silence. Awaiting his next words.

Frozen, Dean's hidden hands trembled behind the podium. He had not taken Meaves suggested speech, and was nowhere near ready to commit to his project. But he had no choice.

“It is.. an Honor to be here, and your support is all too welcoming..” He paused again, his eyes covering over the entire room with fear. Then, he took a breath.

“As you know, my father was an amazing scientist. Him and my mother risked their lives, spending days, weeks, months- years. Researching outside of our walls. Obtaining all the knowledge they can on the dangers of the world. Our world..” behind him, displayed a large screen. Playing videos of the two parents he was mentioning and their success.

“My father used the biology of anomalies to better our own. For our medicine, weapons, and protection.”

Dean caught the reflection of the screen against the newly obtained ring on his finger. Meeting eyes with his own father.

~

“You don’t understand, Nancy, he is utterly obsessed with them. No matter how hard I try, all he wants to do is help it.”

“He is only a child.. he’s just- different.”

“No, Nancy. Our son is a Freak.”

The young eleven year old boy sat on the cold floor. His knees hugged close to his chest as he attempted to comfort himself in the dark room. His only light source coming from the cracked doorway. Even then, the shadows of two adults stood at the other side, blocking the light. Their voices stayed at a whisper, but it was still loud enough for the kid to hear.

Dean dropped his head down, sniffing tears away as he sobbed over the robotic rabbit at his feet. It had been crushed into pieces.

~

And then, a new person arose through his confidence.

“And yes, a great man he was. But what if I told you, we can do better.” He looked down to the microphone clipped to his collar, carefully removing it. Now presenting with his loudest voice, he held the tiny object up into the air.

“This is our future. This. will protect us from monsters.”

The crowd blinked, in uncomfortable silence. Honestly, there might have been a few laughs.

“I know it doesn’t look like much. I mean, how is a tiny microphone meant to save humanity against a beast with claws and razor sharp teeth? Because this, is a shield. A suit of armor. A sword. And a heart.”

The microphone burst itself into hundreds of tiny mechanical pieces. They were like millions of baby spiders, that seemed to duplicate and expand. like magic. Like living cells. They clustered around Dean's hand and forearm, gradually growing. And mimicking his clothing into hard metal.

“This. Is Nanotechnology.”

Within seconds, the mechanical organisms flowed down Dean's torso, to his legs. Within a blink- Dean was raised higher. They formed bridges underneath his feet. Creating stepping stones for him as he began to walk into the crowd. Above their heads.

“Like stuff out of books and movies, from prosthetics to a new level of transportation- If you can think it, nanotechnology can make it.”

The presentation that had been behind Dean began to display a collage of concept arts and designs. Suits of armor made up of the technology. Vehicles that could easily replace their current ones. Homes and buildings repaired and built to house the lower districts. And even Medical Devices that could flow through one’s blood stream and repair a virus within minutes. These were all the possibilities Dean wanted to share with the world. And these, power hungry humans got front row seats.

“No more second guessing! No more salving away in labs and offices. Look no further, than to the tiny robot that will cater your every need.”

They had lost their minds. Completely enthralled with the nanobots as they carried Dean effortlessly through the crowd. They scaled along the walls, holding him upside down as he confidently was carried on the ceiling, being taken back to the stage. If their cheers weren’t loud before, their gasp and awes covered it.

“And the best part? We no longer have to rip apart anomalies. We no longer have to tear into their biology! Nanotechnology is all of us. These bots are linked and transfused with my DNA. And they can be linked with yours too. One hundred and ten percent pure, human DNA. This, is our own source of energy to the world. Our chance to connect and expand- we no longer have to be afraid of what awaits us outside!”

Back onto the framed structure, the bots formed a tall, bold statue of a warrior. It covered the presentation that was once following the story.

And Dean stood in the center of it all, raising his hands with pride. “Together, all of us, can live in this world as equals. We can be stronger than what we are now. With nanotechnology!”

He huffed, waiting for the hundredth round of applause. But his smile began to fade, as he realized the admiration of voices were whispers and judgmental faces.

“He wants to be equal? With monsters..?”

“He’s trying to kill us, getting us out of these walls..”

“The lower districts do not deserve such a gift..”

“He wants us to live with those.. things out there?”

“What a Freak.”

Deans brows furrowed with uncertainty. What was happening? Why were they.. getting angry? Dean took a step back, hearing footsteps quickly approach his side. Harper had grabbed ahold of his arm, trying to drag him off the stage in a panic.

The audience grew snappy, with irritation in their voices. Booing and mocking the young male.

Their words painfully replayed in Deans head. He couldn’t hear anything else, let alone understand what he did wrong. All he could do was feel his body temperature slipping away, and his vision become too blurry to see through. He knew Harper was calling his name, and he knew he was being escorted to his car. But.. he could not respond.

“What did I do?”

He wasn’t even sure how he got within his seat, but now in the back of his limousine, a crowd covered each window. Paparazzi and news reporters shouting their questions and concerts like an angry mob.

Their faces looked distorted, resembling those of blood thirsty demons and creatures. His mind scrambled and shaken, he felt like he was on a roller coaster.

Dean watched as the vehicle drove through them, and they slowly faded out of view.

Dean did not wait for anyone to open his door. He had stepped out of a halfway moving vehicle, stumbling his way into his house while his chest racing with his mind. His lungs on fire, and his heart drumming in his ears.

“Master Harrington? Master Harrington? Dean, is everything alright??”

“Y-yeah Martha I just, I just need to lay down..” Dean used the walls as his support, dragging his feet down a hallway he felt he was phasing through. Eventually he made it to his bedroom, the corners of the walls draped in shadow. Yelling back at him with curses and angry tones.

He fell onto the mattress, his chest rising quickly with each breath he took. He could still hear it, their voices. The crowd mocking him and harassing his mind.

Before he knew it, his vision became nonexistent, fading into a dark cloud of black. He had only made it halfway onto the bed, with his feet still dangling off and his arm hanging off the edge.

A bright shine twinkled over the ring of his finger as his hand drooped off the end of the bed.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

[shindayyume]

Who are you? ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

The POV of the mystery girl in @simmetrycal’s fic !

Creds to Sim for their oc(s) involved. (Ex. Raymond and Jia.)

Highly recommend you go over to their page and read their vers first!

『••✎••』

“Mooooommm! I need help!” A young boy yelled out from the cracked bathroom door. Somehow he had gotten both his legs stuck on one singular pant hole.

“I’m coming!“

This was a regular occurrence in the life of a single mother.

Vanessa’s routine was always the same. Wake up at 5am, always before- never after her alarm.

Give herself thirty minutes to shower, brush her teeth, do her hair, and throw on clothing that made her appear put together.

With thirty minutes to spare before 6am, she was in the kitchen preparing a simple breakfast. Sometimes it would be waffles, pancakes, and even the occasional crepe for special occasions. But no matter what, the plate always included her son’s favorite- bacon.

Around 6am was when it was time to wake up the man of the hour. Her five year old, Eli.

Despite having his own room, it was a common occurrence for him to crawl his way into his mother’s bed during late hours of the night. Vanessa would always have to drag him out of the covers by enticing him with the fresh smell of food.

She gave her son plenty of time to eat, usually 10 minutes was enough while he sat in front of the Tv scarfing down whatever meal he had. Their doberman, Lady, always sat with him- eyeing his plate like it was her first time seeing food.

In the meantime she prepared his outfit for school, laying it on the sink counter within the bathroom.

She returned out into their compact living room, picking up his plate that he left empty besides a few crumbs.

“Eli, go get dressed. We have to leave early today.”

He had given his mom this wide eyed look, “But mom- Bluey is going to the beach for the first time ever!!” He was always so exaggerative with his words. Almost like his entire body moved when he spoke.

Vanessa responded with a light smile, glancing at the TV displaying the brightly colored dog characters running in the sand, then back to her son. “Yup! And if you don’t hurry to get dressed and brush your teeth, you might miss it! Then you can’t go to the beach with Bluey.”

Eli audibly gasped in shock, jumping out of his chair to run towards the bathroom- it doesn’t take much to convince this kid of anything.

She rolled her eyes with a smile, hitting the record button on the remote before washing up the dirty dishes from this morning.

Despite always stating they had to leave early, the two always found themselves rushing out of the apartment. It was a miracle each and every time Vanessa got her son to school on time.

Unlike most children, Eli always enjoyed school. It kept him occupied, and he was quite popular with the other kids in class for being the well known chatterbox.

But for Vanessa, she relied on it. Keeping a five year old entertained throughout the entirety of summer and winter vacations weren’t exactly easy-

Just before Eli rushed into the building, he would stop and turn- bulldozing his mom with a big hug and a quick “love you!” before running off to his friends.

She looked forward to that moment every morning. It was the only part of her daily schedule that made her life a little less boring. Surly that doesn’t make her lame-

I mean, no one really ever talks about what keeps them going the entire day. For her, it was always that hug and the shared “I love you”s.

Though with Eli departing with his friends, it was time for Vanessa to meet with hers.

She worked at a fairly busy tattoo shop. It was small, and blended in easily with the other shops on the street. Definitely easy to miss if you weren’t looking to get inked. Always the first one there, she had the duty of cleaning up and restocking for the other artist.

Now she didn’t have to do it- but it kept her mind occupied. She hated cleaning. But throughout the years of raising a kid, its muscle memory at this point. Enough so that she would hardly even know she was cleaning in the first place.

Despite this, her station was always a mess compared to how she left others. Her pens, ink cases and paper sketches always scattered about in a disorganized fashion. Most of the time she would get so caught up with cleaning around the place that she wouldn’t hear the jingle from the bells attached to the doorway—

A taller man stepped inside, most of his important features being covered by a bikers helmet and gear. He had taken the quick stop to the next door cafe to pick up two special drinks. Despite the shop being nearly quiet, and dead empty- his steps were just as silent as he approached behind Vanessa. innocently holding the two large drinks in hand like a child waiting to be called on by the teacher-

All she heard was,

“Coffee.”

That deep ghostly voice spooked her enough to turn around with a slight jump- “Jesus- how many times do I have to tell you to take that thing off before you give someone a heart attack.”

There were two blankly different drinks in hand- one in a styrofoam cup, steam still emitting from the lids cracks. The other a sweetly looking iced coffee- She took the hot one. Pure black, bitter hot coffee. “Thanks..”

The stranger spoke again, giving his head a tilt. “You okay? You look tired. Is Eli okay? Did you eat today?—” Practically spouting out questions- until he was interrupted.

