Authors note/Warning: Adult themes ahead. You have been warned.

Curiosity and Logic

The two weeks spent in the hospital were near torture for Maria to withstand. She had never really liked hospitals to begin with, everything seemed to have a dull humming noise to it. While the doctors frequently told her that the best thing she could do was sleep, she found it very hard to do so. Either a Doctor was coming in to check on her, a nurse to change her bandages. Or her friends would show up, bearing various gifts like flowers, books, balloons, and so on. She knew they meant well, but in all honesty they were very loud and it made her head hurt constantly.

David seemed to be there all the god damned time. He would visit her multiple times a day, each time bringing a new gift. He would sit with her for hours, saying that she could go to sleep if she wanted, but she never did. They would watch TV together, hearing the latest name to have vanished.

At one point Maria went ahead and asked David if "The Clown" had shown up again to any of them. David assured her that there had been no sight of It since the fight in his living room, though, clearly, it was still hunting in this area. David mentioned that, one of the reasons he was with her so frequently, was because he worried about her, being stuck there all alone in bed, hurt. She was a perfect target for that "Monster" as David put it.

"Honestly, David. Go home and rest. I'm probably safer here than I would be at home." She told him one night. He was looking pale, and had dark circles growing under his eyes. It was clear that he hadn't been sleeping, but no one knew the cause of the insomnia. David mentioned having bad dreams but that was all. Everyone, save Maria, started talking about if It could go into someone's head and make them have bad dreams.

It had been hard on all of them. Maira was all too aware of how pale and thin her friends were starting to get, and she did her best to encourage them to take care of themselves while she was recovering.

"I need you guys to stay healthy." She had told them at one point. Even Patricia, who had never really gotten along with Maria, had seemed to respond to that. Apparently watching a five-foot Ten girl actively attack a monster clown to protect a friend can inspire a level of respect. It took some time, but eventually the group started to act like normal, talking out other things, such as clothes or TV, Patricia and Britney fawning over this brand and that, while the boys would chat about sports or comic books. It almost felt like being back in the high school cafeteria at times, bringing back a bizarre nostalgia to the group since summer started, only a few weeks ago.

The best part of her time in the hospital was easily the time she managed to spend with Pennywise, the human devouring creature that wore the guise of a clown. Saying it outloud would have sounded absolutely bonkers, but it was true. He would always show up in the middle of the night, when the halls and rooms were dark and quiet, and her door could be closed without anyone paying much mind.

They didn't do or say much in their time together, it was simply spent in quiet observation. Sometimes, while Maria was asleep, Pennywise would stand from his seat and observe her closely, and in great detail. He would take small mental notes on how she tended to lay, usually on her right side with the pillows bunched under her head. He would try and guess what she was dreaming about based off of how her face moved, and the noises she made. He even went so far as to touch her hair, feeling how soft it was, despite how dry it had gotten due to hospital shower amenities. He would very gently touch her cheek, feeling how warm or cold she was, and how soft her human skin could be. But most often, he would hold her hand, like he had the first night. Gently placing his hand on hers, nothing forceful or restraining, just a minor amount of contact between two living beings.

And sometimes Maria would observe him while he thought she was asleep. She would listen and sometimes watch through barely opened eyes. He would stand and walk around the room, often looking at the various things David had brought her, mumbling things to himself. There were times when she caught him looking at her, golden eye surprisingly intense as they looked at every part of her, as if scanning her. At one point when he was closely observing her face she could not contain herself and started laughing. It had surprised him slightly but in the end they both were laughing about.

It was strange how normal it seemed to just spend time like this, even on those days when no words were spoken. Maria had come to find comfort in the way he smelled, making it much easier for her to fall asleep rather than when she was stuck with nothing but the cold antiseptic. Sometimes she would ask him something, trying to learn a little bit about him, but his answers were often vague, or he simply avoided them. She supposed he wasn't used to just telling people about himself.

On one of the nights when he had decided he wanted to observe her a bit more and learn about humans, she remembered asking if she could touch his face. He seemed almost hesitant about it but he did comply, leaning forward enough for her to reach out and place her hands on his cheeks. His skin was also very soft, and when she looked at her hands again, they were clean. It wasn't actually makeup on his skin, it was just his skin. Even his face was superheated, making Maria comment about how he would be great to have around in the winter.

