#spicy jumpscares left and right | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theladysexpistol · 4 years ago

Note

Can i get Josuke, Polnareff, Formaggio and Narancia trying to jumpscare their s/o but they were holding a kettle with boiling water and they spilled it on themselve and getting a bad burn ?

Hi anon! So my character limit is 3 unless it’s a team, I hope you don’t mind me just doing Polnareff, Josuke, and Narancia 🥺 don’t get me wrong i like Formaggio too (I’ve got a veryyyyy spicy WIP for him on the side), but I think him and Polnareff might be pretty similar anyway.

Also awww this kinda fluffy angst, the poor reader!

~~~

Polnareff

I cannot for the life of me remember what ep this is from lmaoo Pol you just really look so funny

To say Polnareff was devoted to you was almost an understatement. In the months he had been gone, investigating something for a friend he wouldn’t tell you about, he made sure to smother you in affection from afar. Love letters, flower bouquets ordered from vendors down the street you weren’t quite sure how he did it. You knew he missed you terribly, and you missed him too.

Especially on mornings like these, with the sun so bright and warm, not a cloud in the sky. You smiled to yourself at how cheesy it was to think of Jean Pierre just over a normal, sunny morning, but you imagined he would make a morning like this anything but mundane. You made yourself a cup of tea and went out to the front porch of the little cottage you lived in.

Polnareff wanted to surprise you when got back. It was incredibly difficult for him not to call you instantly when he was finished investigating. He wanted to hear your voice, to see you, to hold you and catch up on the months of time he had lost with you. He made his way up to your house with the widest grin on his face, and the largest bundle of roses in his hand that he could possibly afford.

Both of you had the perfect reunion set up in your mind. You reached for the door at the same time Polnareff swung it open.

You jumped back when the door appeared to come alive, spilling your tea all over yourself. The boiling liquid burned your arms, and as if you wouldn’t have already started crying upon seeing him, you burst into tears.

Polnareff’s smile fell and the roses were discarded to the ground as he lunged forward toward you, putting his arms around your back to steady you.

“Mon cherie, what happened? I am so sorry... I didn’t mean to frighten you mon amour! Let’s get that treated right away.”

Despite his hulking frame and rather large muscles, Polnareff was gentle and tender as he helped treat your minor burns. Eventually your tears gave way to laughter. He had just been trying to surprise you and look what you had done. Any sort of romantic reunion was completely thrown out the window as the two of you had grown worried, spent the first hour together again trying to fix your stupid mistake.

He gave you a very confused look when you started laughing, and his face almost made you laugh more. Finally, you gathered yourself enough to bring your hand to his face, and pull him down into a kiss.

“Not what I had planned but...” you smiled as you finally got a good look at his face again. “Welcome home.”

Josuke

“Oh! Hello Josuke,” your mother greeted him after he’d knocked on the front door.

“H-hello, ma’am... uh, I mean Mrs [L/n],” he bumbled, internally flinching at his own trip up. It didn’t matter how many times he talked with your parents, it made him incredibly nervous. There wasn’t even any reason to be! They were incredibly kind to him; and if he could deal with his own mother, he should be able to deal with anyone. He sighed, ran a hand over his pompadour habitually, and gathered himself. “Is [y/n] free? I was hoping we could go together to meet up with our friends at the cafe.”

“Hm? Oh yes, [y/n] is awake in the kitchen. Go right on ahead, Josuke.”

As he stepped past your mother, however, he noticed she had a coat and her purse thrown over her shoulder, as if she was leaving. She seemed to notice him staring, because she smiled once more at him.

“I’m just running to the grocery store. You two kids better not get up to anything while I’m gone!” She said before stepping outside and closing the door.

Even though he knew she was teasing, Josuke felt a blush crawl across his face. He heard that all the time from his own mother, but there was something different about your mother saying it to him.

Now that he knew the two of you were alone though, he wasn’t embarrassed to give you a little surprise kiss. Purposefully, a miscue IOU’s grin crawled on his face as Josuke snuck toward the kitchen; for someone of his height and stature, one might think this was impossible, but Josuke had learned by now the art of stealth in order to play video games while his mom was sleeping down the hall.

He peeked his head around the wall, where he found you standing at the counter, humming a song to yourself. He was so overcome by the thought of how cute you were that he didn’t notice the kettle of boiling water in your hands as he lunged forward.

“Gotcha!” Josuke gleefully yelled as he seized you by the hips, but his lips did not make their way to your face.

You, aware that Josuke may be stopping by today but assuming you were alone when your mother left, shrieked upon the feeling of someone grabbing you. The kettle in your hand went flying, as did the cup of tea you had already poured in the other. By the time you realized it was Josuke, and that your mother must have let him in, you were already crying as the hot water burned you.

“Wha- shit! Shit!” Josuke immediately grew agitated when he recognized you were hurt, it then took him several moments later to realize it was his fault.

If there was one thing Josuke was devoted to, it was protecting the people he cared about. That was the basis behind the restoration ability of Crazy Diamond. And he was the one who had hurt you.

You didn’t flinch when he reached for you, that much was reassuring to him. He took both of your hands in his and manifested his Stand. It never mattered to him in the moment when people who couldn’t see Stands realized he had healed them somehow; all that mattered was taking away the pain, making it anew. And he wanted nothing more than to take the pain away from you. Even if Crazy Diamond’s ability made him feel the pain instead, he’d gladly take it. The burden belonged on him, it was his fault.

A minute passed and you passed your fingers over where the burn had been, mesmerized and stunned. You had no idea how Josuke had healed you. In fact it was somewhat of a miracle. But you didn’t want to think about it now, pushing it from your head as you looked up toward him.

“I’m sorry,” your boyfriend muttered, looking utterly defeated.

“It’s okay Josuke,” you cooed softly, wanting nothing more than to see his smile in that moment. “It was an accident, that’s all.”

As you pushed your head into his chest and hugged him, Josuke tenderly wrapped his own arms around you too. Right, an accident. And Crazy Diamond had healed you, restored your skin without fail. So that the only thing left of the incident was the dripping countertop where the kettle had spilled, and the guilt already weighing heavily on his spirit.

Narancia

Waking up in your arms was what Narancia lived for. You werent living together yet, but it was something you discussed often; especially considering how much time he spent at your place anyway, and how much he slept over. He had an extra bag left in your apartment just in case he got called out to a mission while in your home.

But when Narancia woke up to an empty bed, he found something he like even better - the smell of breakfast wafting from the other room. You were cooking for him?! It was like every day, you got more and more perfect to him.

Narancia hastily got dressed, pulling on much of the clothes he had been wearing the previous day. He assumed that in all his fumbling and swearing, you would have heard that he was awake from the open bedroom door.

He stretched, mussled his hands through his bedhead hair to make it more of an even unruly mess, and bolted out of the room straight to where you were standing in the kitchen.

“Buongiorno!” He yelled as he wrapped his arms around you tightly. His eyes were closed and a big grin was over his face, delighted to spend another morning with you.

But when Narancia heard you gasp, felt something hot drip ever slightly on his arms, he opened his eyes and his wonderful morning shattered.

“What happened?!” He growled immediately, as if he thought someone had attacked you. You were clutching your arm against your chest, gasping over and over again. But then Narancia’s eyes wandered over the stain on your shirt and the liquid on the floor, the shattered cup, and Narancia realized exactly what happened. Espresso was one of his favorite things, but right now he hated it more than anything else in the world.

“Cosa ho fatto? Damn it! Oh god, [y/n], I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to spook you!”

He couldn’t help but panic a bit, upset that he had caused this. All you had wanted to do was make breakfast for him and he repays you by burning you? Eventually, Narancia calmed down enough to bring you a wash cloth of cool water to wrap the burn in and guided you over to the couch. Your voice helped calm him down too, assuring him over and over that it was an accident.

Of course, how much more pathetic could he be? You were in pain, you were the one who had been hurt and yet you had to comfort him? Narancia was visibly upset as you brought him down to sit next to you, and cuddled into his side. Narancia was tense, but wiped the tears on your cheeks away and watched as you fell asleep with him. He was surprised by this trust; the anxiety that you might not feel safe any longer in his arms would keep him wide awake at night from that moment on.