“—Yeah yeah, I’m fine. Just exhausted.. Eli was up nearly all night crying over a nightmare. But he’s alright now.”

It was never anything that kept her worried, usually Eli would just wake up in the middle of the night and then be afraid he was left alone in the dark.

“That seems to happen a lot.. he's always in the way of your sleep.” His voice was stern, but not in any negative manner. Unintentionally intimidating-

“My son is never in the way of anything. He’s just a kid- he’ll grow out of it..”

“In another few years, maybe. You deserve a break.”

She scoffed over the thought. It was almost enough to make her laugh. A break? How could she ever possibly get one. And it’s not like she wanted to anyways- sure her life is repetitive.. but it's mostly due to her having the responsibility of keeping her and Eli afloat. What would she even do on a vacation? Probably spend the entire time worrying about her son anyways–

But hell, it would be nice.. maybe even something simple and short, like a trip to the pool? Or maybe she could finally get the opportunity to try out the new bar that opened up across her apartment-

But no.. she has to work, for Eli.

“I'm good. When are the boys coming in?”

“Ethan at one, and Davis at three if we’re lucky.” Finally separating from Vanessa’s space, he entered his personalized cubby. Detaching the helmet over his head as he spoke – “Did you do it?” masked gear in hand, he shook out his hair. Revealing the platinum blond and brightly dyed orange hair combination. Vanessa will never understand why he always made it his mission to hide his face with that helmet -He had perfectly framed features, a few complimentary piercings, and some light freckles to soften his glow. Hell– if the guy wasn’t into men, She would have taken her chance long ago. But in all honesty, she’s glad he's a friend she can rely on from time to time.

‘Did you do it?’ banged in her head like an irritating drum. “No, Collin, I did not download tinder. I don’t need anyone right now. I told you that already.”

“Mhm. And I also told you that you’re a terrible liar. Dating would be good for you. Could get you away from the kid for a while. When was the last time you got some dick?”

“Around the same time you got some.”

He rolled his eyes, “touché.. Seriously though- you're still young, men will go crazy over a hot single mom, you know.”

“I don’t think many people find me being covered in dirt all the time and a billion random plastic dinosaurs hidden in my pockets very attractive.”

“A man's dream, actually.”

Dating wasn’t a common thought in Vanessa’s head. She was always so preoccupied by work and taking care of Eli that she rarely looked after herself anymore. However after having her son, she found it difficult to care about relationships anymore. Especially after the situation with Elis father– a man she despised with her entire being. Blinded by young love, she was fully convinced he was a man capable of fulfilling his promises. That they’d run away together, free from media and stress- and oh did he run without her. The second she revealed her pregnancy, he had washed her away like a stain on his carpet. Ghosting her completely as if she never existed.

But it's not like she can change anything– She was foolish for falling in love with a popular actor. A big shot in Hollywood, who flaunted his pretty little face every chance he could– but was so desperate to keep Vanessa hidden from his public life. She mistakenly, never saw the red flags.

Now, It's just her and her son.. Still trying to stay within the career she loved, she was always working long hours for the both of them. Even if it meant returning home with carpal tunnel.

The two were always the shop's openers. Collin was more responsible for piercings, while Vanessa handled the ink work. If she was lucky, She would snag a few quick walk-ins during her waiting time on regular scheduled clients. She was well known in the office for taking anything she could get her hands on for an extra buck- and it's not like anyone minded. They understood her situation, and she clearly needed it the most. But god, did they feel terrible watching her overwork herself to death.

Although school normally ends at 3pm, Vanessa had Eli enrolled in the after school programs. He wasn’t due to be picked up until around 5. Which meant there was still plenty of time to–

“--MOM!!”

The five year old had the lungs of a tiger. Shouting hello loud enough to echo through the entire shop. Everyone turned their heads- spotting a man that can only be described as a lumberjack, carrying the young boy on his shoulders. The older man mimicked him, yelling out to purposely annoy Vanessa. “Mom! Mom!”

She shot her head up- surprised to see him. Afterall, she was in the middle of tattooing some poor girl's ribs- giving an apologetic smile, “Uh- how about a quick break?” The client happily agreed. Especially since it meant sweet relief- getting out of the chair to make a quick trip to the bathroom. Vanessa stood from her seat, carefully putting aside her tools and removing her gloves while her son was placed onto his feet by the man. “Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing out so early?”

“Dave picked me up! I got to go on the motorcycle!!” He greeted his mom with a hug, before running off to the cubby next door to see what his old pal Collin was up to.

“Wow- that's greeaat. After I had told him multiple times not to take my baby on that bike.” She gave Davis a spiteful grin, crossing her arms.

“Oh calm down. I was going the speed limit! He's fine, the new helmet fits perfectly.” Davis returned her smile with one of his own, giving a thumbs up.

With a sigh, Vanessa couldn’t seriously be mad. She was always happy to see her kid. “Thanks, Dave.. surprised you actually made it on time.”

Davis was one of their artists in the shop. He was a big guy- and with his bear-like appearance, many people were oftenly put off by him. But deep down- the guy is no scarier than a fly. With kids of his own, he was always looking out for her and Eli. Vanessa always saw Davis as Eli’s cool uncle, so naturally, she added him on the additional names list that were safe to pick up her son from school. days like this- he would surprise everyone by bringing the kid over. Sometimes without even telling Vanessa- him and Eli would take secret ice cream trips.

Probably good to not tell his wife either, he’s supposed to lay off the sweets.

“Yeah, me too. But the wife was getting tired of me snoring so I had to get my ass up. And! That means you can finish up this client and head on home yourself.” He gave her a stern pat on the shoulder.

“Well- I–” She was left a bit stunned. This was her last client after all, and normally she waits out the last remaining hours for anyone looking to make some bad life decisions- but considering now that she had her son around, it would be a good idea to get him out and about instead of being cooped up with a bunch of edgy artist. “Alright.. Just this once.”

-🕰️-

After wrapping and ringing up her last client, Vanessa had packed up her personal belongings before going around the shop with Eli to say their goodbyes to everyone. Holding his hand while they walked through the parking lot to their vehicle. Out of the array of motorcycles parked up front- she was the only SUV in the mix. Popping open the back door for Eli and helping buckle him in-

“Hey, how about we take Lady to the park early? That way mommy can stay up for movie night?”

Eli cheered with a loud “YEAAA!!” Park visits were his favorite time of the day- and he was already so eager to destroy ant hills and get covered in mud with their pup.

-🕰️-

Upon arriving at the park, Vanessa always allowed her son to venture off into the playground area with the other kids. She never strayed too far- just enough to keep close eyes on him while she walked around with Lady.

Per usual it was warm, and calming. She always felt her stress melt away underneath the sun. It reminded her of the beach- sunbathing over the crystal sand, listening to the roaring waves, and enjoying the fresh scent of sea salt…

Oh what a dream..

Her lips were curled into a blissful smile as she drifted off over the idea. Until the leash in her hand yanked her with a firm tug- enough to quite literally pull her back into reality.

“Lady—“

She was no match for a nearly 80 pound dog. It seemed like Lady’s attention was taken by playful barking coming from down the pathway- and she was taking Vanessa with her.

She spotted another dog up ahead- a Shiba Inu seemingly being chased by a man.

To avoid running into the pair, Vanessa did her best to hold back Lady. But it seems like her attempt at restraining her dog only made it worse- now both pups were avoiding their owners. Running in circles the closer they got- enough to entangle their leads tightly around Vanessa and the stranger.

Before she could get a word in, the man took them right out of her mouth- “oh, I’m so sorry!”

The moment she looked up, she got a clear view of his face- and by the gods was he stunning. Her face turned just as pink as her hair- making a nervous laugh as she spoke, “no no, oh my gosh! it’s my fault”

There was a short moment of the two just inspecting one another- I mean, it’s hard not to take a look when you’re tied up. She couldn’t help but gaze over his perfect, slick back blond hair, down to the unexpected eyebrow piercing- with the way he was dressed in semi formal attire, that silver jewelry sparked her curiosity.

As the dogs settled, she took the opportunity to snap out of it and bed down- nearly pressing their bodies against one another as she unclipped Lady’s leash from her collar. Now able to comfortably unravel herself from the mixup- stepping back with an apologetic smile. “I’m really sorry about that— lady just gets ahead of herself sometimes..”

She stood and watched as his dog was attempting to tug and yank away- but the guy was practically melted into the concrete.

“no, it’s my fault, bruce is so disobedient, i can never get him to listen,”

She laughed, “I’ve heard they’re a pretty stubborn breed.” Now rolling up Lady’s leash within her hands. Allowing her dog to roam freely and greet the other pup.

“I’m Vanessa, by the way.” She waited for a response- but it seemed like those last words completely flew over the guy's head. It was hard to pretend like she didn’t notice him staring her down. Not that she particularly- minded..

He was quite attractive after all, even if he had all eyes on her chest. But just to give the guy benefit of the doubt- she just took it as him looking over her visible tattoos.

Finally after an excruciating long moment of silence-

“so, do you come here with lady often?”

Yeah. Completely flew over the guys head.

“Yea, almost every evening. It's our little routine. What about you and bruce?” She had the idea that maybe taking the path might loosen the guy up- now walking side to side with him as the dogs explored ahead of them.

“first time here, actually,” he admitted. “we’re trying to get used to new places.”

“We?”

Considering that she brings Eli along- her first thought wasn’t Bruce. But honestly- she was hoping he meant the dog.

“yeah, i don’t venture out much..” he seemed almost embarrassed to admit it.

Cute.

Fuck- what? Cute? How is she already crushing on this guy- all because she thought his shy responses were attractive. Not only that but, if he was new around the place- it could be a good idea to give him a good first impression. Maybe he’ll come back often.. and there will be other opportunities of getting tangled in their dogs leashes again-

“maybe bruce and lady can become park buddies? she gets along well with other dogs.”

Seriously? Setting up the dogs on a date is the best idea you could come up with? She was honestly starting to feel embarrassed herself instead of just asking for the guys number-

He nodded, “i’d like that. and maybe you can show us the best spots around here.”

She was quick to respond- looking up to the unnamed man as their eyes met again. “I’d be happy to.”

And just as simple as that, they took the short stroll around the small park. With her being a frequent visitor, she introduced him to all the best spots. Especially those where she would just sit and relax in, away from a ton of crowds and screaming children. She hadn’t even noticed that she was going on and on about her experiences around the place- talking the poor guys head off. But, it was a first that she noticed he was actually.. listening.

