(JOHNNY'S POV)
Sticking his head through the window, Johnny looked around the room and spotted a familiar child lying on a bed with a frightened expression covering his face.
"Hey Squee-gee!"
The child looked over to Johnny, squeaked with horror and brought his covers to his face, his eyes large with terror, "Scary Neighbor Man…-,"
Madeleine whispered softly, "Johnny, don't you think it's a little inconvenient to meet a scarred little boy on Christmas morning?"
Johnny smirked at Madeleine before looking back at Squee with curiousness shining in his eyes, "I want to introduce you to a friend of mine."
Johnny crawled through the window before glancing at the door with worry, remembering the sudden encounter with Squee's father; hiding under his bed before knocking him out with one of Squee's toy robots, and permanently blinding him.
"I-I t-thought you were on a holiday," Squee's eyes trailed back to his window where Madeleine had poked her head in, looking unsurely at the horrified child in the bed before climbing in.
Johnny smiled before sitting at the foot of Squee's bed, starting, "Squee, Madeleine. Madeleine, Todd; but I like 'Squee' better."
(MADELEINE'S POV)
84 Lbs.
Looking through the window sill, Madeleine got a better view of the room. The wallpaper was a purple color with smiley face pattern strewn upon it. Over to her right was a twin bed with blue and purple bedspread, holding a terrified little boy around seven years of age. He had flat, black hair covering his head and his eyes held the emotion of pure horror, backing into the headrest of his bed and pulling the covers to his face.
A small teddy bear was held tightly in his grasp, staring at the tall man standing in his bedroom.
"I-I t-thought you were on a holiday," the boy said with a squeak afterword. His large eyes shined as he stared at his visitor before whipping his head back to the window to spot Madeleine crawling inside.
There were several, random posters covering the purple walls while a wooden side-desk sat beside the bed which held a small lamp and pink piggy bank sitting atop it.
"Squee, Madeleine. Madeleine, Todd; but I like 'Squee' better."
Johnny looked back to the door while Todd looked over Madeleine with large eyes, uncertain and worrisome at the stranger in his room.
Madeleine gave the boy a warm smile, before greeting the child with a gentle, "hello."
Pushing away her bangs so Squee could see her face more clearly, the boy had calmed down a bit, softening his terrified facial features before looking down to his teddy bear, "hmm?"
Todd put the toy up to his ear, frowning with curiosity before putting it back down into his lap. His eyes flashed to Johnny and back to Madeleine.
Maddie walked up to his bedside and squatted down, setting one hand on the floor while offering the other hand to the child. He was so afraid…
Todd looked back to the stuffed bear before pushing his covers away from him and sitting up, hesitant at the handshake. But after a second of consideration, Squee stretched his arm out and took her hand.
Madeleine looked at the small hand inside of her own, her breath catching in her throat from the tiny size of the hand. Looking to his face, she smiled once again, letting him go before sitting criss-crossed on the wooden floor boards beneath her.
"So you're Squee huh? Nice to meet you. Who's your little friend there," Madeleine gestured to the teddy bear in Todd's lap.
"Sh… Shmee," Squee whispered with worry.
Madeleine grinned and glanced at Johnny who was studying them with curiosity; a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. Looking back to the scarred boy before her, Madeleine questioned, "can I hold him?"
Todd looked to the bear and shrugged before squeezing the bear in a hug and handing the toy to the strange woman before him.
Taking the bear, Madeleine clutched the stuffed animal, taking it's fingerless hand and shaking it, smiling with pitying innocence.
"Hello there Shmee. I'm Maddie," she laughed, "you're a cute lil' bear-bear, now aren't you?"
Trying to befriend the small, frightened child, Madeleine hugged the bear and smiled before getting a small giggle from Todd. Giving back the teddy, Squee continued to smile before letting his mouth fall into a straight line on his face.
Squee opened his mouth, a curious shine in his eyes, "h-how do you know Scary Neighbor Man," the boy looked over to Johnny who was sitting on the side of his bed, fixated on the two, "are y-… you married?"
The air became still and Maddie stared at Todd, taken aback from the sudden question. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down and cleared her throat, her lips forming a thin line on her face, trying to put the right words together to answer the awkward question.
Forcing a new smile on her face, Madeleine laughed and her eyes flashed quickly to Johnny and back to Todd, "no… we're not married. But I definitely wouldn't call Johnny, 'Scary Neighbor Man'. Johnny's too nice to be called 'scary'. He's protective, not scary; he's very sweet, but not scary." Madeleine shook her head, letting her smile fall from her face, trying to ignore Johnny's stare burning into her.
