TRIGGER WARNING: The opening of this chapter may be a little disturbing and triggering so if you're a sensitive reader you can skip to the scene after it. You'll know it's the next scene because it's right after a cut through like the one below this message.
It's late at night. The bedroom is almost completely immersed in blackness save for the light peaking out from the cracked bathroom door just across the right side of our bed, where Baz usually sleeps. From the bathroom I hear something heavy and wet plop down onto the linoleum and then a funny sounding laugh.
"Baz?" I call.
The laughter dies down and that's when I hear an odd clipping noise. Like clipping through something thick and rubbery. Another wet plop.
I creep out of bed slowly just wearing my briefs. As I pad towards the bathroom a voice finally calls back out, panicked and shrill. "Don't come in! Just give me a second okay!"
I spring out of bed.
I'm at the door when I bend my head towards where it lies cracked open. I see the naked backside of a skinny young man with deathly pale skin, an inky green liquid running down it. I walk inside. Quickly he turns around and I see him, his face, his body.
He's me.
"Why did you do this to me Simon?" He says.
I look down and notice his hands clutching a pair of garden shears, green trickling down each of the blades like a toxic syrup.
His voice is screeching now. "How could you let this happen!"
He stands up and walks toward me with vengeful red eyes clutching the garden shears tighter.
I try to move but I can't. He slams the bathroom door wide open, letting it bang hard against the linen closet. Then as I stand there unable to move he grabs me by the neck and -
Thrusting forward in bed, I yell, "No!"
Sweaty and panting I look around and see that it's morning and Baz is in bed next me still asleep, snoring loudly.
I take in a deep breath.
It was a nightmare. Good, though my shoulder and tail bone are aching horribly. I slide my hand across my shoulder then quickly retract it, the spots where my wings were are sensitive and raw. When I walk into the bathroom and look at them in the mirror the scars are pink and swollen.
I'm making bacon and toast when Baz walks out of the bedroom rubbing at his eyes. It's a Sunday and neither of us are working.
"Not only is he up before me but he's making bacon too?" Baz says sounding surprised, his voice raspy from sleep. He walks over to me and kisses me on the neck. I shudder from his warmth and then his lips move up and he kisses both my eyelids. I open my eyes when he pulls back and peer into his sweet sleepy face and kiss him right on the mouth.
"There's blood in the fridge. I went to the butcher this morning. S'also where I got the bacon. Never had it fresh before." I tell him.
"I am floored." Baz says and opens the refrigerator taking out a plastic Tupperware container almost pink from the dark red liquid within.
"I can put some on the stove, low heat right?"
"Uh yeah..." Baz looks at me like I'm someone else. "What's gotten into you?"
"I've just felt bad. You're so good to me. But also..." I want to tell him everything. The lying about the job, how I've been feeling, the nightmare I had last night. Then I remember lunch with Penny. Oh my god lunch with Penny.
"What is it Snow?"
"I just remembered something. Did you talk with Penny yesterday?"
"She left a note, said you passed out. Had to teleport you back to the flat. When I got home you were on the couch."
"I didn't wake up on the couch."
"That's because I carried you back to our room."
I look back at him and smile. He smiles back.
"You know Penny said things at Watford have gone awry. I was hoping you two would've talked because she never got to tell me why. I was also hoping we could help."
Baz's eyebrows arch together. "You're joking."
"Wish I was. We have to get a hold of her. I know not having my magic makes things difficult, but I can still help. She's always been there for me. It's time I return the favor, you know?"
I flip the bacon and hear Baz mumble.
"We'll call her later today, but for now I think it's better we take it easy. I'd like to help with breakfast too."
"No you go sit. You always make breakfast." I give him a kiss on the cheek and then he takes my arms, placing them on his waste, and pulls his own around me tightly. I drop the spatula and hold him back even tighter. My darkness. My warmth. My love.
"We're gonna be alright Snow."
And in that moment I feel like everything's going to be okay.
Hi everybody, Imnotazombie here. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the kind words about the story! So... this could be the last chapter I write. I've really loved putting myself in the shoes of these characters and this world, but it's also been a lot of pressure which I'm not used to. I may continue this story sometime down the line or even very soon, but I also may not and I just wanted to make that clear so none of you were left hanging.
It's been a wonderful ride, thank you so much for tagging along!