He wasn’t all that responsive, but just based on his body language and eye contact, she could tell he was fully enticed by her. And damn did she adore that-

They took a short break- seating themselves down at a shaded park bench.

“I’m so sorry for going on and on- it’s nice having someone to talk to. especially to someone who doesn’t mind my rambling.”

“I enjoy your rambling. it’s refreshing.”

And he admitted to enjoying hearing her talking about a park of all things? Either this guy is just easily entertained- or she truly just scored a jackpot.

Though there was a slight pit in her chest- while he seemed perfectly interested, she worried that maybe he might just be considering taking this onto a one time thing. Flings were never- her interest. Though, hardly we’re committed relationships either. Trust was not something so easily shared.. but- for a split moment, they sat silently. Locking eyes as that worry lifted off her chest- she could feel their body heat radiation as he seemingly began to lean in closer.

“Mommy! Look what I found!”

Damnit.

She turned her head away- spotting her son Eli running up with a rock in hand. How could she hate him for interrupting- it was impossible with his scruffy face. “Woah! That’s wonderful, sweetheart.”

Oh- right—

“So sorry,” she turned back to the stranger, smiling proudly. “This is my son- Eli.”

Most of the time, she found it that men would dash away the second they found out she was a mother- but nonetheless, she was never ashamed of her son. He was her pride and joy after all.

But deep down- she was anxiously waiting for his reaction.

And to her surprise- he was.. smiling? It was a warming smile as well, as if the guy hardly even took it as a bad thing. She watched as the two interacted and talked back and forth.

And he’s good with kids? She questioned herself. Maybe it’s too good to be true-

—

Eli was never shy to strangers, promptly showing off the rock in his sand covered hands. “I’m gonna go find more!”

After Eli ran off to go dig around for more pebbles and stones, the two were left alone again.

“What a great kid..”

“Oh- thank you. He’s my entire world..”

his lack of response gave her the hint. She knew he was probably thinking about it- husband? Boyfriend? Anyone at all must be in the picture. But- he seemed almost surprised to hear her admit, “it’s not easy, you know. Being a single mom and trying to navigate everything..”

hopefully he got the memo-

She watched him nod, tension loosening. “I can only imagine. You’re doing an incredible job.”

Stunned by his response- she stared at him with an admirable expression. From all the men she’s ‘tried’ talking to.. no one’s ever told her that before- and like the other few times they gawked over one another, this time made her heartbeat ring in her ears. Almost Instinctively, their bodies were drawn to each other-

Noticing their eyes dart to one another's lips, she could hardly believe he was fully willing to try again for a kiss-

“mommy! look! lady is chasing dis dog!” And just like that, Eli once again cuts through their moment.

They both laugh over it- and damn, was his laugh enough to stab her right through the heart. For a guy who looked so quiet and stern, it definitely boosted his morale.

“Kids, right?” She jokes, embarrassingly.

He only made her excitement worse by unexpectedly reaching out- moving a few loose strands of her hair out from her face and tucking it carefully behind her ear. “Yeah, they have great timing.”

Now her heart is beating in places it shouldn’t be-

With her cheeks darker than her hair, her eyes darted downward. “Look, um- maybe we can pick this up another time? When it’s a bit- quieter?” To hide her flustered expression, she tried to cover it with a friendly smile-

“I’d like that.”

Is she serious? Swooning over this guy who she didn’t even have a name on- wait- what was this guys name anyways?

“Hey- I never got your na-“

Instead of being interrupted by the five year old, this time it was a loud ringtone. Coming from his phone-

“Ah- sorry-“ he stumbled over himself, reaching into his pocket to check the contact calling him-

Vanessa paused as she saw his expression grow almost.. irritated. Clearly whoever was calling, wasn’t his favorite person. So much so that he actually- declined the call. Lowering his phone into his lap.

“What were you saying?”

Must just be bad timing- “oh, I was just going to ask for your-“

His phone went off again.

This time, she caught the name of the contact-

Jia Taylor

Wife? girlfriend? No, don't jump to conclusions- for all she knows, it could be his sister, or a colleague from work- hell, maybe even his mom?

It seemed like each time he tried to decline, this Jia person would just call right back. Eventually his frustration grew enough to apologize- “sorry. I just have to take this really quick-“

Vanessa nodded politely as he finally answered the current call. All he said was- “Hello?”

And the other end of the call went off. She was loud- not loud enough for Vanessa to understand what was being said, but enough for the poor guy to stretch away and try and keep distance- responding with a few muttered words.

She tried not to eavesdrop. Just putting her focus on watching Eli throw sticks for the dogs to chase.

It didn’t seem like they had a long conversation- he stood as he ended the call, tucking his phone away. “Again, really sorry. It’s um- work related..”

She had a bit of suspicion by his hesitation- but pushed it aside, standing as well. “I understand if you need to go- I have to take Eli back home for dinner anyways. It was nice to meet you..”

“Likewise..”

Cmon. Ask.. his number- name, anything??

“Mom mom! Can we have pizza today??”

Eli.. she smiled, handing her son Lady’s leash. “Of course.. do me a favor and put this on Lady? Then we can go get pizza..”

“Okay!” He excitedly snagged it from her hands, running over to the giant Doberman. Despite being such a massive breed compared to the kid- she was always so gentle and obedient with him. Sitting down the second he came over- and letting him clip her leash on.

“Bruce!” He called out, getting the shiba to trot over.

Considering there was no more room for talk, she gave the stranger a final smile goodbye.

“See you again sometime?”

He nodded, “Yeah.. I think I just found a new favorite spot.”

~

That night started like every other. Vanessa and Eli hung out on their small living room couch, devouring an entire small pizza together while the credits from their watched movie rolled on the TV screen.

She had carried Eli to bed, tucking him in while Lady laid guarded at the end of his bed.

She leaned down and left a soft kiss goodnight on his forehead, moving aside a few strands of hair from his face. Each and every time she did that, she was reminded of his father.. mostly due to the kid being a splitting image of the unspoken man. She hated it. She hated that her son had to live without a dad in the picture.

Was it selfish? To hate having to spend every aching moment worried for her kid? Even if she asked for a break, she would feel guilty taking it. If anything were to happen to her, he would have no one else to take care of him..

Maybe all this time, Colin was right about it all. That she needed to branch out and find someone to trust.

But- why was the stranger who she had met at the park the first thought to pop into her head?

Afterall, she didn’t even get the guys name.

On her way to bed, she loomed over the thought. Staring blindly into the ceiling. Would she even ever run into him again?

Wouldn’t that be something..

no way.

She sighed, replaying today's events- His cunning smile, hypnotic voice, and rich vanilla cologne.. she can only imagine if his lips tasted the same.

Fuck.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

Anyways!! I’m not the best at writing but Sim has inspired me to get back into the hobby 👍 hopefully I can post some more fics of my other characters in the future! Ty for reading :)

[shindayyume]

Let’s Party •°. *࿐🍷

Pt. 2 of Vanessa’s POV to @simmetrycal’s mystery girl series <3

All credits to Sim for their ocs (ex. Raymond, Ash, Chantelle, and Jia)

『••✎••』

It was yet another long day for Vanessa. Eli was out in school, and she was glued to her seat within the tattoo shop. Just by midday she had already done 3 clients. They were small, simplistic tattoos— but it still takes a toll when you’re constantly holding a needle in your hand.

But finally, it was now time for Vanessa to head onto break before her next appointment.

Just before she can go and grab her purse- a silhouette at the doorway caught her attention.

Ethan.

He leaned against the small entree way, smiling. “Put your wallet down, girl. Cmon, I’ll go buy us lunch.”

~

“What?! How come you didn’t tell me about this guy earlier? Nessi, I’m your brother..” He pouted, taking a saddened bite from his sandwich.

She rolled her eyes, then sighed as she picked at her food. It’s been little over a week since she’s seen that blond haired man. Ever since that day, Vanessa has been unable to get his face out of her head. She’s been cursed with a crush. And she hated it- it made her feel like a pathetic highschooler again.

“Because- I know how you can be. But this one’s different, he seemed really sweet. And he didn’t have a problem with Eli.”

“Right. But- he could be a total jackass just trying to get some game. I mean come on! An eye brow piercing? Seriously? Fuckboy.”

“Collin has one?”

“My point entirely. Now that guys a freak in bed.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. Not irritated by Ethan’s words but- by the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger she had met at the dog park.

Ethan chowed down on his food, taking out his phone to do some detective work. All he had was a description given to him by Vanessa- but no matter how little the information, he always finds a way.

“Look, Nessi. I’m not saying *Don’t* shoot your shot. But I don’t trust anyone who’s seemingly this perfect pretty doll. He’s definitely hiding something.”

“See! This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you. You’re too dramatic,”

“I was right before, wasn’t I?”

A dead silence pans over them, like a pair of scissors slicing the red wire. Ethan was right. The last time she had gotten her hopes up, she was left alone with a kid to raise.

“I’m sorry- sorry.” Maybe a little too far- clearing his throat, “all I’m saying is.. be careful. And if you do mysteriously run into each other again- I will tear out his jugular and make him eat it if he so dares to make a wrong move.” He smiled- purely innocent.

Damnit. She couldn’t help but smile back, nodding. “I doubt I’ll see him again.. I even stay a few extra hours longer than usual at the park now but- I never spot him.”

She scooted her plate across the table, letting him finish it off.

“Must be nice to have a secret admire like that, maybe he gets scared every-time he sees ya and hides in his car” he laughed, “he sounds like a nerd.”

While chatting, he was simultaneously scouring all over the internet. He was having a difficult time.. after all, there are millions of blond men out there. Until he remembered an important detail from her story- into the search he typed,

Jia Taylor.

Bingo.

Instantly a profile popped up. She seemed like a simple woman, the account was old and unused. At first glance, it could be taken as nothing but the average cringey Instagram selfies and environmental photos. Not even in her description did she mention anything about her life. Just her occupation and a sad quote from a TV show.

That is until, he began to scroll. His eyes lit up- spotting an outdated photo from a couple of years ago. It was her, and a blond man. That same man had a singular eyebrow piercing, and even the same squared ear jewelry described by Vanessa.

Holy shit. He thought, quickly clicking on the post- the caption was simple,

‘Dinner with Raymond.’

Okay, nothing to urgently worry about yet.. At least now he has a first name. Taking a better look at the photo- he definitely saw Raymond’s appeal. personally, not his taste but hey, to each their own. Taking the name to google, he searched it up and scavenged through any link he could find. Eventually, he came up on a username-

‘Mrstealyourgirl’

How.. quirky.