~~~

[A/N: so like I spent a long time trying to come up with these and liked my ideas... but after writing them idk how I feel. I feel like I made the Polnareff one too lighthearted and the Narancia one too serious. But I put so much effort into them that I can’t see them coming out any other way. The Josuke one turned out exactly how I planned though. I hope you like them all anyway!]

#bree writes #jojo fanfiction #polnareff x reader #josuke x reader #narancia x reader #tw burns #angsty #request 💖

154 notes · View notes

is0gild · 4 years ago

Text

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 21

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 11,394

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Cinnamon.

The scent of it.

That was the first thing I became aware of.

It was so… familiar and spicy and warm. The warmth spread into my cheeks and brought a smile to my lips, small and unbidden. Sunlight against my closed eyelids was the second thing I became aware of as it melted away the last dregs of sleepiness from my mind. I'd been dreaming. I wondered what about… must have been something good. I quietly yawned and stretched where I lay flat on my back before, slowly by surely, I opened my eyes.

Then I froze and my heart gave a violent jolt.

That wasn't my ceiling.

This wasn't my bed.

That-

That wasn't my arm draped across my stomach with its hand resting on my hip.

I mean, not unless it had gained some serious muscle mass from pumping the soft serve/milkshake machine at work. And even then, those muscles would have had to of been on some sort of weird time delay for them to just so suddenly and quite literally pop into existence overnight while I'd been asleep. Now granted, I don't know a lot about the way human anatomy works, particularly when it comes to muscles. That said, I think it was a safe bet to say that none of it worked that way.

Oh gosh, and I was just now becoming aware of a second unidentified arm. This one beneath the small of my back. I had to wonder how it'd gotten under me without waking me up. Or maybe… maybe it hadn't so much as gotten under me as I had rolled on top of it? Gah, who knew? And honestly, who really cared? The point wasn't how it got there but just the fact that it was there!

Confusion and panic levels skyrocketing, I tore my eyes away from the mystery arms, resting my head back into the mystery pillow to stare back up at the mystery ceiling. Then I craned my neck to the left to take in the mystery room with all the mystery clothing tossed about everywhere. Then I craned it to the right to-

-to come face to quite literal face with… well, a face.

My hand shot up to clamp over my mouth, silencing the startled gasp trying to escape. Heart slamming against my ribcage now, my wide eyes looked at the face. And I mean, really looked at it now that I was over the initial jumpscare. And I realized…

It was Lea's face.

More precisely, Lea's sleeping face.

Fingers still clutched over my lips, my rapid breathing through my nose gradually began to try and normalize as last night slowly started coming back to me. The dinner with Saïx. My nervous babbling that had led to the impromptu sleepover in Lea's room. The lizard - no, not lizard, salamander - named Bruni. Sitting in Lea's bed with him while we watched movies together. Though it hadn't so much as been watching as more so talking over them. And laughing. Oh yeah, there had been a lot of that, oddly enough. Well, odd for me, anyway. I remembered making it all the way through the first movie and starting the second one, but I couldn't remember finishing it. I guess I must have dozed off somewhere in the middle of it.

Lea too, it seemed. He was now curled up on his side next to me. Both of us were still on top of the comforter and if you hadn't guessed already, those were in fact his arms across my stomach and under my back. Though they certainly hadn't been there before I'd nodded off. Neither had been that leg of his that was currently slung across both mine, which was a thing that was just now coming to my attention. There must have been a remarkable amount of shifting around in our sleep on both our parts last night.

Well, well, Slumbering Lea… we meet again. We really have to stop bumping into each other like this.

But now the real question was… what to do?

Extract myself and make a hasty retreat without waking him, of course! I'd done it once before and, by gum, I could do it again! Sure, last time had been a little easier, since we'd just been sitting on a couch and the whole situation had been a little less… tangled. But so what if this time around was a little more challenging? I like a challenge!

I drew in a long breath, held it for a few seconds, then released it as soundlessly as possible. Okay, let's do this! First order of business? The top arm. Should be simple enough, right? Next would be the leg, which might be a bit trickier, but I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. Debating the best strategy for dealing with the arm for a few seconds, I at last settled on gripping one of his fingers between my index and thumb and gingerly, oh so very gingerly picking it up.

Easy does it now. No rush. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

I'd only managed to lift his hand a couple inches however when I heard a low noise in his throat. I stiffened, stopping immediately and turning my head to look over at him, fearing I'd disturbed him from his dreams. But no, he seemed to be making the sound in his sleep. Frowning and furrowing his brow too, no less.

Suddenly, his hand broke free of my grasp and latched back onto my hip before both his arms were pulling me to him, hugging tightly around my waist as I was brought chest-to-chest with him. My cheeks burned red hot and I had to swallow my squeak as he buried his face into the crook of my neck, nuzzling his nose in close and inhaling deeply. Then he sighed and his whole body began to relax once more as he released a soft snore.

...jeez, he really was such a clingy sleeper!

Also, this had just made escaping a whole lot harder. What with him more firmly wrapped around me now, I had no clue how I was going to disentangle myself without waking him up.

His hold on me had at least slackened a bit, if only enough for me to ease back slightly. We were still pretty much nose to nose, but I had managed to regain a few bare inches between our bodies before being stopped by his arms still looped around my middle. Pondering how to overcome this new obstacle, I blew a few stray, frazzled bangs out of my face and looked at him again.

I mean, it's not like I had much else to do at the moment. Not while I was so thoroughly and undeniably stuck.

...gosh, he really was pretty, wasn't he? One might even say painfully so. Even with his guyliner all smudged and smeared like that. Even while he was asleep. Or perhaps, even more so while he was asleep. I don't know… maybe it just seemed that way because I could stare at him so openly without fear of being caught and getting flustered over it.

I wish we were real.

Those words suddenly came drifting back to me once more and I had to wonder...would it really have been so bad? If that's what he'd really said and truly meant it? I mean, one would think I should have been happy to hear those words, what with my silly little crush on him. And actually, I think there had been a tiny part of me that hadbeen happy. But it had gotten swiftly smothered and crushed under sheer, blind, uncontrollable panic. After all, there's a big difference between hoping for something and actually getting it. And just because a tiny wish in your heart might have the possibility of coming true, doesn't mean you're actually ready for it to, or… or prepared to open yourself up and deal with being so… so…

...vulnerable...

Not that it mattered, of course. Because that's not what he'd actually meant. He'd told me so himself. Stated it in no uncertain terms.

But… if say, for the sake of argument, he had actually meant it… what was I so afraid of? Really? Lea would never hurt me… right? No, I don't think he could, even if he tried, even if he wanted to. He was too sweet. He was too caring and gentle. He was-

Oh dear god, he was waking up.

Sucking in a breath, I tensed as I saw him start to shift and stir, as his eyelashes gave a little flutter before cracking ever so slightly open.

I, of course, proceeded to do the only logical and rational thing I could do in such a situation.

I screwed my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

Deal with the awkwardness of him knowing I'd been watching him while he slumbered? Uh-uh. Nope. No thank you. But crud, now I was too rigid, my face too scrunched up in my distress. He'd never buy the whole snoozing act, not like this! Come on, Elsa, be more natural! Relax, damn it, relax!

My mouth fell open and my tongue lolled out.