Two weeks after having been hurt, Maria got the news that she would soon be let out of the hospital. She would still need to take it easy, but she should be okay. Now that her head injury was mostly healed, what was really left was her arm. Pennywise's claws had really shredded up her muscles and tendons, making it very hard for her to move her hand much, but Maria suspected it wouldn't be too hard to find help.

It was her last day in the hospital, and all of her friends were there to see her and help her plan for the next day. Patricia and Britney had brought her a set of clothes for tomorrow, and were planning on taking most of her belongings home that night so they had less to deal with tomorrow. According to Patricia, Maria getting out of the hospital was occasion for celebration and a party, and since everyone else agreed, Maria complied to joining them, so long as it was nothing crazy. It was Mateo that finally brought up the elephant in the room.

"But….what are we gonna do about the clown?" He asked and everyone went silent. He look apologetic but continued. "I mean...yeah it's left us alone so far but it's clearly still out there, taking people. Every day there are new names added to the list. I think the total's almost at twenty at this point. We actually know about it, don't you think we should do something?"

Everyone looked scared at the prospect of going against Pennywise again, Maria was just conflicted. In the last few weeks she had been spending allot of time with "IT" as the group had referred to him. Her time had only helped to confirm that Pennywise wasn't just some evil thing out for blood, he was a creature MADE to hunt humans. He was hungry and just trying to survive, it wasn't a sport for him. To be fair, neither one of them had brought up the missing people or what had happened to them. It was like the unspoken taboo they had agreed on before even starting to talk. Maria knew it was him doing it, and she also knew they were dead, but she had never been fully bothered by it. Like, just because she likes sheep doesn't mean she's gonna be bothered because someone butchers them for a lambchop.

"I don't want to think about it right now." Maria said in response to Mateo's question. "Right now I just want to get out of this hospital and try and heal up. We can discuss it later."

Pretty much everyone agreed on that statement, all of them looking fairly relieved that she wasn't jumping at the chance to take It on. The only one who looked more anxious than relieved was David, who seemed almost angry. Maria, if she had to guess, would say he almost WANTED to fight Pennywise. Why? She had no idea, the kids was strange at times, but she knew for a fact that it was a bad idea, and that she really didn't want to at that moment.

The group hung around the hospital for most of the day, until one by one they started to leave, each of them taking some of the flowers, books, etc with them. David was the last to leave, staying until the hospital was starting to grow dark. He looked at Maria and stood near the side of her bed, taking her hand in his own for a moment.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Maria." He said softly, his thumb brushing against the top of her hand. "I'll never forgive it for hurting you. I'm gonna kill It. I promise."

Maria said nothing as David leaned down and kissed her cheek before wishing her a good night and leaving the room. Once she was alone she sat up in bed and wiped away the spot on her cheek were David had kissed her. It hadn't felt right, for him to do that, or say that. She looked at the balloon that was tied to her bed. In two weeks it hadn't deflated or sunk at all, unlike all of the other balloons she had received from David. It was still floating there, a constant reminder of the fact that, whatever Pennywise was, he wasn't human.

She sighed and grabbed a pair of scissors sitting next to her and cut the string, taking the balloon into her hand and looking at it closely. It really was a strange shade of red, not the bright cherry red most balloons are made with. This one was darker, like the same shade of red as the markings on Pennywise's face. She smiled a little thinking of that and let the string go, watching as it floated up and bounced against the darkened fluorescent lights.

She just stared at it for a moment, as it rolled against the ceiling because of the air conditioner, the string swaying in the air when a familiar scent reached her. She smiled and looked down from the ceiling to see Pennywise standing in front of her. He had was almost looked like a sad smile on his face, his normally glowing eyes seeming slightly dim.

"Your friends want to kill me." He said, staring at her. "Are you going to help them?"

"No." Maria answered, almost instantly. "Not unless you give me no choice. If I can, I'll convince them to forget about it and be happy to be alive but….."