Inspecting deeper, the profile belonged to a dark haired man with bright blue eyes. By the name of Ash.

“Damn,” he muttered, not out of interest or appeal.. he genuinely thought the guy was irritable just by looking at his face.

“And I- hm? Ethan, are you even listening??”

He looked up- this whole time Vanessa had been rambling on and he didn’t hear a word. “Uhhh… yesss?” He grinned.

“Right. So as I was saying—“

Aaannnd back to stalking. Scrolling the post, the guy seemed to be fairly popular. The photos he shared basically documented his life. Including the most important people in it- there was a few that included Raymond. More recent too.

There were a few embarrassing photos of Ash and Raymond together, that included them ‘hanging out’ in ways Ethan never considered non romantic.

Starting off normal, out eating lunch together.

The two doing clay face mask.

wearing matching outfits.

Holding hands at work?

And why the hell were so many captions from Ash calling this dude ‘slime’??

Either they are really great friends.. or really great friends.

Now, Ethan knew he could just be reaching, and end up extremely incorrect. But for Vanessa’s sake, he had to consider each and every possibility.

“His names Raymond.” He interrupted.

Vanessa stopped her yapping- confused by what he was talking about. “Who-?”

He turned his phone screen around, showing off the account to her. Taking the phone- she did her own little inspection. “Yeah- that’s him.. how’d you-“

He shrugged, collecting their trash. “I got my ways. He doesn’t have his own account, though. Guess he’s not an internet person”

Deep down, he wanted to mention that Jia person he found. But he decided not to. And he didn’t understand why. Maybe he just wanted to do some more digging first- to get an entire background check on the guy before unleashing Pandora’s box to Vanessa. After all, she was his best friend. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt.

And the last thing he needed was an issue.

Her eyes gazed over the post, focusing on those with Raymond in it. He was just as beautiful in photos as he was in person. But she gloomed over not being able to find his account. If she could- she would’ve sent a message by now. Ethan’s voice bringing her back to reality,

“Cmon, I need a cigarette”

~

Returning back to the shop, Ethan stopped at the entrance. Leaning against the wall with a lit cigarette in between his fingers.

Before entering the shop without him, she stopped to give him a glance. “I have one more client for the day.. do you have a soda? I need some sugar to wake me up.”

he nodded, “in the fridge in the back. There’s energy drinks in there too”

“Ew- those are discussing. I’ll do with a Pepsi. See ya,” and just like that, she was off.

Ethan raised the cigar up to his lips, releasing a stream of smoke. Among the mist- a couple caught his eye. Two women were walking their way up to the shops doors, hand in hand.

Upon looking over- He noticed a familiarity to one of the woman’s faces. He didn’t know her personally, no. But he recognized those dark braids on Ash’s Instagram post. This girl was a friend of his. And it sparked his curiosity-

As they approached, he gave them a friendly smile just before they entered bleeding ink.

What a strange coincidence, he thought.

*~ The party ~*

It took some convincing, but with enough persuasion from Collin and Davis.. she got Collin to babysit Eli for the night.

It wasn’t something she was used to, getting dressed up and going to a party was only something she did before she got pregnant. It’s not like she missed it very much. Afterall, she did a lot of stupid decisions during those times.

She had to dig deep into her closet, eventually finding a slim black dress and matching heels. Being that it was old- it was a bit of a tight fit around her figure. Needless to say, she had to do a few jump and bend test to make sure nothing would rip or flash out on her-

After applying some light makeup, she was ready to leave the apartment.

Questioning if this was worth it.

Upon reaching the address, she was surprised to see so many cars parked around. It seemed like it was quite a popular place- though how could it not be? The house was gorgeous. Giant windows, and a grand entrance fit for royalty to walk on.. there was no way she would fit into this scene- and for a while , she waited in her car just staring. hesitant to even step foot out of her vehicle- who would really notice if she were to chicken out and turn her car around….

But no.

This was her chance to relax, and enjoy herself for once…

And maybe give her the opportunity to get Raymond out of her head.

As she stepped through the main doors, she started to feel the loud bumping of the speakers in her own chest. They raced with her heart, mostly out of nerves. The place was comfortably crowded- but it felt so claustrophobic as she took a long look around. Not a single face she could recognize. It was just a room full of strangers and bad habits to her-

Until she heard a familiar voice shout from the crowd. Despite the room being so loud and overwhelmed with different sounds- she heard it clear as day.

“Hey!-“

Raymond.

He was there, in the middle of it all. And honestly it made her want to laugh, he looked more out of place than she did. Raising her hand up to her face to cover her giggles- but needless to say, her stress washed away to find that she did in fact know somebody here.

“Hi!”

They began to walk forwards one another, meeting in the middle. “I had no idea you’d be here?” She questioned him, because why would someone like Raymond out of all people be in a party like this? Was he secretly an animal?

Though, as she looked up to him and waited for an answer- she noticed him blanking again. The same gawking stare he had gave her when they first met. It seems like anytime she speaks during his zoning out, her words just fly through one ear and out the other…

It made her nervous. If she would have known he’d be here, she would have dressed nicer.. or maybe put some more effort into her hair or makeup. Though with his staring, she felt like she was being watched by a lion ready to pounce at her. Making a nervous smile- “You okay?”

He stood there, starstruck and glued to the floor. But luckily for them, an unexpected ice breaker broke out-

There was a loud thump from behind them, and of course it was Ash’s doing. He had thought of the brilliant idea to climb the flimsy table they had set up beer pong with. It collapsed underneath him, causing him to flip back and crack the table in two straight out of a cartoon. The half filled cups flew and landed on a few standby victims.

Vanessa recognized his face. It was the same guy displayed in the photos with Raymond- must be the reason why Ray was here in the first place.

Being a panicked mother, her natural instincts came in as she rushed over to help. “Jesus- are you okay??” She loomed over Ash- who was completely knocked out on the ground and broken table pieces. A few others were quick to come surround him- Raymond too.

“Shit- let’s get him on the couch..”

A woman approached, the same woman Vanessa had tattooed recently- she’s the entire reason why she’s here in the first place..

“Be careful- he might’ve hit his head.”

Carefully, Raymond was able to relocate Ash from the ground to the nearby couch. They all waited to see if he would come to or possibly need to be rushed to the hospital- but eventually, his eyes began to open.

His gaze crossed over Raymond and Chantelle. Then stopped on Vanessa- causing her to lean forward a bit, still keeping a good distance from Ash’s face. “Are you okay?”

He attempted to seat himself up, to which she stopped him- pressing her hand lightly against his open chest. “Just lay here for a moment. You had a pretty big fall” she smiled, in attempt to comfort the guy.

Though that smile might have changed once Ash grabbed her hand- She didn’t know if it was on purpose, but the hold had caused her hand to ‘slip’ in the direction further down his shirt. He gave her this dazed look that just spilled of hopeless puppy.

Oh god.

Ash, was no where near her interest. To her, she saw him as some scruffy little kid.

To make that clear, she bashfully pulled her hand away. “My son tends to trip a lot, he’s normally better after settling down for a bit.”

“Thank you, Miss pink hair..” he mutters, dramatically throwing his arm over his head as if he were dying to an arrow in the chest.

Seeing his drama, Chantelle quickly left the scene.

“Oh- it’s Vanessa.” She corrected. That seemed to trigger interest- noticing Ash give Raymond a smug look. Man was this guy weird-

Besides her, Raymond cleared his throat. “This is my boss, Asher.”

Boss??!

This thing is Raymond’s boss?

“Nice to meet you.” She avoids taking his hand again, to not further cause injury of course… but to her surprise, Raymond introduces himself as well. Suppose it’s best that he doesn’t know she already is aware of his name- shaking his hand.

His grip is firm, yet soft. Neither of them wanted to let go of one another. Instead of breaking it he ask, “How about we take this somewhere more private?”

And of course, she happily agrees.

From the couch, Ash also agrees. “Oh that’s a great idea!” He reaches his arms out, fully expecting Raymond to lift him up so all three of them can disappear to chat. Though, he is ignored. Both Vanessa and Raymond zip right past him.

“You’re just going to leave me here??”

She is led outdoors, to this beautiful and large pool area. Whoever owns this house must be quite the amazing individual.

Their hands finally disconnect, and for a brief moment there’s a bit of regret from the both of them.

“So.. that’s your boss?” He laughed. “Is he always so…”

“Unfortunately, yes, he is.” He chuckled back. He seemed unfazed by it, like it was a common occurrence.

“Is he younger than you? He seems fresh out of college.” It was still hard to believe. There was no way Raymond was working for someone like Ash.

“He might as well be. This is the first party of his that I’ve been to after years of him asking.”

“Woah, okay Mr. Popular” she teased. She thought so. Raymond didn’t seem like this was his crowd.

He laughed, walking her towards the edge of the empty pool. Maybe to sneak more glances at her through the water reflection. Just to avoid him staring directly too much. “How do you like it so far? The party I mean.”

To be fair, she has hardly had much of an experience yet. But.. “I wasn’t. Until now,” in an attempt to hide her smile, she also turned her attention to the water. Though Raymond fully caught it.

“You know, I was actually really hoping I’d see you again after-“

Their moment was cut short as Vanessa felt a harsh push- a group of young men had ran out from the building, tossing an object so far that the one catching wasn’t paying much attention. Bumping right into Vanessa.

She made a light gasp as she slipped forward. Feeling Raymond’s hand wrap around her waist.

They both plummeted into the pool.

She had resurfaced before Raymond, taking a moment to process what just happened. But instinctively, she began to laugh and push aside her now soaked hair that covered her face. After getting her vision back, she swam to the edge and pulled herself up. Noticing Raymond follow right after her.

Before she could continue to make a joke out of it, she remembered that her phone was tucked away in her pocket- panicked as she pulled it out.

Nonono.

This was her only way of contact in case anything happened with Eli- she attempted to turn it on, but of course not even a single light flickered. “You’ve got to be kidding me..” she sat at the pull edge, still soaked and now sulking over her broken phone.

She notices Raymond’s shadow stand above her- extending his hand out for her to take. She turned her head up, the first thing her eyes went to was his belt buckle. Then his face.

And everything blanked.

Suddenly her phone wasn’t much of a concern anymore- reaching up and taking Raymond’s hand as he helped her back onto her feet.

Seemed like Raymond knew his way around- he walked her over to pool house not far. It was warm and cozy, providing them both with some life saving towels. She thanks him as he hands her one, using it to dry her hair.