...not that relaxed!

I quickly tucked my tongue back in and cinched my mouth shut, hoping against all hope he hadn't woken up enough to witness that bit of unseemliness. If he had, there was no reaction. None that I could hear anyway. In fact, I wasn't hearing much of anything from him. Nor had his arms so much as even budged one millimeter from my waist. He… had woken up… right? Should I check? No, no, that might give me away. His breathing, at least, no longer sounded like he was asleep. But if that was true, what was he even-

A sudden heavy sigh from him startled me, almost making me jump and blow my cover, but I barely managed to keep it together. Then I felt him removing his hands, taking extra care and caution when easing the one out from underneath me. I dutifully and with great earnest continued to play dead. The bed then shifted and I knew he had stood up. There were a few beats of silence before a soft rustling noise could be heard… the shuffling of clothing, maybe? I wasn't quite sure. Listening to it for a few more seconds, my curiosity got the better of me and I furtively peeked one eye open.

My face erupted into searing, molten heat so fast, you would have mistaken it for the surface of the sun.

For there Lea stood - his back to me in all its leanly muscled glory - in nothing but his boxers.

My eye slammed shut again.

But not before I had a chance to see that said boxers were covered in cute, little cartoon ninjas.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Why was he naked?!

Well, not technically naked, since he still had something on over his-

What the actual frick, was I actually arguing semantics with myself right now?!

...I should look again.

What?! No, I absolutely should not!

I should. Purely for reconnaissance reasons, of course, just to keep tabs on what he's doing.

No. No! I'm putting my foot down on this. What if he's even more naked now?

Why on earth would he be more naked?

I don't friggin' know! But did I really want to risk it?!

I'm gonna look.

Don't you dare.

I'm doing it.

Don't-

I looked.

...oh thank goodness, he was more clothed now. I don't think I'd still be breathing if he hadn't been. He'd put on a tanktop and PJ bottoms and was now ruffling his fingers through his hair as he moved over to crouch next to the terrarium, checking in on Bruni. Curling his finger up and down at the little guy, he then stood to his full height and started to turn in my direction. I squeezed my eyes shut once more. There was a pause before I heard some movement, followed by the sound of the door leading out into the living room opening and then closing as quietly as possible.

A breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding all but exploded out of me as I flopped over onto my back once more. I just concentrated on the messy collage of posters up on the ceiling, waiting for my frantic pulse to settle down and desperately trying to block out any attempts made by my stupid brain to bring up images of a certain redhead down to almost nothing but his birthday suit.

After a minute, I began to hear what sounded like the muffled clang of pots and pans beyond that door he'd disappeared through, most likely coming from the kitchen. Lea was making breakfast. For himself and Saïx. For me too, I suppose, come to think of it.

That's when it clicked. Why he had undressed and changed. We were going to be seen this morning by his roommate and he hadn't wanted to look like he'd slept in his clothes. Not after what had supposedly been a, er, ahem… wild night of passion with his girlfriend. That had actually been some good thinking on Lea's part.

I laid there for a few minutes more, seeing as how there wasn't exactly any rush for me to be up yet. I took the time I needed to make sure I had fully composed myself and was ready to face this day and whatever new challenges it may hold. Or at the very least, whatever new challenges breakfast may hold. Finally, I felt ready enough to sit myself up and get off the bed. I started crossing the room towards the door but only got half way before I heard it.

Voices beyond the door. Two of them. One obviously Lea. The other? Going to go with the obvious choice here and say Saïx.

I immediately froze mid step as I recalled last night. Recalled the last things I'd said and done in front of him before pulling a vanishing act into Lea's room. Oh gosh, how was I ever going to face him after that? I couldn't. Plain and simple. If I went out there, Saïx would merely take one look at me and I'd just shrivel up and die of humiliation right then and there. But what else could I do? I had to leave Lea's room at some point. It's not like I could just hide in here forever!

...hey, now there was an idea. I could just hide in here forever.

Damn it, Elsa, no! Stop being so ridiculous! You're going to woman up and march your little hiney straight out there! Saïx was a nice guy. He wasn't cruel. He probably wouldn't even bring it up, just pretend like it'd never happened. If he could be an adult about it and have some tact, then so could I!

My nostrils flared in determination and I gave my cheeks a couple light slaps before nodding firmly, making my way towards the door again. I reached it. My hand was going for the doorknob. My fingers were closing around it. I was about to turn it. Honestly, I really, truly was! But then I stopped again. This time however, it had nothing to do with Saïx or my anxiety.

No, this time what brought me up short was my reflection staring back at me in the long mirror hanging on the back of the door. More specifically, at what I was wearing. At my penguin-printed stockings, wrinkled now from what was most likely some tossing and turning last night. At my dress, rumpled and creased and looking quite clearly slept in.

Shoot, if Lea had taken care to not make it obvious that actual zilch had happened in his bed last night, I should make the same effort, shouldn't I? But unlike him, I didn't have half my wardrobe just scattered about the room for me to change into. Fudge, what was I even supposed to look like after spending the night with a boyfriend? I had no clue! No personal experience to draw from.

Think, think… okay, how did girls look and dress the morning after in movies and TV shows?

I pursed my lips to one side, turning around so my eyes could scan the bedroom. Then I took a step forward, shifting some of the discarded clothes on the carpet about with my foot. I bent down to pick one up, saw it was pants and shook my head, tossing it aside. Another step, some more sifting. Ah! There! My fingers closed around some fabric and I pulled it free of the others before straightening back up, taking it in both hands and spreading it out to reveal a shirt. A tee-shirt, to be more precise, one that was black and bore a faded, cracked symbol that kind of looked like a wide, fancy, angular V. Beneath it was a washed out image of some sort of red, mechanical-looking lion.

I frowned at the top.

Oh gosh, was I really going to go through with this?

...the answer was yes. Yes, I was.

Locking the bedroom door, I quickly shimmied out of my stockings and tossed them onto the bed. Next went my dress, joining the tights on the mattress. Then I pulled the shirt on over my head, doing my best to ignore his boy scent clinging to it as I shoved my arms through the sleeves and tugged the hem as far down as it would go, which turned out to be about mid-thigh. It fit surprisingly well. Maybe that shouldn't have come as such a surprise - the boy did have a tendency to wear his shirts rather tight.

...not that I noticed such things.

I turned to face my reflection once more, giving myself a quick once over. Yes, I think this would do quite nicely. But then my eyes settled on my braid in the mirror, messy and a bit tangled. Clearly, that wouldn't do. I pulled it free, quickly unraveling it before combing my fingers through my hair a few times and ruffling it about a bit. There. That looked more appropriately bed-tousled now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Bruni out and about in his enclosure, eyeing me from atop one of his rocks. I grinned and asked him softly, "How do I look?"

He licked his eyeball.

I snorted, muttering, "One of these days I'm going to have to figure out what that means. For now, I'll just take it as a compliment." I then looked back down at the doorknob. My hand started reaching for it, but hesitated midway. My fingers clenched into a ball. Then unclenched. I took a tiny, trembling breath against the nervous tightening in my chest.

Alright, Elsa, quick mental checklist. Boyfriend shirt? On. Legs? Bare. Hair? Down. Plan of attack? Locked and loaded. You got this. I gave myself a quick shake, hitched my chin, squared my shoulders and opened the door.

Saïx seated at the dining table was the first thing I saw when I silently padded out. His back was to me as he took a sip from a glass of water, his eyes seemingly glued to his laptop screen, free hand tapping away at the keyboard. There was a warm plate of food on the table between it and him, along with a second full dish laid out before the empty seat to his right.