"I doubt that kid David would listen to that." Pennywise answered with a slight giggle. She wandered if he had been stalking her friends after all. Maria smiled and slid out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold tile of the floor. Pennywise reached out to steady her, but the dizziness was completely gone at this point, and Maria was fine. It did not stop her, however, from taking one gloved hand. The motion seemed to surprise Pennywise, but after a second his fingers wrapped around her own and she stepped towards him.

What are you doing Maria? She thought to herself as she stood only inches away from him, her hand in his as she looked up at him. I'm….curious. But, this isn't smart….it's….not smart at all.

Maria and Pennywise stared at eachother for a few moments, both attempting to read the other and figure out what was going to happen next. Maria was fighting between her curiosity and her logic, trying to decide what to do next, while Pennywise was simply trying to figure out what she wanted, hell what HE wanted.

Pennywise was the first one to make a gamble and put his hand on Maria's waist, pulling her in closer to his body. She was surprised, but she didn't fight the motion at all. The heat felt nice in comparison to the rest of the room. She leaned against his chest and let his arms wrap around her shoulders, creating the sensation of being wrapped in an electric blanket. They simply stood there for a while, that comfortable silence having returned. Maria took in a deep breath through her nose, feeling herself relax even more at his smell. She heard him take in a similar breath, though his face was in her hair.

"You don't smell like coconut anymore…" He said, sounding slightly disappointed. She laughed and pulled away just enough to look up at him.

"I haven't had access to my usual shampoo." She said, guessing that it was the reason for that smell (It was the only thing that made sense to her.) She smiled and then thought for a moment before biting her lip. "Speaking of which...I need to take a shower."

"Ah…" Pennywise pulled away, leaving Maria's skin feeling cold. He stepped away, and nodded. "I'll wait here while you do that then…"

Maria nodded and started to walk passed Pennywise, grabbing a clean gown and underwear as she went towards the small shower in her room. As she sat her belongings down on the sink counter, she looked at the bandages on her arm and turned back to Pennywise.

"Um...could you help me untie the back of my gown?" She asked. "My arm's not working too right at the moment. Maria! That's stupid! Stop, now! You don't have fear so use logic, LOGIC! Despite how he looks he's not HUMAN. Idiot! Maria chastised herself as Pennywise looked at her, surprise on his face before he nodded and stepped into the small room with her. She turned around and pulled her hair off to one side as she felt hands pull at the tie at the base of her neck. Maria pressed her hands against her chest as the shoulders of her gown fell off, managing to keep it up as she turned to Pennywise again and looked up at him.

"Thanks." She said with a smile. He nodded and stared at her for a moment, one hand coming forward to brush her hair back. The head of that hand made her nerves all flair up as her mind continued in its war with itself. Curiosity, Logic, Curiosity, Logic.

"Maria…." Pennywise's voice was deeper than usual and his eyes were starting to glow ever so slightly. He looked hungry, and she started to wonder if he was actually going to kill her now. He leaned in and pressed his face against the crook of her neck, taking in another deep breath. His body was tense as his hands slid down her shoulders.

Curiosity, Logic, Curiosity, Logic.

Maria found one of her hands reaching up and pressing against his chest, her forehead leaning forward against his shoulder as one glove hand reached around her waist, the face continuing to nuzzle her. She felt an ache growing between her legs at the contact. In all the time they had spent together over the last two weeks, this is certainly the closest they had gotten, and certainly the most they had ever touched each other.

Curiosity, Logic, Curiosity, Logic.

Pennywise pulled away from her again, his eyes glowing very brightly as one hand slid up and pulled at her own, the one that was holding the front of her hospital gown up. It wasn't forceful, or demanding. It was soft, gentle, like a question. Despite the intensity of his stare, his face was calm and poised, still observing her for her reactions. Maria looked at him, felt the hand on her own, knowing the question he was asking her and her own debate still ringing in her head.

Curiosity, Logic, Curiosity, Logic...Fuck Logic.

Maria let go of the gown and reached her other hand up to Pennywise's face, looking at his eyes as the gown fell down onto a crumpled mess at her feet. He swallowed and blinked in surprise before leaning in and firmly pressing his lips against her own. The kiss was intense, his hot tongue instantly pushing its way into her mouth as he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his hips as he pushed her against the wall of the shower. One of his hands reached out and turned the knob, causing hot water to pour on both of them at they continued to kiss.