All seems fine, until she notices Raymond start to unbutton his top and remove his shirt- wringing out the extra water.

She doesn’t notice her face redden, nor does she realize how hard she was staring. He’s toned, and perfectly built. It was impossible for a man to look this good.

He catches her stare, laughing. “Oh, sorry- I didn’t mean to strip like that.” A hint of embarrassment in his tone

“Oh no- it’s fine.. I would do the same but, I’m only wearing the dress,”

She doesn’t know why she felt the need to say that, but it clearly irked him on.

“i feel that,” he says, then backtracks. “i mean i- i don’t feel that- not like i know what that’s like but i just mean— i would agree that that’s, um, understandable”

Her heart melted. For a guy with such a stern demeanor, was quite the softie.

She heard sudden ringing coming from him- causing him to stumble for his phone. While he was busy with that, she walked a few steps to the neatly set up bed. She couldn’t help but notice how they had a moment of solitude now- no interruptions like that the park..

She laid out the towel in her hands against the edge of the bed. Speaking as she did so, “You know, it’s a bit quieter here..”

her words had caught Raymond’s attention. His eyes drifting from the contact on his phone to her.

She stretched her body out, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and looked up to him. With her hair and dress still damp, she knew it was partially see through. and her mascara was ever so slightly ruined by the water.

She still had a few tricks up her sleeve after all these years.

And it was working.

She watched as Raymond’s temperature in his face rose up, showing his eagerness as she was now at the same height of his hips.

Though she noticed him freeze up, clearly panicked and nervous. Maybe he wasn’t so interested in jumping to sleep with her.. her chest sunk as she as just about to suggest returning to the party. But to her surprise-

He joined her. Forcing her to lean back further as he hovered over her body- despite having fell in the pool, she can feel the body heat radiating off of him. And with their faces only inches apart, she could now smell the rich scent of whisky on him.

She thought in her head for a moment, about how the smell could just be from a spill at the party.. but she was curious, if it was really just his decision to have a few drinks. To find out for herself, she opted to get a taste of it.

Meeting their lips together into a surprisingly sweet kiss.

She let her eyes fall closed, noticing a few hiccups in Raymond’s actions. She wanted to giggle- starting them off slowly with the slow kiss, and letting him open up to it. The soft touch alone was enough to get him breathless- hearing him take a short break by groaning his sexual frustration out.

As if it couldn’t be anymore obvious on the poor guy.

Her arms find their way around Raymond’s neck, and she deepened the kiss by guiding her tongue in.

At the same time, he could feel one of his hands get tangled in her hair. And the other inching its way underneath the bottom of her dress. She hummed through his lips- begging for him to use his hand to explore every inch of her body.

But he didn’t.

He broke away from the kiss, and Vanessa was surprised to see this saddened look on his face. It reminded her of a lonely kitten behind bars.

“I’m sorry,” He whispers.

“What for?”

“I- I don’t know.. I don’t want to take advantage of you..” to make it even worse, he completely backs away- leaving her to pick up his shirt and throw it back on.

It was completely unexpected, and she couldn’t process it fast enough for his words to break her heart. “You aren’t,”

“I’d rather be with you completely sober.” He admits, his back turned to her. She’s unsure if it’s his alcoholic mind talking, or if she genuinely isn’t as desirable as she made herself out to be.

Truthfully though, she can tell he was completely serious about it. And the more she thought about the situation, the more she realized it was probably for the best.

Especially with them being at some strangers home, unknowingly ruining their property for a one night stand.

She gives him a nod, meeting his understanding.

She watches as he turns back around, now having fixed all the buttons on his shirt. Asking a shocking question,

“are you hungry?”

~

She would have never imagined she’d end up in the passenger seat of his car.

And his very own home.

The two had an amazing time together. Raymond offered to cook, which was a first for her. Normally she was the one making meals for her and Eli. So it was nice, to finally get a break.

And gods, was Raymond a chef in the kitchen. With each bite, her taste buds melted at the flavor. She was eternally grateful, and made sure he knew that.

After dinner, and some quick laughs between one another, Vanessa thought it would be best to return home. Of course, Raymond offered to take her. But just before they could make it to the door..

Crack.

A loud cackle and drum of thunder followed. It sounded quite furious- starting heavy rainfall outdoors.

“Maybe we shouldn’t risk it,”

She nods, “probably for the best..”

“You might even.. have to spend the night.” He teases the offer confidently.

Vanessa raised a brow, seductively leaning herself closer against his body. “Is that so?”

“It’s so.”

“And where would I sleep? Do you have a guest room?”

“I’ll let you find it.”

And like giddy teenagers, the two rush upstairs. She couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his home is laid out. From the coloring of the floors and walls, to the simple decor on the shelves. And of course, the single bedroom.

“You liar. This was all just a wild goose chase.” She stood at the doorway, crossing her hands with a smile.

“Was it?” He slips past her, opening one of the drawers to take out a clean shirt and pants. He fiddles with his watch for a moment, removing it.

“Were you trying to get me to lay in bed with you? You should have just asked,”

She’s taken back by him approaching, handing out the top to her. “Sleep in my bed.” It was hardly a question, more so a begging demand from him.

How could she say no.

She accepts the shirt from him, huffing. “Look away,” he turns obediently, and she begins to strip.

She replaces her clothing with his shirt, which might as well just been another dress. Luckily it was long enough to cover the fact that she didn’t prepare shorts underneath her previous gown.

“You can look now.” And he turns, taking the dress from her hands that she had folded up.

“*Look away,*” he mocks, and she is obliged to turn around. For the most part she’s turned away, but she couldn’t help but to slightly tilt her head, grabbing a peek-

And she’s startled to find Raymond’s eyes meet with hers. “I thought I told you to look away?” He was finished dressing anyways, pulling his sweatpants comfortably around his hips.

She rolled her eyes, fully turning to face him now. He's topless, and it’s distracting.

“You don’t sleep with a shirt?”

“Not usually.” He admits, watching as Vanessa climbed into his very own bed.

The cushion was soft, and the blankets even more so. It caused her to melt as she sprawled her back against the linen. His bed was larger than hers, a king. She’d never had so much space before…

Naturally, Raymond was enjoying her watching her stretch out on his bedding.

“How do you stay warm?”

“Well, there are some ways.” She begins to flick off the lights, keeping a far lamp warmly lit. “Like blankets and..”

“Human contact,”

He joins her in bed, laying pressed up against her side. His hand instinctively placing himself along her outer thigh. Using it to tug her closer than they already were.

“Why don’t you demonstrate?” She purrs out, inching her face closer to his until they meet again in another kiss.

It doesn’t last long however, as Raymond breaks away to instead wrap his arms around her waist. Hugging her against his chest. She can feel his heartbeat at this point- and other things..

she can tell he’s almost- fearful. Scared to do the wrong thing and move this any further. Even if they weren’t meant to spend a night of passion together, she was just as happy to have someone protecting her throughout the night for once.

It was… nice. Raymond provided a different type of warmth for her.

One so gentle and caring that she could easily see herself staying her. Not just for one night, either.

She feels his hand move aside her hair, exposing her neck for him to leave a stubble trail of kisses against her skin.

It felt unreal, as if she was already dreaming. But to her surprise, Raymond’s kisses, and the loud roaring of thunder and raindrops hitting his window only further helped her drift off to sleep.

~

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

I may have rushed to complete this one so please excuse any mistakes or hiccups in the writing 😅 but hopefully it was enjoyable anyways, Ty for reading 🫶🏼

[shindayyume]

Starry Starry Night .・。.・゜✭・.

A story about the beginning of a life long friendship, and the impact of one particular painting. {OCs}

『••✎••』

“What made you pick the name Vincent anyways?”

.. “He had pretty art.”

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

“She’s a weird kid. Her hair is always messy, and she always tears her dresses because they’re too long. And she doesn’t talk!”

The five year old sat at the end of his bed, holding out one of his legs while his mother slipped on the toddler sized sneaker over his foot.

“Oh c'mon now, Haru, that’s not very nice to say. Maybe she’s just.. struggling to find herself.”

She laced up one shoe, and then began working on the other.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, sometimes not everyone is born knowing who they are… Maybe Scarlet feels out of place in school? Maybe she just needs a friend to understand her.”

“But the other kids said she bites and scratches.. I think she likes to be alone.”

He pouted, almost pitying the other kid.

“That could be true too. I’m sure either way, she might just need some time getting to know everyone. Don’t take it too personally, sunflower.”

“Humph,” Haru took a look at his sneakers, clicking the tips of his shoes together. He giggled as the bottoms twinkled with lights. But, for a five year old whose priority should be showing off his new pair of light up sketchers, he was pretty stressed over the fact that there was a new kid in his class.

Haru was well known around his school. He was a teacher's pet, had the highest grades, attended every event he could, and was the most popular kid on campus.

Everyone loved him. It was like his presence could magically light up a room.. Your morning could start off gloomy, but running into Haru was like witnessing the sun peak out from underneath those rainy clouds. The other kids would smile and cheer, always eager to play with Haru or even sit with him at lunch. He didn’t mind any of it. In fact, he enjoyed making other people happy.

That was until he was challenged. A new girl came along.

It was already the middle of the semester within their first grade class, so no one expected a new student to appear out of the blue.

Haru remembers that day vividly. It was only a few weeks ago, where this small girl was being introduced at the front of the class.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

“Everyone take your seats!” Shouted the teacher from the head of the class. All the young kids giggled and muttered between one another as they took their places, setting down backpacks and lunchboxes while making themselves comfortable. Haru being one of them.

He was always seated at the very front, and had already been put in a good mood after saying hello to some of his friends.

“Today, we have a new student! I would like you all to meet your new classmate,

Scarlet Fox.”

As the teacher gestured her arm out towards the door, everyone’s head turned in the direction. Watching as a little girl shyly stepped into the classroom from the hallway.

Harus smile faded within seconds. Not out of disappointment, disgust, or anger.. but because of how.. pulled in he felt. His curiosity for a person had never been so strong before.

She walked in wearing a white sundress that flared out just below the knee, almost long enough to hide the scruffy, coffee colored tail behind her. It looked recently brushed out. Though, it matched perfectly with the poofy set of pointy ears on her head.

Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, decorated with a red bow to tie it all together.

Fox? Haru thought, observing her as she walked up to the teacher's side.

She didn’t really look like a fox. More of a.. wolf, or scary dog.