Lea was in the kitchen, fixing another plate together. He didn't look my way immediately for he seemed too focused on his task, but he must have heard me open the door for he called out a chipper, "Mornin', babycakes! Hope you're hungry! I whipped us up some eggs benny and crispy home fr-"

This was the exact second he turned to look at me, eyes going round.

Which, incidentally, was also the same exact second he dropped the plate he was holding.

"Shit!" he jerked back as it shattered against the linoleum, making food spatter everywhere and me wince. He squatted down and started snatching up the broken shards. However his slack-jawed gaze drifted back up towards me, his hands slowing. Then he flinched and dropped all the jagged pieces, hissing out a soft, "Fuck," as he looked back down at his now bleeding finger.

I rushed forward, passing Saïx (who hadn't even so much as looked up, just remained concentrated on his computer) and stretching my hand out towards Lea, "Here, let me help you with-"

He blanched and yelped, "Don't!" Leaping towards me, he slipped on some Hollandaise but managed to catch himself with a desperate grab for the edge of the countertop before finally reaching me, grabbing my arms and stopping me in my tracks right at the threshold of the kitchen. Then, with face full of stern intensity and utmost seriousness, he told me, "Foot slice, you will!"

I stared blankly back at him.

"Open!" he frantically tacked after a beat.

Oh. Well then, okay, when you put it that way, now it made total sense.

Except for, ya know… not. Not one bit.

He cleared his throat and tried again, "You'll slice your foot open! So don't go in there. Don't even worry about it, 'kay? I'll take care of it." I gave a slow nod and he puffed out a relieved breath. Then he made a pained tch through his teeth, releasing me to stick his still bloody fingertip into his mouth before taking it back out to shoot a tiny scowl at the cut.

Okay, so there had been a minor hiccup. But one shattered plate changed nothing. My plan of attack was still a go.

Ignoring the heat I felt creeping up the back of my neck now, my face hardened with resolve as I told him, "Good morning." Then while he was still distracted by giving his finger the evil eye, I stretched up onto my tiptoes and planted a kiss firmly to his cheek.

That was it. That was my whole plan.

Saïx better be getting a good eyeful, seeing how this bit of theater (complete with costume) was being put on purely for his benefit.

Lea's spine snapped rigid as he locked a wide-eyed stare on me. Strange. Why did he suddenly seem so flushed? Dropping my gaze to his injured finger, I stepped closer to him, taking his hand in mine as I asked, "Are you okay? Let me see."

He opened his mouth and words came out. Or at least, I think they were supposed to be words. However, they sounded more like garbled gibberish. I blinked then looked back up at him, knitting my eyebrows together. He abruptly staggered back a step, yanking his hand free of my grasp so he could cough into his fist and thump it against his chest, croaking out, "Fine." Further coughing and chest thumping, then he repeated with more strength, "Fine. I'm, uh… I'm f-fine… Chair!" I jumped in surprise as he suddenly lunged for a seat, the one across the table from Saïx. Pulling it out, he said, "Please. You. Down. Er… here?"

I frowned uncertainly before sitting in it.

I mean, I think that's what he was asking me to do.

As he pushed it in behind me, I said, "You're certainly very, ah… eloquent this morning."

"Sorry," he chuckled weakly. "Better mouth, I'll make." He tensed, one eye ticking before grounding out slowly, "I'll. Talk. Better." Then he shoved the second plate of food that was already on the table - which I assumed had originally been for him - from its spot in front of the empty chair over towards me before he all but bolted back into the kitchen.

...why did he keep talking like Yoda?

Glancing across the table, I noticed that I didn't seem to be the only one confused. Behind his sleek glasses (that I'd just realized he was wearing now that I could fully see his face) Saïx's dull stare was flicking back and forth between me and Lea, one eyebrow quirked.

I heard Lea grunt out a low "Ow" behind me, followed by the tinkle of what I assumed was more of those plate shards. Seemingly losing interest again, Saïx's eyes returned to his laptop as he called out dryly, "Might I suggest the broom and dustpan?"

There was a long pause. Then a sheepish laugh, "Right. Broom. Smart."

The sound of feet scrambling, followed by a thud, then Lea suddenly appeared over next to the small door leading into the pantry. Retrieving said cleaning implements out of it, he slammed it shut once more before our eyes met and he froze. Then with a dopey, lopsided grin, he clicked his tongue and shot me a finger gun, nearly dropping the broom with the action. He fumbled to catch it, winced, then darted back around the corner, disappearing into the kitchen once more.

...he was acting so weird.

Sighing, I took my fork up in hand and started picking at my food, eating a few of the fried potatoes. I could hear Lea sweeping back there, intermixed with what also sounded like him throwing together another plate of food for himself. After a few more minutes, he reappeared at the pantry to shove both items back in, the broom handle popping back out to smack him in the face before he managed to slam the door shut with a tiny growl. Then he looped back around through the kitchen, coming out the other side with his fresh dish in hand and taking a seat between me and Saïx. As his plate clattered unceremoniously onto the table, I noticed his eggs Benedict looked a lot more sloppily thrown together than my own.

He looked at me. Then down at his breakfast. Then back at me, this time with another grin and an oddly hoarse, "Hi."

"...hi?" I smiled back hesitantly.

His lips parted, then clicked shut again. Then parted once more, taking in a breath like he was actually going to say something this time. But nope, false alarm. He hastily looked away and plonked his elbow on the table, propping the front of his chin against his palm, teeth gnawing on the side of his hand as his knee started jiggling up and down. His eyes kept flicking about, one second staring straight ahead, the next at me out of his peripheral. Then back and forth again. And yet again. That redness started creeping into his face once more.

I elected to fixate on my food, cutting into my poached egg and slipping a bite into my mouth. I didn't know what else to do, really. What to say. There was something… heavy in the air, though I didn't know quite what exactly. Whatever it was, it made finding words difficult, even for small talk. If Saïx noticed the odd tension, he gave no outward sign as he continued to type away at the keys. Several minutes ticked by where that tip-tapping from the laptop was all that could be heard.

Suddenly I felt tiny pleasant tingles trailing through my scalp. With a start, I looked up to discover Lea watching me through half-lidded eyes as he gently tucked my pale bangs behind my ear. His fingers went on from there to tangle themselves in my hair and lightly run through the length of it, all the way down to the bottom, eliciting a little shiver from me. Then our eyes met, he blinked, gaze widening and snatching his hand back. His fingers splayed and flexed before curling into a fist that he shoved between his knees as he let out a gruff, "Sorry."

Face hot, I averted my eyes. "What for? You have no reason to be."

He was just doing his part as my rent-a-boyfriend, after all.

"Right. Sorry… about the, uh… the…" he cleared his throat, "...about the first sorry."

And once again, Saïx's typing took over in dominating the table conversation.

I put my fork down to tug at the hem of my borrowed shirt. I should have found a longer one. I hadn't taken into account the fact that it'd ride up a bit while I was sitting. Unfortunately, pulling at it seemed to be doing little good.

Making a small noise in his throat, Lea stared hard up at the ceiling, knee frantically bouncing once more.

"Did you say something?" I asked him as I retrieved my fork.

"What? No. Me? No. Mm-mm," he shook his head rapidly. Then he inhaled sharply through his nose and held it, unblinking eyes staring off into space for a few seconds before releasing the breath noisily. "Actually! Saïx! Brother! Bro! Brometheus! Bromie G-Funk! C-3PBro! My one and bronly! How'd, um… how'd work go last night?"

Saïx's fingers stilled and he glanced towards Lea, frowning at him over the rim of his glasses. "...you already asked me that while you were cooking earlier."

"Oh," he chuckled. "Right." Saïx resumed clacking away. He couldn't have gotten more than a few words written however before Lea spoke up once more, "What was the answer again?"

Twitching, Saïx came to another stop. "It went fine," he enunciated, tone flat and even.