One hand was all he needed to keep her up, her back braced against the wall was his other hand began to explore her body. She watched as he raised his hand to his mouth and pulled the glove off with his teeth, that had become long and sharp again. His hand was the same color as his face, the same painted white, but at he ran it over her breasts and tummy, she heat was so much more intense than it had been with the glove. She carefully laid her head against the shower wall and let out a deep moan as his fingers explored everywhere they could reach, causing the ache between her legs to grow more and more intense as she rocked against his hips.

She never felt a hand go between her legs to allow it, but it wasn't long before she felt a hard heat press against her womanhood. She looked down to see a very human-like appendage start to press inside. She bit her lip and lifted her hips a bit more, for a second supporting her weight on her own legs before letting herself fall down onto him. It wasn't gentle or romantic, it was ferral. There was no waiting or starting slow, once he was inside her he took her fiercely, pinning Maria between himself and the shower wall. Her moans were deep and gravely, almost matching with his supernatural growls that emitted from his throat. She tried to keep her eyes on him, watching as parts of his visage of a clown faded into something more, a bright a light seeming to shine from both his eyes and his throat, long jagged teeth gritted together as he pushed into her with a force she had never experienced before. Her eyes had to close, her hands slipping as she tried to hold onto him to brace against the ferocity of his thrusts.

Seeming to notice he pulled away from the wall and pulled out, setting her on the floor. It was almost like she knew what he had intended, as he had barely pulled at one side of her hip before she had turned around and braced her hands on the handicap rail of the shower. He mounted her again in no time, the new position aiding to the animalistic nature of this mating. Maria had always thought that being taken from behind would be demeaning or humiliating, but she didn't feel that way now. In that moment, it was the most rational way to do it, and definitely pleasurable.

The change in the angle was intense, as was the force with which he was able to pound into her. He had bent over her completely, his entire body pressed against her as his arms wrapped around her front to continue to pleasure her with his hands as well. The satin of his suit rubbing against her back and legs created a very unique sensation, as did the intense heat rubbing, teasing, and slamming into all of her most sensitive places.

The cry she emitted when he finished inside her was much louder than either one of them had expected, the heat of his seed being to the point of almost painful, but not quite. His arms tightened around her waist as he thrust in deep and hard, grinding against her as he spilled out inside her. The growling whine he gave out was almost sad, to Maria's ears, as if he hadn't wanted to finish so soon, but she could already feel her legs starting to give out underneath her.

As the shuddering stopped, Maria slowly became accustomed to the head inside her, her body no longer trying to reject it, it accepted it, making her head feel all fuzzy with her bizarre, slow orgasm that just sort of came and went gradually. She slid on the floor of the shower, lowering to the ground with Pennywise still holding her from behind, having not left her yet as they both took a seat. They both just sat on their knees for a long while, breathing hard, trying to re-form some sense of conscious thinking. Eventually, and reluctantly, Pennywise pulled out of her and sat back on his heels, staring at Maria as she turned around and sat on her ass, leaning against the wall as she looked at Pennywise. His face was human again, looking slightly dazed with a small smile as he looked at her.

Her shoulders started to shake and she pressed her hand against her mouth as the giggles started to rise in her throat. The laughter was light, and very similar to the way Pennywise would giggle sometimes as her hand moved from her mouth to her eyes to brushing her wet hair away from her face. Pennywise had started to laugh as well, light and trilling, blending into the hiss of the shower.

"What the fuck just happened?" Maria asked through her laughter. She saw as Pennywise shrugged and shook his head, red hair plastered against the white skin. His grin was larger than ever as he reached forward and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. She leaned in to the touch as they both calmed down.

It took a few moments but eventually they were able to stand up and turn off the shower, neither one of them really having the energy to wash at that moment. Pennywise helped Maria put her gown back on and walked with her back to the bed, were, for the first time, he laid down with her. She laid on her side, but instead of pillows being bunched up under her head, she rested against his shoulder, and she fell asleep, without them exchanging a word.