She was very intimidating. Her eyes were sharp and bright red, perfectly matching the symbols of flame on her forehead and cheeks. Her expression looked almost angry. Like she already hated being there.

Haru couldn’t help but notice other details about her. Her hands were wrapped in bandages. And her legs had a few healing cuts and bruises on them, causing her dainty shoes to look out of place. And she had this scar that was impossible to miss. It started at the corner of her mouth, stretching all the way to her ear lobe..

“Scarlet, why don’t you introduce yourself? Let the class get to know you.”

The room fell silent as everyone stared. A kitsune in the classroom wasn’t anything they questioned. Afterall, many of the other kids were hybrids as well. To them, she was just another child with a painfully aggressive aura to her…

She didn’t say anything, not even a single look towards the teacher. Just her eyes glancing over the other students one by one.

However, there was always one kid capable of cutting through uncomfortable silence.

“Are you hurt?”

Harus words are loud enough for the whole classroom to hear. The two made eye to eye immediately. Scarlet stood just inches away from him, causing a gap of tension.

Then, unexpectedly, there were a few giggles in the distance. A couple of kids snickering and whispering to one another towards the end of the class room. It caught Scarlet's attention, her eyes darting over and reading their body language. With her ears pointed in their direction, it was a no brainer that they were talking about her. She could feel their mockery within their laughs.

She looked back to Haru- her fluffy ears flattening back as she gave him a glare. Then she maneuvered her arms behind her back to hide the white bandages.

Haru felt a bit taken back. All he wanted to know was if she was okay. It’s not his fault they were laughing- he truly didn’t understand why she gave him such a hateful look.

“Right.. um- how about we just give Scarlett some space? Why don’t you go find a seat, and we can begin today’s lesson.” The teacher nervously smiled, placing a hand against Scarlet's back as if to give her a gentle nudge forward.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Haru watched as she tailed past. Going all the way to the back of the classroom to pick an empty seat.

“Alright! Now, let’s start where we left off yesterday, hm? Today, you guys will be-…”

The teacher's voice began to drift and fade from Harus head. He was too focused on the new girl. Still turned in his seat to look at her- watching as she pulled off the backpack from her shoulders and placed it on the ground at her desk. She didn’t even bother to open it like everyone else.

He just stared, and watched her.. alone, in the corner, picking at the wraps on her hands.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

“Have a good day at school, sweetie!”

“Bye mom, love you!” Haru hopped out from his mother’s vehicle, closing the door behind him as he ran towards the building entrance with the other kids.

Following his usual path towards his classroom, he gave his hands a wave as he passed by a few friends.

“Hi Ricky, Hi Kenny, Hi Jessica!”

All the other first graders always responded with a “Hi Haru!” of their own, most already ganged together in their little cliches and friend groups.

“Good Morning Mrs. Parker!” Haru held his palms closely together, forming a single rose just within his hands. As he approached the teacher at her desk, he held it out to her with a wide smile. She returned the grin, kindly accepting the flower with a ‘thank you’ before he ran off to his seat.

Harus joy was cut short as he approached his desk, pulling off his backpack only to spot Scarlet already in the room. She was sitting alone, per usual, at the farthest desk in the back. Haru allowed the brightly colored bag from his shoulders to slowly fall down his arms and onto the floor. Blindly staring while Scarlet was in her own world, peeling at the badges that dressed her hands. He completely ignored his friends coming into the room, taking their seats next to him all while trying to grab his attention.

“Alright everyone! Take your seats please.” called the only adult in the room. It made Haru snap out of his little trance, pulling out the kiddy sized chair before occupying it.

That day in class was like every other. Kids would shout and interact with whatever Mrs. Parker had on the board, excitedly answering her questions. And Scarlet still sat in the back of the class, a ghost to everyone while she scribbled over her desk with pencil.

Then, it was time for lunch.

Per usual. Haru sat dead center at the most populated table in the cafeteria. Despite this, he had a clear view of the tables further back. Zoning out all the yapping children next to him while he focused on the fox in the corner. It was always the same routine. She would sit at the lonesome tables by herself for a few minutes, always with her own packed Fox and the Hound themed lunch box that she never opened. Maybe every now and then to grab her juice box but that was it. Haru never saw her with any food.

And after about five or so minutes passed of her boredly playing with the bag's charmed zipper, she would take her lunch box with her out to the playground. She was always the first kid out because she never ate, Haru always assumed she must just really enjoy playing outside…

After Haru was done with his meal, he was quick to clean up and run outdoors with everyone else. They always raced one another to the swings and monkey bars, but today Harus footsteps slowed halfway there. He came to a stop as his friends continued ahead of him, turning his attention over to a grassy area near the shrubs and bushes. A few voices caught his attention- two older kids were making a ruckus. They were huddled over something Blurry. Whatever it was, Haru was too far away to make it out. But besides their feet, he recognized a familiar lunchbox. The once clean cartoon print now covered in dirt..

“Are you really playing with bugs? Gross!”

“What a weirdo.” The older kids laughed and cackled, kicking dirt over a small anthill to bury the insects in their own home. At least.. They were trying to. Instead, they were kicking dirt and small stones into the face of a mangy fox. Scarlet was huddled over the ant hill, trying to protect the ant's home with her entire body. She wasn't making a sound, no cry for help or even an attempt to fight back. Fully allowing herself to get covered in dirt and bitten by the small bugs she was trying to protect.

The other kids seemed frustrated by this, continuing to spit out stupid comments only elementary schoolers were capable of making. All while striking dust up into her face.

All their noise made them blind to the upcoming footsteps behind them. To their surprise, one of the bullies was pushed forward, causing them to stumble over their feet and quickly turn around with a glare. “Hey! What gives-”

Their demeanor instantly switched at the sight of Haru. A familiar face no ones ever seen angry before.

And yet there he stood, eye level with the other children. He clenched his fist together, and a sudden rise of weeds began to snake around their ankles. They grew with thorns, prickling at the older children's legs.

“Leave her alone. You're hurting her.”

Haru was one of the few children to obtain his powers early. Sure, it may have been something seemingly harmless, no one ever imagined the young boy being capable of sprouting poisonous plants and sharp thorns.

The plants obeyed him, a set of flaming flowers that blazed in anger. That Is what scared the 2nd graders. There were no more daffodils and peach trees. Haru was serious. Scarlet raised her head, poking her eyes out just enough to watch as her bullies squirmed to get away.

“Ew ew eeeww!”

To avoid getting entangled in vines, the two quickly scurried off. Harus head followed as they fled, watching them run in tears to the nearest bathrooms. When looked back, he was surprised to find Scarlet calmly seated on the ground. He never knew it was possible to get her dress even more dirty than it already was. But clearly, she paid no attention to the sticks and stones stuck in the fabrics of her dress and fur.

Her back was now facing him, and the ant hill stood unharmed. She held a piece of food in her hand, seemingly part of a sandwich. Haru assumed it must've been from the half open lunch bag beside her, that was now just as filthy.

“Are you okay?” he asked, standing behind her while patiently waiting for a response. He was returned with silence. Confused, he raised a brow. Maybe she can’t speak? Or hear? She doesn't even cry…

She really is weird…

“Um.. do you need to clean up? You got pretty dirty.. I have wipes in my bag if you don't like water?”

Again, no response. Her attention was completely focused on the ants, watching them rip little pieces of bread and meat off her sandwich from the palm of her hand.

He took a few careful steps forward, squatting down beside her to watch. He's not entirely sure why he felt so compelled to talk to her, or why he was now watching bugs in the dirt with the weird kid. But, it seemed to light up something entirely new in his world. He enjoyed it.

“My name’s Haru. I know your name. Mrs. Parker told everyone.”

He looked over, watching the expression on her face. There was his heavy weight of sadness in her eyes. However, her red pupils glimmered with awe. Haru could almost see the reflection of ants in them.. They must really mean a lot to her. It clicked in that moment for him. None of the other kids never took the time to listen, they didn’t know how to listen to her. She was silent, always in her own world. And that world was a tiny dirt hill, guarded by an army of insects.

…. “Do you wanna be friends?”

That question seemed to catch her attention. Causing her to finally turn her head and lock eyes with the freckled face besides her.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

The school bell echoed through the halls, and soon enough the voices of students filled them.

Kids flood the once empty halls as they all eagerly try to escape through the main doors. Many other 8th graders are picked up by their parents, waiting within the roundabout area for their cars to appear.

One of these kids just so happens to be Scarlet.

Her head hung down, staring at the concrete ground beneath her shoes. Watching the pair of ants maneuver around her feet.

Then, there was an aggressive push and pull against her back. The sundrop child coming from behind her to hug an arm around her neck.

“Scarlet!! You're so mean, you didn’t wait for me after class!” He pouted dramatically, still unable to knock off his dimpled smile.

“You take too long.” she replied, her voice always so much lower in volume compared to his.

“I had to say bye to everyone! By the way, are you going on the field trip? I think you should come this time!”

With his arm still hooked over her shoulders, she shrugged.

He whined, “Come on! It'll be fun! You like to paint and stuff, so a trip to the art museum is perfect for you! Plus, I'll be there.” he continued to grin, attempting to persuade her further.

“You alway go to those things, it's not special.” she muttered, thinking it over. He wasn't completely wrong, she would oftenly doodle in the middle of class, or leave school early just to finish a painting. It was her way of unwinding.. but attending an art museum? That wasn’t necessarily something that caught her interest.

A paper was shoved in her face, forcing her to grab it and read it over. It was a permission slip for the upcoming field trip to the national art gallery museum.

“Have your dad sign it. Deadline is tomorrow so I better see your paper in the bin!”

Her eyes glossed over the words with hesitation. Haru always did this. She's thrown out many slips before, mostly because she was never interested in the idea of a school field trip. But something felt.. Different this time. Less overwhelming than the trips to amusement parks and aquariums. Maybe it was actually something she could take into consideration. No, even with a second thought, she had no desire to leave home.

Before she could deny his request, she heard the familiar rumble of a car engine approach. That loud roar from an old school 1967 chevy impala could be heard from down the street, barely turning into the school zone. The closer it got, the redder her face. It was always so embarrassing the way it dominated over everyone's voices. She hated this loud vehicle.

“Looks like your dads here. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.. see ya.” She stepped off the curb, approaching the black car closing in.

Haru smiled and waved as she popped open the door to the backseat.

“Hi Mr. Fox!! Bye Scarlett!”

She quickly slammed the door closed behind her to avoid people's stares.

“Hey Kiddo! How was school?” asked an older voice from the front seat.