Her mind wandered for the slightest second, the image of Johnny holding her, wearing a tuxedo while she was dressed in a gorgeous wedding dress- No!
Disgusted at the sudden flash of fantasy, Madeleine quickly pushed out the dream before coming back to reality and screwing her eyes and looking to Squee.
"You're friends?" Todd looked over to Johnny, expecting an answer from him as well before looking back to his brown teddy bear, more comfortable with Madeleine and Johnny, but still wary that Maddie was new to him.
Johnny answered for Madeleine, clearing his throat before he began, "not quite. Madeleine and I are…." Johnny's eyes narrowed as he searched for the right phrasing to his answer, "we're… in a… relationship."
Madeleine bit her lip, hiding the victorious smile that threatened to spill out on her face. An embarrassing shade of pink warmed her cheeks as she glanced to Johnny, whom was already gazing at her with a flushed face.
Todd hung his feet off of his bed, swaying his legs off of the edge as his hands folded politely in his lap. His bear lay beside his hip and his head was tilted to the side. "A relationship…? Y-you mean… you like each other?"
Madeleine nodded her head slowly, flashing her eyes to Johnny who was smiling awkwardly and nodding along as well, before looking back to Todd. "Yes…"
Johnny got off the bed to sit beside Madeleine, spooking Squee and making him squeak with surprise. After Nny was settled on the floor beside Maddie, Johnny pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, smiling at Madeleine then to Squee who was studying the couple carefully.
"Say, Squee, where are your paren-," Johnny cleared his throat, before frowning and looking at the door of Squee's room.
Narrowing her eyes at Johnny, Maddie decided to drop the question and talk to Nny about it afterwards. She hoped there wasn't anything wrong with his parents; it was awfully strange that they didn't notice their presence in the house by now…
Johnny continued on with a different topic, "how's Christmas so far, Squee-gee?"
Squee just shrugged his shoulders once again before answering in a dull voice, "no presents. Mommy and Daddy don't like Christmas. No tree, no decorations; just a snowman."
"Don't like Christmas? Oh, come on, there's gotta be SOMEONE who celebrates Christmas with you," Madeleine frowned in confusion and dislike. No celebration for the holidays? Nothing?
"Nope."
Maddie's nose scrunched up and a small thought came across her mind as she thought of a quick present to give. It wasn't much, but it was better than no present at all.
Getting up, Maddie popped her knuckles which made Squee flinch and scoot away from her.
Ignoring this, Madeleine pulled out her wallet from her back jean's pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill before sitting down on Squee's bed.
Fingering the old dollar, Maddie folded it in half, holding it up with two fingers before Squee.
"Well, I'm changing that," Madeleine whispered, staring at Todd pitifully, "here's twenty dollars; use it wisely. Get Shmee a new buddy, buy a bunch of candy, get a new poster. Merry Christmas Squee."
Madeleine held out her hand, giving it to Todd who gratefully accepted it. The child looked at the green paper in his hands before gazing at the young woman sitting on his bed in awe.
Getting up, Todd stumbled on his bed before embracing her in a hug, his small arms circling all the way around her dangerously thin torso.
Once again, her breath caught in her throat as Squee whispered with a squeak, "thank you Mo-er… Madeleine."
Since Squee was so small, he cuddled into Madeleine's mid-section, clinging onto her stomach with a small smile stretching across his face.
Madeleine's heart skipped a beat from the hidden spark of affection and protectiveness for the child. Her eyes widened with surprise before misting over with joyful tears gathering into her eyes. Petting Todd's hair, Madeleine held the small child, before looking to Johnny warily. Taking a deep breath, Madeleine looked up and blinked away some embarrassing tears before rubbing Squee's shoulder and letting him go.
He almost called her 'Mom'…
Todd crawled off of Maddie, smiling as he picked up Shmee from his resting place, hugging the small teddy bear and crawling back under his covers. Yawning, Todd rubbed his eye tiredly before looking back to Johnny, not quite as terrified as he was earlier.
The child set the money beside the piggy bank on his side table before resting his head on the pillow, waiting for his visitors to continue.
It was then that Johnny got up and smiled warmly at Squee, "we better get going," Nny looked over to Madeleine who was blinking furiously at the tears that threatened to spill, "c'mon. Merry Christmas Squee-gee!"