"That's right, I remember now," Lea nodded slowly. "Heh… riveting."

Saïx went back to ignoring him.

With only a few bites left on my dish at this point, I glanced over at Lea's and realized he'd hardly touched his. "You haven't eaten much."

"Huh?" He glanced my way, crimson flooding back into his cheeks. Then down at his breakfast, both eyebrows raised as if he wasn't exactly sure what it was he was looking at now. "I…? Oh! Silly me. Forgot. Must be distracted by all this… lively discourse!" Seizing his fork, he scooped it through some potatoes, brought it up to his mouth and bit down.

Straight into the metal fork handle.

For you see, he'd picked it up the wrong way.

"Been using forks long?" Saïx deadpanned, not looking up from his laptop screen.

Lea's eyelids drooped as he flipped him the bird. And there his knee went again, jounce, jounce, jouncing away at a mile a minute as he tossed the silverware back down onto the table. "You know what? Don't think I'm all that hungry after all."

I tipped my head to one side, squinting at him. What was with him today? First with fumbling things - the plate, the broom - and just his unusual amounts of clumsiness in general. Then of course there'd been his jumbled and incoherent talking. Now the mixup with the fork and he had no appetite? Not to mention he was still really red. Like, super red. It was almost as if he were-

Wait… could it be…? Was he…?

Of course! That must be it! Oh gosh, it was so obvious now! Why hadn't I realized it sooner?

"Are you sick?" I leaned towards him, pressing the backs of my curled fingers to his forehead. He stiffened under my touch, going stock still. I frowned, "You're a little warm. You might have a fever." I trailed my knuckles down to his cheek, checking to see if the temperature was consistent throughout his face.

"Fine!" he snagged my wrist and abruptly stood, knee whacking the underside of the table as he did so, causing all the plates to give a violent rattle. "I'm… I feel fine! Just…" he hastily dropped my wrist, his hand going to drag along the nape of his neck, "...it's just it's... way too hot in this place! Yeah! I'm gonna go open up a window, get some fresh air in here!" He practically blurred into the kitchen, throwing the one just over the sink wide open with a loud bang before rushing back into his seat, nearly toppling it and him over with his momentum.

"Ah, much better, don'tcha think?" he beamed. Then without waiting for an answer, he started shoveling food into his mouth like a man starved - thankfully with the correct end of the fork this time. He only stopped when he realized we were both staring at him. He swallowed his current mouthful and gave a small laugh, "Er… turns out there was a bit of a rumbly in my tumbly after all?"

...if this was him trying to convince us he wasn't suffering from some sort of bug, he was failing. Miserably.

With a drawn-out sigh through his nose, Saïx slowly began to rise from his own chair. As he picked up his own plate, I was a little surprised to see he had already finished every last morsel on it. I hadn't noticed him eating at all. I hadn't even thought his fingers had ever left his keyboard this whole time.

As he walked past us towards the kitchen, I finished the last bite on my plate before standing as well. Lea glanced my way out of the corner of his eye while chewing, so I took the opportunity to smile softly at him and place my hand on his shoulder. The muscle twitch beneath my fingertips and his jaw stilled as I told him quietly, "Thank you. It was delicious."

Then I took my plate and turned to follow Saïx into the kitchen. As I walked, I could feel this tiny itch in the center of my back right between my shoulderblades. I think Lea's gaze was still on me. Shrugging it off, I came to a stop next to Saïx as he ran the faucet over his dish and squirted some soap into a sponge. I got in line to wash my own plate, setting it down on the countertop beside the sink while I waited.

Saïx gave me a quick look and we exchanged smiles. The tiny, awkward smiles of two antisocial shut-ins. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable in our mutual introversion. I hadn't even thought once about the way I'd embarrassed myself last night in front of him. Though, I guess that could just be because I'd been too distracted by Lea's weirdness all morning. Regardless, Saïx and I then settled into a companionable silence as he set to work.

And still that itch along my spine remained.

A breeze drifted in through the window over the sink, brushing along my skin and toying with strands of my hair. I gave a low hum at how nice it felt and I reached back to gather my locks together, sweeping them forward over one shoulder where I idly began to finger-comb them.

The scraping of Lea's chair along the floor was the only warning I had, one that I paid little mind to.

The next I knew, his arms were slipping around my waist to hug me from behind and his lips were pressing a soft, tender kiss to the side of my neck. Shockwaves of icy heat cascaded out from that one small point to ripple throughout the rest of my body.

I was forgetting to do something. I think it was important. Possibly even life sustaining and-

Ah. Breathing. That was it.

Lea lingered for a few seconds more, his breath warming the now hypersensitive skin there and I had to suppress a small quiver. The tip of his nose brushed along my jawline as he then brought his lips up to my ear, whispering silkily, "For appearances." Aka, for Saïx, standing not two feet away from us. Lea planted one more swift peck to my temple before withdrawing his arms and pulling away.

Oh gosh, he'd been right. It was really so very hot in here, wasn't it? Sweltering, in fact. Were there more windows we could open? I think I was on the verge of melting here.

I slowly brought a hand up to cover the spot where it still tingled from his lips, casting a brief glance back over my shoulder. Lea had settled himself against the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen, his fingers drumming along its edge, his head bowed and eyes darting about, landing on anything and everything but me. I looked forward once more, biting down into my lower lip and rubbing the back of my leg with my other foot. The skin under my palm felt like it was searing and I could swear he'd left a scorch mark there. I didn't know what to do with this. How to react. I mean, it was okay… right? I had given him permission after all to kiss any bare skin with the only thing off limits being directly on the mouth. He'd just never kissed… there before. No one had. I hadn't expected it to be so, er… intimate.

With a start, I realized Saïx was studying me, expression unreadable. To be fair, that's how his face usually was. Still, I suddenly felt self-conscious and I had to resist the urge to fidget under his scrutiny. He looked away, sticking his dish on the drying rack and reaching for mine, muttering, "I'll take care of it."

I frowned, "But-"

"Wouldn't want another broken plate," he said simply as he put it under the flow of steaming water. I furrowed my brow at the statement and he closed his eyes. "You look like you might be catching the same illness Lea has."

Blast it all, I needed to figure out how to get this whole stupid blushing issue of mine under control! It used to not be such a problem. I never used to blush at all, not until Lea waltzed into my life.

The big, dumb, beautiful jerk.

"...thank you," I murmured, referring to my dish with a nod, unable to come up with anything better to say. Perhaps now would just be a good time to escape. I turned to go only to end up stumbling back into the counter, biting back a yelp.

For I hadn't expected Lea to suddenly be standing right there, smack dab in front of me all super close now. His hand was raised, frozen midway to my face. He looked guilty, like a kid who'd been caught reaching into the cookie jar. His wide eyes darted from me to his hand and back again. Then he muttered under his breath, "Welp. This is happening."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Wha-?"

That one syllable was all I got out before he'd suddenly hoisted me up and slung me over his shoulder like a sack of flour. My fingers scrabbled and clutched at the back of his tanktop, trying to find purchase so I could prop myself up.

Just what the heck was he doing now?!

He erupted into booming laughter and slapped Saïx on the shoulder. "Well, my dude, got another hour to kill before my class starts, so I think the lil lady and I are gonna head back to my room for round two!" My head shot up, face roasting. Excuse me? "Or is it round eight? Round nine? Bah, I've lost track since last night!" Well that was certainly a bold claim there, stud. "That's right, a lil more of the ol' forbidden polka, if ya know what I mean." Even that oven mitt over there knew what you meant. Seriously, you can stop now. "Boinking! That's what I mean!" And yet, he was still going. "Ya know, really rattle the ol' headboard! Except, ah, heh… no headboard. But still-" I kneed him in the gut, forcing a grunt out of him. I think he got the hint. "Right! Anyway! I know you're heading to bed now, so we'll try to keep the roughhousing to a minimum! No promises though! Sleep tight, man!"