“Fine.” setting her backpack into the empty seat beside her, she reluctantly clipped on her seatbelt.

You know, for a car that was deemed cool and eye-catching, the man behind the wheel was anything but that.

Clint Fox. a Character she has always had a difficult time trying to understand. Painted to be her father, many people always assume that was correct.

She could see why. Afterall, they were both foxes. Him, a little more so with his coloring and additional fur patterns. But that's all. They weren’t related in the slightest, and the fact that Scarlet had to call him “dad” always irritated her.

Clint was her adoptive father. At first, she took him as someone intimidating and worth respecting. After all, he’s a tattoo artist, and always driving around that sleek impala. At times he would pick her up from school after being covered in car oil, or even on a motorcycle decked out in gear.

But the guy was a total softie.

He was so bright and giddy, always trying to lend out a helping hand as if it could make a big difference.

Scarlet had never even once seen the guy angry. Everytime she did something out of line, sure he would be disappointed, but he always forgave her. She just couldn’t understand why he cared about her so much.

With a huff, she tried to zone out the car's engine, staring off outside the cars window on their way home.

Finally, when they walked through the home's front door, she immediately headed straight upstairs for her room. Leaving Clint to sigh as he watched her lock herself away.

She tossed her bag onto the bed filled with blankets and pillows, only now realizing she still had the permission slip in hand..

She crumbled it up and tossed it into the small bin next to her desk. Then, pulling out the seat tucked under, she stared at the many unfinished canvases looking back up at her. Each one a different insect, halfly painted just enough to get the silhouette and colors jotted down.

Carefully, she began rearranging her paints and brushes. Prepping colors so some of these canvases can be marked down for completion. Even while trying to occupy her mind, a lingering feeling weighed in her chest. On occasion, she would glance down to the trash can at her feet.

Downstairs, Clint was at work in the kitchen. Lightly humming the melody to Modern Takings infamous Cheri Cheri Lady, all while he plated the cutlery with fresh food. The aroma of homemade pasta filled the entire house, mixing perfectly with his dimly lit candles. He never actually used the main lights the house was built with, always complaining about how they were never warm enough.

“Scarlet! Dinners ready!” He called out, filling two glasses with their preferred drinking choices. Water for the kid, and sweetened tea for himself.

Still lightly singing to himself, he carried both plates over to the small kitchen table in the dining room. His music cut short as he was startled to find a tiny Fox that had snuck up behind him. Scarlet held up a wrinkled paper in front of his sight. The words ‘Field trip’ caught his attention quicker than he could ask what it was. It took him by surprise, Tilting his body around the paper to drag his concern over to his daughter.

“I need you to sign this.”

He blinked blankly, then smiled. Finally, Scarlet had always refused these trips in the past, what made this one so different? He carefully picked up the paper to give it a read. “Museum of national arts? Sounds fun! You really wanna go?”

As Scarlet took her seat, she nodded quietly.

“Is Haru going?” For now, he set aside the paper against the kitchen counter. Picking up the filled glasses and bringing them over to their rightful pairings.

“He always does.”

Clint sat at the opposite end from her, trying to contain how overjoyed he was. He had been trying to convince her for years to branch out a bit, and take the opportunities. And now, something finally caught her interest enough. He chuckled, adding additional sugar to his drink “Have fun while you're out there, kit.”

“So you’ll sign it..?” She picked at the meal in front of her. that wasn't anything new, though. She could only withstand a few small bites before needing to leave the table.

“Course i'll sign it! Just promise- you'll be.. calm? No setting the historical pieces of art on fire?”

“I promise..”

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

And soon, Scarlet was in line with the other children. Everyone standing in front of the groups of buses, eagerly waiting to board them. Some stood with their parents, like her. She quietly stood in front of Clint, who was triple checking her bag to make sure she had everything packed and ready. To her, the gesture was annoying.

“--And when you get to the hotel, make sure you text me your room number and let me know youre okay. Lock the door- and don't stray too far from your class, another thing-” She started to zone out his words, observing the large crowds of kids ahead. Trying to locate a certain dirty blonde in the mix.

It began to get to her, the nerves. With her fist anxiously clenched together, she could feel the heat in her palms making them sweat.

She had never ventured off alone like this before, and if Haru wasn’t here she wouldn’t know what to-

“Scarlet!!”

Relief.

The moment she turned around, she was tackled into an unwanted hug from Haru. Awkwardly patting his back. She couldn’t show that she was thankful he appeared.

“Sorry I’m late. My mom was talking to the counselor.. We convinced them to let us be partners during the trip! That way you don’t have to room with the other girls and we can stay together.” Breaking the hug, he playfully punched her shoulder. A rosy color on his cheeks.

She nodded in response. Truly, unable to express how relieved she was to hear that. It was a two day trip, nothing too crazy. Instead of going to the museum and immediately coming back, the class would stay within a hotel for a night, visit the museum the next day, and stay another night at the hotel before returning home in the morning. Which meant rooming with 2-4 other kids.

Luckily, she wouldn’t be cooped up with a bunch of strangers now that Haru would be there.

Harus mother followed behind, greeting Clint with a friendly smile. “They said they’ll get their own room. I gave them the papers and everything.”

“Thank you, Grace.. I knew they’d listen to you.” Clint kindly accepted the papers Harus mother held out to him, it was a neat little folder with a paw print stamped on the cover.

“Oh it’s no problem, I’m always happy to help. Especially if it means getting the kids away for a bit.”

The two laughed it over, soon interrupted by Teachers collecting their classrooms and who would be attending in what groups.

“Looks like this is it-“ Clint kneed down to Scarlet's height, placing his hand lightly against her shoulder to turn her around. “Remember what I told you?”

“Our teeth are our most powerful weapon.”

“What- no!” He huffed a short laugh, ruffling up her hair. “Call me if you need anything, I’ll drive the four hours to come get you. And stay close to Haru. Don't bite anyone-“

Scarlet always gave this seemingly unimpressed stare, but this time was different. Not realizing that she had a small grip on Clint’s jacket. Something in her was telling her not to let go.

“Love ya kiddo.”

“Scarlet come on, they’re boarding already!” Haru had grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling at his friend and practically dragging her towards the bus’ staircase. He shouted out as he did so, “bye mom, love you! Bye Mr. Fox!”

And so, Scarlet was yanked into the large travel bus full of other 8th graders. Haru was always one to grab front row seats, but for his best friend's sake- he didn’t mind waltzing over to the very back where it was most quiet.

As the buses rolled out from the school's lot one by one, Scarlet turned her body to look into the backseat window- watching as the two silhouettes of Harus’ mother and Clint got smaller and smaller from view.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

The drive there was treacherous. Ignoring how long the drive was, Scarlet couldn’t stand the amount of rowdy kids she had to endure during this trip. Neither could she deal with the amount of times their teacher would shout for everyone to calm down and stay in their seats. If it weren’t for Haru sticking by her side the entire time, endlessly talking about the many songs he heard from the flowers… she would have gone crazy.

But soon, they arrived at the registered Hotel. Everyone was carefully paired within groups of 3-4. However, Haru and Scarlet were assigned their own room of two beds. It caused a few ‘ooos’ and whispers between the kids, but due to Scarlets.. special cases, she wasn’t allowed to room with anyone else. So she didn’t understand why everyone acted like this was new information.

Haru was bumped into by another classmate. A younger boy by the name of Rex. He was the type you’d immediately deem annoying within a group. “Alone with a girl? Hope you know how to kiss, flower boy” He teased, resting his hand on the other.

Harus' brows frowned, moving his shoulder away from the kid that had a hold on him. “Dude- don’t be weird.”

“Oh come on! Everyone knows you and the weird girl are ‘good friends’” he mocked with a laugh.

Haru wasn’t one to stand up for himself, he was too sweet for that. So all he did in response was try and hide his embarrassment.

But soon, the rowdy kid would soon come to regret his mockery. Scarlet's shadow loomed over him within seconds after making that comment. His head slowly looked up to the death glare on her face.

“Wanna say it again, Rex? Would be a shame if those were your last words before I rip out your tongue.”

Scarlet, being the scariest girl in their class, was not one to mess with. Over the years she’s learned to not only fight for herself, but for Haru. After ‘accidentally’ sending kids to the nurses office, that was the primary reason as to why she wasn’t allowed to room with anyone other than Haru.

Rex stepped back, dusting off Harus shoulder as if to preserve him. “Haha-“ quickly, he bolted off to find his friends.

Scarlet raised the set of room keys in her hand, sharing one with said flower boy. “Come on. Before he cries to the teacher and Ms. Callaway calls my dad.”

“Right- want me to carry your bag?” He took the keycard, shoving it into his pocket as the classroom followed their assigned chaperones to their rooms.

“I can hold it.”

The two were guided off to their number, greeted by the two large begs in such a spacious room. The two friends looked at one another with hesitation, then separated to throw their things onto their chosen picks. It wasn't a very eventful day. The teachers thought it would be best to take everyone out for a pizza dinner. Some kids were lucky enough to already have packed meals from their parents, like Scarlet. But others were a messy mistake to bring along. Nonetheless, that night was like no other for Haru. But to Scarlet, it was a bit.. Off Putting. She hardly slept comfortably in that stiff hotel bed, tossing and turning in an attempt to get comfortable with just a single blanket and thin sheets.

She laid awake, staring upwards at the plain white ceiling ahead of her. What eased her anxiety was her active imagination. Imagining swirling patterns and faces in the design of the ceiling that weren't really there. Despite her anxiety about being away from ‘home’... she looked forward to the day ahead.

The Museum wasn't as packed as the kids initially thought it out to be. However, the large groups of 8th graders ended up filling that void. There were multiple teachers and chaperones each escorting their assigned classes. Haru and Scarlet were within a smaller group, sticking close to one another while they were taken through the tour.

For the brown fox, each piece down to the glossy marble floor they walked on was astonishing. She felt as if she was tainting the ground just by walking on it. The building itself was artwork, with its interior structures climbing upwards to the painted ceiling. Designed with cherubs, and milky clouds that looked over their heads.

But that was just the entrance. The further they walked, the more displays that came into view. The teacher at the front of the class held her booklet of notes within her arms, explaining the history and importance of each piece. Despite being all the way in the back of the group, Scarlet could hear her clear as day. She listened intently to each description and named piece, admiring them from afar.

They entered a large area filled with marble statues that looked too soft to be stone.

The group came to a stop, standing in front of the infamous display of The Statue of David.