Madeleine got up from her spot on the bed and followed Johnny out, taking one last glance at Squee who was watching her with half-closed eyes, "bye Madeleine."
Madeleine bit her lip before replying, "Bye Todd. Merry Christmas and sleep tight."
Exiting the room, Madeleine landed back in the chilly winter weather outside, white snowflakes falling into her hair as she heard the window sill close shut behind her.
Both stayed silent as they walked to the car until Madeleine stopped and looked at Johnny with an awkward face.
"Todd… is….. adorable," Madeleine giggled as she looked back to the house, still standing on the sidewalk.
"But… what's the deal with his parents?" Maddie looked over to Johnny, letting her smile fall to a serious frown, afraid of the truth that was picking at her tongue. She knew already what was wrong… but she couldn't bring herself to the facts.
(JOHNNY'S POV)
Johnny cleared his throat, letting his own frown wipe off his face and turn into a half smile, "er… could we talk about that tonight? I'll explain Squee's background tonight if…"
Nny rubbed his neck in an awkward fashion, embarrassed at how odd his next few statements would go.
"Er, since we stated that we're in a relationship, I would like to make it official," Johnny looked down to his boots, surprised at his own shyness before looking back to Madeleine's face and locking his murky, grey-green and blue eyes with her clear sky blue eyes.
Losing himself in the sparkle of her eyes, Johnny shook his head, dazed at the shine before continuing, "I was wondering if you wanted to officially go on a 'date' with me. Perhaps coffee tonight; a movie as well? I'll pick you up if you… want."
Johnny's face grew hot as Madeleine tackled Johnny into a hug. Grimacing at the tightness of the hug, and the realization that she was clinging onto him, Johnny wheezed out, "too….tight…"
Maddie immediately let go of him, giving Johnny a second to breathe and rub his sore torso.
After that was said and done, Johnny looked up to find Madeleine resting her chin on her hand, watching him with narrowed eyes and a gentle smile. "I find it amusing when you're so worked up about asking a female out on a date," Madeleine pressed her lips together, holding back a laugh before continuing on, "it's outrageously sweet; yes, coffee and movies sound awesome."
Madeleine took a deep breath before looking back to Squee's house, her eyebrow raised up questioningly.
"I have some errands to run today, and if I remember correctly," Madeleine scoffed, "Squee called you 'Scary Neighbor Man', so I'm guessing you live… there." Madeleine looked right and left before pin-pointing her target, spotting Johnny's shack of a house lying several yards away from Squee's own home.
"I'll see you around five tonight at the apartment. You're fine with picking me up?"
Madeleine knitted her eyebrows together, uncertain, but not really caring whether or not Johnny wanted to pick her up or not.
Nny just nodded and answered, "sounds like a pla-."
Johnny was cut off by Madeleine's lips locking onto his. The moment lasted only a moment before she pulled away and started to walk backwards, waving goodbye, "see you tonight."
She turned around and took off in her car; the sound of ice cracking on the road.
Johnny just watched the car disappear down the road, raising his hand to his mouth which was formed into a thin line before turning back around, shaking his head.
What had he gotten himself into…?
Bowing his head, his two fluffs of hair on his head fell into his face.
The worry picking at his heart stopped as he licked his lips, taking slow steps back to his house while his hands were shoved into his thin, black trench coat.
Cherries…
She tastes like cherries…
(AUTHOR'S NOTE:)
… I don't think I have a comment for this chapter. All I have to say is that Johnny is completely OOC in this, but Johnny is only like that because of Squee's background and stuff…
Yay… romance and stuff…
Hehe, their first and official date is coming up! I hope you're ready! Beast your eyes for…SAPPY ROMANCE!
Oh, and since they are officially 'dating' (I hate that word; along with boyfriend/girlfriend)
You will find a lot more regular kisses and hugs. Only small ones at that. I will try to keep them to a minimum… try to keep the romance scenes special and stuff… so…yeah.
I am considering the idea of making a third story after this, making it a trilogy.
The third story will be quite short, however… since I have education coming up quite quick… and with the time frame I'm dealing with, I might not even finish this story before highschool comes back up.
I will TRY to finish it, so I am forcing myself to write… and write and write every day for you reader's benefits! Enjoy the fact that I'm writing solely for you… and my fangirlness…
Disclaimer time I guess…:
Johnny and Squee, along with any other JTHM characters belong to Jhonen Vasquez.
I own Madeleine.
"No chance of salvation- still, one can try to slow down their descent."
-Johnny the Homicidal Maniac/ Jhonen Vasquez