Thankfully, mercifully, he spun us around then so he could carry me off to his room. That brought me face-to-face with Saïx as Lea jogged off. The man's expression was as indecipherable as ever as he watched us go, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say he looked just about as bewildered as I felt. That was the last thing I saw before Lea crossed the threshold and kicked his door shut behind him.

My back was suddenly hitting the mattress as he dropped me into his bed. I sat up quickly, bracing myself on one hand as I tucked my legs in beside me and yanked down the hem of my shirt. Then I looked up at Lea and my whole body tensed.

He was standing at the foot of the bed, so very still and just… staring at me. His face was a mask, giving nothing away. But his eyes… now those were a different story. They were so intense, so dark and… swirling with something I couldn't quite put a name to. It was sucking all the oxygen out of the room. It made my fingers unconsciously grip at the comforter more tightly. Made my pulse race and the spot on my neck where his lips had been prickle slightly.

Neither of us moved or spoke for several seconds. Several… very long seconds. When I did finally manage to find my voice, it was small and uncertain as I asked, "...Lea?"

He blinked at the sound of his name. Once, twice, then slowly gave his head a small shake, like he was coming out of some sort of trance. He grimaced, bringing one hand up to cover his face but not before I spotted some of that redness creeping back into it. He groaned, dragging his palm down to just over his mouth instead, eyes narrowed on the floor as he grumbled, "Sorry, I'm… I was just… ah, nevermind."

He turned away, dragging his feet towards the bathroom door and stretching one arm over his head as he went. "I'm gonna hop in the shower. I take 'em long, so you should have more than enough time to change, but I'll knock before coming back in justa be on the safe side. Saïx's probably back in his own room already, so you can wait out there if ya want. Or in here. Wherever. Then I can drop ya off any place you want on my way to class, 'kay?"

It took him glancing back my way from beyond the door frame for me to realize he was actually waiting for some sort of reply. "...okay," was the best I could come up with, still in the same tone I'd said his name. He gave a tired-looking smile and a small nod before closing the door. It wasn't until I heard the shower running that all that tension coiling inside of me at last dispersed and my whole body slumped.

Something strange had just happened. I didn't know what. All I knew was I felt relief now that it was over. But also… oddly enough, a bit… disappointed?

Shaking the feeling away, I scooched myself off the bed and quickly changed back into my own clothes, leaving his shirt on the mattress. Then I slipped into my ankle boots, zipping them up before pulling my hair back into a loose ponytail. Not forgetting the Twilight University course catalog, I grabbed it off the nightstand, my fingers fiddling with one of its corners as I glanced about the room.

It was actually feeling a bit claustrophobic in here, so maybe waiting out in the living room would be for the best. Or better yet, out on the sidewalk where I could get some fresh air. Yeah, that sounded like just what I needed right now. Giving Bruni a tiny wave with one finger, I moved to the door and quietly opened it a crack to peek out.

I could make out the dining table, where the only thing left on it was Lea's half eaten breakfast - Saïx had probably felt zero obligation to clean up after his brother. His laptop was gone so it looked like he had indeed retreated to his own bedroom. I quietly slipped out, softly shutting the door behind me before leaning back against it, closing my eyes and heaving a low sigh through my nose.

"You two aren't really dating."

Those five little words made me jolt and nearly topple over, but I steadied myself against the door. My breathing shallow, I glanced to the left to discover Saïx standing in his own doorway, arms crossed and shoulder propped against the frame. His eyes were pinning me with a flat look, his lips settled into an almost imperceptible frown.

I paled, both eyebrows shooting up my forehead as I stammered, "I… We… That is… How did you-"

"Don't worry," he harrumphed, turning his head to one side. "Your secret is safe with my indifference."

...well that was good

At least, I think it was.

I tucked in my bottom lip, eyes shifting about for a few seconds. "...what... gave it away?"

"I wish we were real," he recited Lea's words blandly, the same ones that had been haunting me since last night. So Saïx had overheard that after all. "There were other things after that. Things I might have overlooked otherwise despite the fact that Lea can be painfully transparent sometimes."

My head tilted to the left. "What do you mean?"

He held my gaze for a long moment. Then his eyes closed and he gave a soft, almost amused hmph. "That would be telling. Regardless, it'd probably be for the best if you kept him away from alcohol for the remainder of your little charade, however long that may be." He turned his back to me, reaching for his door but then stopped. "And please… try to be careful with my brother. I'd rather not see him get hurt."

"...hurt?" I blinked. "What-"

But he simply closed his door, leaving me to wonder at his cryptic words.

"Actually, could you please drop me off at the mall instead?"

Lea glanced my way, tipping his head forward so he could look at me over his aviators. Then he smirked, pushing the sunglasses back up with his middle finger as his eyes returned to the road and he flicked off his turn signal. "Good for you," he said as we sped past my apartment complex.

I shrugged, twisting a tendril of my ponytail between my fingers. "I'm just going to talk to them. It's no big deal."

"Sure that's all it is," he nodded solemnly, still grinning. He was back to his usual self again. Not a trace left of that weirdness from earlier this morning. Guess that shower he took really did the trick. "You're gonna love Sally and Jack. They're quite the characters… bit oddball, but some of the nicest, friendliest people you'll ever meet. And I'm calling it now: they're gonna adore you. I wouldn't be surprised if they offered you the lead in their musical after only talking to ya for five minutes."

Snorting, I rolled my eyes, "That's not how it works."

"You're right. I'm selling you short." Out popped that dimpled of his, "Make that three minutes."

"Shush," I shoved his shoulder and he chuckled as he turned the car into the Dusk Town Center parking lot.

"Alright, alright, I'll shush up about it," he mimed zipping his lips. "You know where Halloween Town is in there, right? Remember how to get to Blitzball Sports from the food court? It's not too far past that, just keep an eye out for the swirling dark vortex of spook and nightmare, ya can't miss it."

"Sounds like I'm in for a treat," I gave a small smile.

"Something like that," he snerked as he pulled up to the curb in front of the mall entrance, the flow of shoppers coming and going around us thick at the moment. Lea reached across me to open my car door and I was mildly irked at the tiny flutter my heart gave in response to his sudden nearness. He didn't pull back right away, instead raising his sunglasses to sit atop his hair as he looked over at me, his eyes crinkling. Then his hand cupped the back of my head, pulling me close so he could plant a light kiss to my forehead. "Have fun, meu chuchuzinho," he beamed, his fingers mussing up my bangs.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Portuguese," he chirped, answering my unvoiced question, "for my lil squash!"

Not even gracing that with a reply, I just heaved a sigh, unbuckled my seatbelt, smoothed my hair and got out of the car.

He called out after me, "We'll say that one's a maybe! And oh! Almost forgot. If you run into Vanibutt at Halloween Town, don't take anything that lil punkass says too seriously. He's like that 'round all girls. My guess? His mom didn't give him enough hugs as a kid. Just call him Beetlejuice, got it? He likes it."

My eyelids drooped. "Somehow I highly doubt that," I said, closing the car door before he could make any further wisecracks.

He just winked and made heart hands at me through the window before driving away. I shook my head as I watched him go, face warming as my fingertips brushed over my forehead at the same spot where his lips had just been.

I hadn't mentioned anything to him about what Saïx had said to me. About the fact that he'd figured out our little secret. Somehow, I'd got the impression from Saïx that our little talk was supposed to stay just between us. I guess it really wouldn't have made a difference if Lea knew one way or another. Still, it felt weird not telling him. Maybe Saïx would tell Lea himself in his own time. Puffing out a breath, I waited until I could no longer see his car before I turned and passed through those double doors leading into the food court.