Many of the other kids giggled and whispered their snarky comments to one another, sharing their immaturity between friends. But Scarlet had her head turned up with awe. His form appeared so delicate, so fragile in its masculine body. She could only wonder how admirable he must’ve been in his time.

But she didn’t have to wonder. Her eyes panned across the open room, spotting a few other tourists who weren’t a part of the school's field trip. She watched as people paused to admire and gawk over the statue ahead of them. People Froze just to take photos, open a sketchbook, or to personally take in the sight. It was then she realized something within herself.

Her entire life she had been hiding behind David's shadow, an object other kids would avoid interacting with.. She was nothing compared to the famous artworks in this very museum, who stood tall in the shining light.

She wanted to be loved like that.

“Okay students! We are going to allow you to split off into groups. Each one of you will individually find a piece that personally correlates to you. Make sure you write down the name and why you choose it.” The teacher explained the assignment in further detail, why simultaneously passing out small packets to students. Scarlet paid no attention to it, until one of these packets was handed over to her by a freckled face.

“Wanna go Somewhere else? There's a lot of people in this area-” Harus smile showed a bit of anxiety within it. Which was strange, he was never one to mind heavy crowds or loud environments. But who is Scarlet to complain? Accepting the packet with a nod before they separated from the rest of the group.

The pair wandered the many halls, each room different than the last.

They stopped by tons of displays. More statues, sculptures, the most creative decorative arts, and even written poetry.

They pointed and laughed at many different works. Haru was working overtime to get Scarlet to enjoy her time away from home, and it was surprisingly working.

But unfortunately for them, nothing was quite standing out enough for their assignments.

“Well, this is the last room, hopefully we can find something.. otherwise we just might have to lie and pick that weird looking dog statue.” Haru giggled as he held open the museum's walk through map.

“Mhm..” Scarlet muttered in response, walking side by side with the other as they wandered into the last room they had yet to see.

It was a lot larger and spacious than the previous rooms. With only the walls holding individual displays as the floor stayed clear.

It was home of many infamous artworks Scarlet had only read about or heard of.

You hear of these famous works all the time.

The Mona Lisa,

Girl with a Pearl Earring,

And the Birth of Venus…

But there was one in particular that stood out the most to Scarlet's eyes. It was surprisingly one she had never seen before.

As Her and Haru pointed and discussed each painting, they came face to face with a breathtaking scene. She had almost passed right by it, until her eyes did a double take.

An oil painting mainly consisting of blues and yellows intertwining with one another. From where Scarlet stood, she could almost see each individual brush stroke as they swirled within the speckled mess that it was. The moon and stars painted over a sleeping city, giving this sense of bliss..

It could easily have been mistaken for a child’s work if it weren’t for its golden framing.

But something felt unique about its visual appearance.

The swirls of lights were hypnotic to Scarlet. She felt like she could see the night sky right in front of her.

While the painting had its own description and history, to her, it reminded her of something bigger.

The Aurora Borealis.

dancing lights, providing a blanket of sanctuary over the many houses and strong standing tower below. She could imagine it herself, laying within that snowy linen land. Underneath the stars and swirling lights.

That’s what it reminded her of.

And god, was it beautiful.

In her hypnotic state, her eyes glossed downward to the silver plate.

“The Starry Night.

By Vincent Van Gogh”

Huh. She thought. What a terrible name.

“Ooo, look at this one! It’s a pot of sunflowers!” Haru grinned, enough to bare his teeth with his dorky dimples. He pointed to an artwork that was similar in style. Actually, it's too similar. It was Van Goghs ‘Sunflowers’. “I think I’m gonna do this one. Just to play it safe”

“How about you? Have you picked one yet?”

Her head panned back to the oil painting. Giving it one last look over before confirming her decision.

“Yeah. I think I found the perfect one.”

That summer ..

The beginning of highschool was something many 8th graders were excited for. For whatever reason, it made kids feel mature and impactful, as if their lives were finally starting to be something greater than coloring in between the lines.

That year was quite busy for a certain golden child. After 8th grade had ended, Haru was gifted with the many different opportunities of attending high end schools. Hell, even a few colleges wanted him for his brains.

Even with schools trying to entice him into their programs, he refused.

It was a surprise to everyone. Why would he turn down such opportunities?

Because he couldn’t bare the idea of leaving his best friend.

Him and Scarlet had spent the entire summer together that year. And undergone some changes.

Usually, Haru was always one to stop by the Fox household and spend a couple of nights there. Together the two would do as they always did, venture off outdoors within Scarlets forest of a backyard.

Together, they would explore the land like children. Being out in nature was something they both enjoyed, and embraced within one another. It got them both to laugh and chase each other through fields of trees and daffodils, climb the highest trunks, and fall into the messiest mud puddles.

However their fun was cut short this year.

It was a day like no other, the pair had a long morning of racing through vines and twigs, and were now officially headed back to Scarlet's home before the sun could set.

Silently walking back with their exhausted legs, Scarlet noticed Harus demeanor was different than usual. His head hung low, and she could almost feel him dragging weight behind his shoulders.

She gave him a nudge with her elbow, in an attempt to grab his attention away from the dirt on his shoes. “What’s up? You’re wilting.”

The corner of his lips rose up slightly over her teasing, but his smile didn’t last long. Nervous, he held the back of his neck.

“My mom uh.. wants me to go to Hemoria for school this year. She wants me to leave in a few weeks.. in the middle of summer…”

Hemoria. Harus home.

He had two mothers, and their relationship was a rocky one. They seemingly really loved and cared for one another. However, one of his moms was never in the picture. She lived within Hemoria, and practically dominated it. Her entire work life was within this world of people. Haru rarely saw her, maybe on holidays or birthdays, but she always made her trips quick and short.

But not this time. Instead, she wanted Haru to go to her.

“Shit- why? It’s not because of your—“ she gestured her hand up and down, pointing at him.

He shrugged, kicking a small rock ahead of their path. “Pretty much. Something about fulfilling destiny? I dunno.. I guess she wants me to start a life out there..”

At that moment, Scarlet could see where Harus heartache laid. He didn’t want to leave, and he didn’t want whatever lifestyle his mother was trying to build on him.

She hooked her arm around the taller kid's shoulders, almost forcing him to bend to her level while they walked. “It’s only a year. Can't be too bad, right? Hey, why don’t you bring me back a souvenir? Hemoria has got to have some crazy looking insects. I’ll see you next year anyways, she can’t keep you out there forever.”

As much as it pained her to say that, she didn’t want to keep being the reason Haru was holding himself back. Sure, she was grateful that he tried all this time to stick by her side, but he had much more to his life ahead of him.

The gesture was enough to get him to smile, his cheeks pink in color.

“Yeah.. I’ll see you next year.”

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

Haru fumbled with the schedule in his hand, his bag slung over his shoulder half open. It was the first day of sophomore year, and he was more than lost.

There had been a bit of a delay within his trip, and he had only arrived back home yesterday. It was a rush to get his mind into the back to school mentality. And because of this, he had a late start with obtaining his classes.

He hadn’t met any of his teachers, let alone visited the school he was attending. This was his very first time on property, and the massive waves of children made it ten times more difficult to get through.

But there was one thing he looked forward to.

Scarlet.

They had spent so long apart. The rest of the 8th grade summer, freshman year, and the summer after that. Haru had been so busy that he hardly was able to even send a text. It was rare for him to talk, and usually their conversations were cut short whenever Harus mom bugged.

But just before he returned home, Haru was able to ask Scarlet about what school she had been attending, and when could he enroll for the upcoming year.

They had planned it all out, that Haru would finally return and they could meet at the hidden staircase across the school main entrance.

It was a set of stairs not many people used, mostly because of how far it was from everyone’s classrooms, but it was quite a popular hang out spot before the bell would ring.

Haru had followed the complex path mentioned by Scarlet's text, it felt like he had been shoving through crowds and walking for hours.. but finally, in the distance, he could spot two fluffy brown fox ears that were surrounded by a number of other people.

It was her.

So naturally, his excitement caused him to rush closer, details coming into view.

Did she cut her hair? It Looks shorter.

And did she get taller? No, maybe it just looks that way because she's sitting down.

Woah.. she really changed up her style.

Harus footsteps slowed as he approached the group of about 4-5 people not including his friend. They were all huddled in a circle, seemingly in their own little cliche. Haru couldn't make out much right away, especially with Scarlets back facing him. All he could make out was that her clothes made her seem bigger, more broad underneath the shredded layers. She had a lot of silver on too, who knew she became such a big fan of jewelry and piercings within the past year. No one seemed to really notice him walking up. They all mistook him as some weird bright and shiny kid trying to fit into their heavy gothic and punk scene. Haru ignored the few glares and judgy looks from the others. Innocently smiling.

Nervously, Haru spoke through their laughs and casual banter.

“Hey! Scarlet!”

That familiar brown ear twitched in his direction, causing Their head to turn over their shoulder for a look.

Harus eyes widened as he stood completely still, paralyzed by this intense aura radiating off who he assumed to be his childhood friend. The figure rose from the bottom of the staircase, turning to now stand in front of Haru. Or more so- loom over him.

Crap. wrong person.

A panic set in as he realized he approached the wrong person. After all, the person standing in front of him was a far more intimidating male. Some dusty colored wolf he had mistaken for his foxy friend. He defensively held up his hands, face red with embarrassment. “Ah- sorry, I thought you were- someone… else..” He choked on his own words, slowly losing his train of thought as his mind blanked. And then, he realized it.

It was that same nasty scar that stretched from the corner of the mouth, all the way back to the ear lobe. And those glaring eyes perfectly matched the sacred pattern of flames stained over his cheeks and forehead.

Haru watched as one of the girls of the group leaned over, hugging herself around the arm of the male that disturbingly resembled his friend. “You know this guy, Vincent?”

Everyone could see the expression of confusion on Harus face.

The male fox made a deep laugh, tilting his head “You don't recognize me, sunflower? It's good to see you again, old friend.”

… “Scarlet?!”

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

I FINALLY finished this after stalling it for months now. Just something cute and simple, because Vincent is dear to my heart. To clear up any possible confusion, I don’t necessarily label Vincent as “trans.” Mostly because he didn’t quite have much of a transition due to shifting abilities, but I guess he could fall under the category since he was afab. I personally don’t mind when people label him as trans, but if you were to ask him, he wouldn’t fully agree. He just doesn’t like labels 🙀

But anywho!! Ig this fic could be an introduction to Vincent’s gender awakening and Harus gay awakening👨‍🦯