His Secret.
Prologue.
Note: Takes place before Apartment World.
The soft click of the door opening made Eileen's heart jump in anxiety. Every night for the past week, at around two in the morning, the man in the coat had come to her bedside. She listened as her door slowly creaked itself shut. Eileen felt her heart pound in her ears as she heard the man's quiet footfalls navigate himself to her bedroom. As the light filtered into her room, she knew her bedroom door was open. Quickly, the green-eyed woman feigned sleep. She evened out her breathing and felt him kneel by the edge of her bed.
"Hello, Eileen." For some reason, Eileen adored his voice. It was calm, a little hesitant... and the perfect mixture of soft yet deep. He seemed to have an attachment to her for the past couple weeks. She'd only noticed because she was such a light sleeper. "It's me again." The young woman felt a large, calloused hand rest gently against her cheek. Her heart fluttered in her chest. For reasons unknown to her, this man had an effect on her. Whether he knew she was awake or not was also unknown to her. And even if he did know she was awake, he didn't seem to mind. "I've missed you." Next, she felt him lean his head against her side.
This was one of those moments where Eileen Galvin wished she could see past her closed eyes. She'd also found this man incredibly handsome. Blonde hair framing perfect bone structure and piercing green eyes... not to mention the muscles she knew existed under his coat... made her heart race even faster in her chest. "My name... is Walter, by the way." The name was a little disappointing... it didn't seem to suit him. "That's what they named me at the Wish House, anyway." A wistful chuckle left Walter's lips. "I can't remember my real name... though I think it would be more appealing than 'Walter'." Why was he telling her all this? Did he even know if she was listening?
"I wish... I could take you with me..." This time, The Mother Reborn felt gentle, hesitant lips brush against her cheek. Walter had silently maneuvered himself to sit on the edge of her bed. He placed another closed-mouth kiss to her forehead and she felt his hand rest against her neck. His kisses and his touch felt heavenly against her skin. And for a split second, the 23 year old wondered why exactly all this wasn't creeping her out. She didn't even know Walter, but she was so accepting of his affections. "You're so beautiful, Eileen." She could feel his hot breath brush against her ear and she let out an unconscious sigh of pleasure.
Upon hearing her sigh, Walter's breathing hitched. "Eileen?" His voice sounded full of hope. For a fleeting moment, she thought of waking up and personally conversing with him. But her brain got the best of her, and she settled for shifting on her side, resting her cheek on Walter's knee. Unknown to Eileen, Walter smiled longingly down at her, letting his long fingers brush through her auburn hair. It was soft, and smelled of orchids. The Conjurer let out a gentle moan. A shock of heat began to pool in Eileen's abdomen at the erotic sound. "God, Eileen, I love you." He loved her? The woman felt him lean his head against her side.
The next thing she felt was Walter's lips on her neck, gently sucking. The feeling was unlike anything she'd ever felt. Oddly enough, she'd never let a man be this close to her. She'd also been single... lonely even. A soft moan left her throat as he incorporated his teeth on her neck. His tongue was so warm. She felt herself growing more excited with every suck of Walter's lips. Eileen Galvin was frustrated when he ended his affections on her neck and whispered in her ear: "Something to remember me by." Now his hands were running up and down her bare sides. She'd worn a bra and shorts to bed. Perhaps subconsciously wanting to appear appealing to him because she figured he'd visit.
Another moan left her lips at the gentle tickling. "Maybe to also mark you as mine." His voice sounded sheepish this time, a little guilty even. "Don't mistake my intentions. What I want from you is far more than lust. I just love you... too much. I wish I could talk to you." Mustering all her bravery, Eileen sat up and looked directly into shocked, yet beautiful, hazel eyes. "Then maybe you should." For the first few moments, Walter's breath caught in his throat. Then, a giddy smile crossed his lips. "Eileen...? Eileen Galvin?" With a hesitant smile, she nodded.
Gleeful chuckles left Walter Sullivan's lips as he embraced Eileen. And she let him, even wrapped her arms around him. "You have no idea how long I've wished to speak to you..." As soon as he pulled away, he stood up, gently rising from her bed. He took two steps away, a concerned look crossing his eyes. Eileen sat up a little bit, her heart racing again. Only this time... it wasn't excitement. It was anxiety. "How long?" He began, an accusatory look crossing his beautiful eyes. He pointed a finger at her. "Walter?" Anxiety only built further at his sudden reaction. "How long have you been listening?"
"I've been listening to you for the past couple of weeks..." The brunette confessed meekly. A gentle gasp ripped from the man's throat. Eileen just began to realize how tall Walter really was. In embarrassment, the man fell to his butt on her floor. He didn't make a move to go back to her bedside. "You... You weren't supposed to know. This was supposed to be my secret!" Fear crossed his expression suddenly. He rose to his feet in a second and reached his hand for her doorknob. "Wait! Please!" Tears began to gather in Eileen's eyes as she stood up and took a step towards him. "Walter, don't go." Like a child, the young woman stepped closer to him and fisted the tail of his coat in her hands.
Tears fell from her eyes as she fell to her knees. The loneliness of her life suddenly hit her full force. The Mother Reborn felt The Conjurer's eyes upon her. He'd turned, hand still on the knob, and looked down at her. As she looked up at him past the tears in her eyes, she swore she saw pity creep into his eyes. "Eileen." The blonde man gently pulled the girl up by her hands to her feet. Then, he pulled her slender form into his arms. She allowed herself to crumble against him, allowed herself to cry for the first time in a long time. Her heart fluttered as moistened lips brushed against her forehead.
"I love you, Eileen Galvin." She heard him breathe. And just as she smiled up at him, she felt his fingers digging into the pressure point behind her neck. "But I must be on my way." As she collapsed, Walter gently lifted her unconscious body into his arms and carried her over to her bed. Once he wrapped her back in her sheets, he gave her one last fleeting glance, before escaping out of her window. Once landing on the street below, Walter drew his knife and moved towards his next destination. 'Forgive me Eileen... but I have matters to attend to.'
TBC...