It didn't take me long to find my way back to Blitzball Sports. Business was slow in there at the moment and I could see inside where two employees were bouncing a ball back and forth between them. They honestly looked like a couple of beach bums, the shorter one with shaggy, sandy hair and the other with a 'do done up into a large, orange coif. Next door at the Glass Slipper, I could see the shoe clerk there - a blonde girl in her teens - being run ragged by a particularly nasty looking customer and her two bratty daughters. Ah, the joys and glamor of customer service. Silently sending my sympathy to the poor salesperson, I pushed onward.

Hm, let's see here… Hair, Here, Everywhere? No, that was a hair and beauty salon. Looking past the Flower Gleam And Glow poster on the window boasting a new anti-aging cream, I spotted one of the stylists - an energetic young woman whose employment in a barber shop seemed rather ironic. Her long flaxen hair down to her ankles had probably never known the firm snip of a pair of scissors.

Next to that, we had… what did that old, broken, retro sign even say? Space Paranoids? Yeesh, it was certainly gaudy with all those light-up neon tubes decorating its walls, wasn't it? Oh gosh, I think it was a laser tag place. I didn't even know those still existed nowadays.

Then there was the little kiosk in the middle of the walkway, dubbed The Key Graveyard. Some sort of key copy booth, I think. I edged my way around it, giving it a wide berth. The bald, old man working it had creepy eyes that gave me the willies.

Oh, now there was a store name I recognized: The Crayon Box. And what luck, Naminé was even behind the counter there at the moment. She caught my eye with a sweet smile and a wave. I returned it before moving on, looking to my left. Across the way from the little art supply store was…

Ah-ha! Halloween Town! Lea's words hadn't done it justice. The whole store front was decorated with gothic tombstones, synthetic yet sinister jack-o-lanterns, and eerie silhouette cutouts of shadow faces. The doorway was even fashioned with a large wrought iron gate to give one the impression of walking into a decrepit old cemetery.

I hesitated at the entrance, gnawing on my lower lip. It wasn't the ghoulish ambiance that was giving me pause however. Instead it was a familiar, chilling doubt creeping its way up inside my chest.

What was I even doing here? Did I really think I could talk? To strangers? About singing? In a musical, no less? A musical, for crying out loud! Did I not know myself but at all? What was I thinking? If I was struggling to even go inside right now to merely introduce myself to a couple new people, what made me think I could ever possibly stand on a stage to perform in front of a whole auditorium?

...then again… musicals were a little different, weren't they? Musicals had scripts. Scripts made things so much easier. Scripts made it so you knew exactly what to expect. No surprises, no uncertainty, all you had to do was stick to the script. Scripts were comfortable. Life would be so much simpler if it were like a musical, one where I had a script to follow. Musicals were just so… nice. Full of songs and dancing. You'd forget the audience was even there and all you were left with was pure joy. I remembered how they made me feel as a child. Like I finally had somewhere I truly belonged. Being a part of them was the last time I remembered feeling like I had been sincerely, genuinely happy. I… think I might like it… if maybe I could recapture some of that old feeling. Even just a little bit of it.

My hands clenched at my sides and my nostrils flared.

I could do this. I could walk inside, meet these individuals and ask some questions. Just a few measly questions. It didn't even have to go beyond that. I could change my mind at any time if I wanted to. This was nothing. Just one small step, that's all.

With a reassuring nod to myself, I marched inside.

The place looked like the Dark Prince Dracula himself had exploded in here. Just the whole doom and gloom aesthetic covering every inch from floor to ceiling. The store practically overflowed with its goth merch, making the walkways cramped as I tried to navigate through it all, looking for a Jack, a Sally, or someone who could point me to either of them. Unfortunately, I wasn't having any luck beyond running into a handful of shoppers perusing the goods. They gave me blank stares as I passed them. I must have stuck out like a sore thumb here.

Perhaps I was going about this all wrong. Maybe instead of me looking for an employee, I should just stop and let an employee find me. That did tend to be a part of the whole working retail shtick, after all.

As I came to a halt and waited for someone to (hopefully) ask me if I needed help finding anything, I glanced around. I had parked myself in front of one of the stores more, shall we say... unique items for sale. A very large, very regal, very frightful looking high-backed prop chair embellished in plastic skeletons and glowing jack-o-lanterns. I squinted at the little plaque next to it on the black wall, declaring it to be the throne of the Pumpkin King. Jeez, it was expensive too. Who would even pay that much for such a monstrosity?

"You lost, little girl?"

I gasped, jumping at the sudden voice. Wait… I recognized that voice. Had heard it not too long ago. But had it really come from where it sounded like it had? Wrinkling my brow, I looked up.

There, sitting atop the high backrest of the throne with an elbow propped on one knee and chin in his palm, was none other than Vanitas. He smirked down at me from his perch, gold eyes flickering bright in this otherwise dark place. There was something moving, cozying itself up around his shoulders… some sort of critter, I suspected, but it was hard to tell from down here.

Well, I'd been hoping someone who worked here would find me. I guess this was the very definition of be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.

I took a step backwards, fidgeting with my fingers. "Um… Excuse me, but could you help me find-"

"Sorry," he grumbled in a tone that was anything but apologetic as he hopped down to land in front of me, pointing a finger at his now apathetic expression, "but does this look like the face of someone who gives two fucks what you want?"

I grimaced, moving another step back. His gaze was making me anxious and I was unable to hold it, instead opting to shift my eyes over to the creature on his shoulder. Now that it was closer, I could see it was a hairless sphynx cat, black with red eyes. Did its collar say… Flood? What a strange thing to name a pet. I must not have been reading it right. Licking my dry lips, I muttered, "Well, I… suppose I'll just go find someone else th-"

"What was your name again?" Vanitas interrupted me, eyes narrowing as he got in my face now. It seemed he had absolutely zero awareness of personal boundaries. He started to slowly circle me, eyeing me up and down, "...Emma? Ilsa?"

"Elsa," I corrected with a tiny scowl, back stiff as I felt a chill creep up it while he passed behind me. This guy was getting on my nerves. Before I could stop myself, I snapped, "And yours was what? Beetlejuice?"

...can't believe you actually went there, mouth. That was childish. Lea was a bad influence.

"Cute. Bet your boyfriend told you to say that," he snerked, finishing his tiny lap around me and coming to a stop, bringing us face-to-face once more. His cat was making a low growling noise as it watched me and Vanitas brought up his fingers to scratch behind one of its large, jagged ears. "Still, it took balls to actually say it. Looks like you got some bite beneath your chilly exterior, eh Frosty?"

My scowl deepened and I backed up another step, my spine coming into contact with the end of a wide shelf. I hoped he couldn't hear the small tremor in my voice as I shot back, "And looks like you have a bad memory beneath your boorish exterior. I just told you what my name is and it isn't Frosty."

Elsa, Queen of the Death Wish.

Seriously, why was I antagonizing this guy? This was a bad idea. I knew that and yet I couldn't seem to help myself. He was making me antsy. My heartbeat hammered and my hands were clammy. I felt a bit like a cornered animal, lashing out in a futile attempt to keep a larger predator at bay.

His lips curled wolfishly. At least he seemed to find me amusing. Although, I wasn't quite sure if that was really a good thing. "You know, I'm starting to see why Red has his panties all in a twist over you." His cat leapt down to the floor and started weaving itself between my ankles. Doing my best not to trip over it, I tried to sidestep so I could regain some distance and possibly even altogether escape but Vanitas's hand shot out, palm slamming against the shelf behind me, his arm now blocking my path.

"Yeah," he continued, rubbing a curled finger to his chin as his unsettling grin grew toothier, "you got sorta this whole pure, innocent Catholic schoolgirl vibe going on that really makes a guy want to corrupt the fuck outta you. Tell ya what, Frosty," he leaned in closer and my jaw clenched as he clacked his silver tongue stud against his teeth, "if you ever get bored of that loser, gimme a call. I'll show you a real good t-"

"Bad Vani!" Suddenly the boy was getting spritzed in the side of the face with some kind of liquid and he jerked back, stumbling away from me. A young woman stepped forward, glowering at him as she sprayed him a couple more times with the water bottle she was holding. "Stop scaring the customers!"

"God fucking damnit, woman!" he snarled back, angrily scrubbing his sleeve along his damp cheek. "You can't do that to me! I am darkness! I am fear! I am-"

Eyelids drooping, she squirted his face with more water. He spat out a long string of curse words before flipping her off and running away, his cat hissing and scampering after him.

Sighing and shaking her head, she then turned to me with a small smile, "Sorry about him. We keep him around because he's really good with the regulars, but he does seem to take perverse pleasure in spooking any newcomers, or 'fresh meat,'" her fingers bounced in air quotes, "as he likes to call them. He shouldn't bother you again however. In any case, I'm Sally, how can I help you?"

Ah, so this was Sally. Thank goodness she didn't seem anything like her coworker. She was pretty, if somewhat distressingly pale. And that was coming from me, so that was saying something. Why, standing next to her, I practically looked tan. Her long red hair came down to her waist and peeking out from the neckline of her colorful, eccentric patchwork dress was a neck tattoo that looked like a line of crisscross stitches wrapping all the way around.

"Oh, er… hello…" my hands folded over one another against my stomach. Then fell awkwardly to my sides. Then, after some hesitation, I stretched one out for a handshake, "My name is Elsa. I…" my mind drew a total blank and my anxiety spiked. Grasping at straws, I blurted out the first thing I could remember, "Lea sent me."

Wow, that sounded so cloak-and-dagger.

Sally accepted my hand, her smile growing warmer. "Oh, so you're the one he's been talking our ears off about. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She twisted around slightly, calling back over her shoulder, "Jack? Elsa's here. You remember… Lea's girlfriend?"

A few seconds later a man emerged from between the racks of black leather apparel and spiked accessories. Jeez, he was tall. At least as tall as Lea if not having him beat by a couple inches. The big difference here however was Lea at least had some meat on his bones, where as this guy was more just skin and bones. A walking stick. I'd give him this however, he was quite the dapper dresser in his black suit with a bit of goth flair to it. His short, poofy hair was a stark white and he struck me with a huge, face-splitting grin that would have given Sora a run for his munny.

"Ah yes! The one interested in trying out for our new production! Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!" He grabbed my hand with both of his, giving it a couple shakes that rocked my whole body. "Wow, just look at you! The hair, those eyes, that complexion! You would make an absolutely stunning Glinda!"

Placing gentle fingers on his arm, Sally said, "Slow down, Jack. Remember what Lea said?"

"Right! Sorry, I have a bad habit of getting ahead of myself in my enthusiasm," he laughed, long thin fingers scratching at his cheek. "You've been out of the musical game for a while now, isn't that right?"

Sweeping my ponytail forward to run my hands down it, I nodded. "Yes… yes, it's been a few years. Not since I was a child, in fact, so I'm a bit rusty." My face pinched and I looked down, "Well... more like a lot rusty."

"That's okay!" he brushed off, his hand batting the air. "We welcome everyone, especially beginners! We just love introducing people to the wonderful world of theater! To the magic! The drama!" he boomed the last word, curling his fingers skyward before him theatrically.

"Tone it back a bit, dear," Sally affectionately stroked his cheek before turning her gaze back on me. "Jack's an actor, if you couldn't tell, though he does dabble in directing from time to time too. I'm more behind the scenes. I like to help with the costuming and techie work."

My head tipped to one side, recalling Jack had said something about Glinda. "Is your upcoming show going to be The Wizard of Oz?"

"Wicked, actually," he corrected before bringing his hands together with a clap. "And in fact, we're holding auditions tomorrow starting at 5 PM over at the Sunset Hill Auditorium! You should swing by and try out. It'd be good to get some new blood in there!"

"What?" I blinked, before quickly shaking my head and holding up a hand with a feeble chuckle, "Oh no. No, I don't think so. I was just curious to learn more about your group, but I don't think I'm ready for… well, for anything like that."

"Still, you should absolutely stop in and check us out. You can just observe if you want. May I borrow your phone?" Sally asked. I chewed my bottom lip before digging it out and letting her take it from me. She tapped in something real quick then handed it back. "There. You have the address now and you're welcome to come by, even if it's just to hang out. We're a real open and friendly lot. Just a bunch of overgrown theater kids, really."

"Thanks," I murmured, staring down at the location she'd entered into my phone for a second before pocketing it once more. Then I pursed my lips to one side, averting my gaze to appear more interested than I actually was in the vampire fangs hanging in the display to my right. "...so what exactly would one need to do to prepare for an audition? Just for curiosity's sake," I tacked on the last part quickly, faintly blushing.

It was just an innocent question. Not like I was actually going to do it.

Sally grinned softly. "For singing parts in musicals, we require those trying out to perform two songs. One from the show itself, the other can be anything of the auditionee's choosing. I entered my number into your phone as well in case you had any further questions, so just shoot me a message and I can text back the selection from Wicked that you'll have to pick from. For that, you just have to bring your voice. For your personal preference song however, you'll need to be ready with some sheet music for our pianist to play from."

Seemed simple enough.

…not that I was going to do it, of course. Certainly not. Nope.

"Sally, you almost forgot the most important part," Jack tsked teasingly before ducking his head down to my level and striking up a finger. "You must also be prepared… to have fun!" he declared happily, throwing up a pair of jazz hands.

A crease formed between my eyebrows. "I'll… try to remember that. Thanks." I felt an upward tug at one corner of my lips despite myself.

I thanked them for their time and we said our goodbyes. Luckily, I had no further run-ins with the local wildlife (aka Vanitas) on my way out. As I trekked my way homeward, I felt a bit of a pleasant electricity buzzing in my chest. I think I may have actually been a smidge excited. Of course, it was only over the idea of going and watching other people audition tomorrow. Of living vicariously through them. I surely wasn't going to try out myself. Who me? No, don't be silly, definitely not. And I certainly wasn't currently dusting off my mental playlist of the soundtrack for Wicked, nor already sorting through a few potential songs I might sing as my free choice. No, absolutely not.

Those were the furthest things from my mind.

The.

Absolute.

Furthest.

Author's Note: Lea-dot-exe has encountered a critical error and has crashed xD Gosh it's simply staggering the amount of mental acrobatics Elsa goes through to just simply NOT GET what has him so tongue-tied and flustered. Being really bad at reading social cues has basically become her super power at this point. Well, that and her super human ability to babble under extreme pressure. Also, more plot creeping back in as Elsa potentially begins to pursue the whole community theater angle! I was just happy I got an excuse to write Jack and Sally into this, they're a couple of my faves! Also happy I got an excuse to have someone spritz Vanitas in his punkass edgelord face with a water bottle haha! Fun Fact: These musical tryouts are based on how musical auditions used to be held at my high school. I'm not sure if any other theaters (professional, community, or otherwise) hold tryouts like that, but from what the internet tells me, every theater is different, especially when it comes to community theater, so I figured sure, why not, let's just go with what I know!

Next chapter, will Elsa be ready in time for tryouts? Will she actually go? Will she actually audition?! Who else might be there to try out as well? Is Lea actually onto something, have we been using forks BACKWARDS this whole time? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

9 notes · View notes