"There is that awful moment when you realize that you're falling in love. That should be the most joyful moment, and actually it's not. It's always a moment that's full of fear because you know, as night follows day, the joy is going to rapidly be followed by some pain or other. All the angst of a relationship."

- Helen Mirren

The Slender man

So I had finally broken - I'd finally given in. After all that struggle and denial of what I was feeling, I gave up anyway... and I'd kissed her.

Kissing her hadn't been bad by any means as far as I was concerned - the human tasted even better than I imagined she would have - and it had been enjoyable, albeit swift. It was also something I wouldn't mind doing again... But there were consequences for my actions. I was putting Danny in danger with my interest in her in more ways than one. I, of course, was the biggest enemy of myself - it would be entirely too easy to forget myself and rip out her throat in an act of carelessness. I could let myself get too absorbed in the taste of her kiss, and end up diving into her for an even greater feast, splattering her blood as I tore into her body.

Then there was also Habit's threat. I had no doubt I could defend the little human from the deranged entity if it came to that, but if he ever came at Danny directly... in order for me to protect her, my true identity would be revealed. Would the female still stand by me if she knew who I really was? The odds, understandably, were less than likely of that happening.

I had yet to shift back to my monstrous form as I slowly ambled through the empty halls of my current base, and I caught sight of my reflection in the glass window of an office door. I stopped and turned towards my double, looking at the disguise I hid behind. The human man staring back looked troubled and confused - emotions I wasn't used to hosting. My hair was ruffled from running my hands through it repeatedly, and a small smudge of lipstick still lingered at the corner of my mouth...

No.

Glass shattered with the image of the false man as I drove my fist through the window pane. Yanking a handkerchief out of my pocket, I swiftly removed the lingering evidence of my intimacy with the little creature. I strode down the hall briskly now, my thoughts running in every direction. What the hell was I doing? Who was I to play human? I wasn't human after all...

My strides lengthened as my legs did, my torso stretching and my arms becoming long and spindly. I felt my face melt away to blankness and I smiled bitterly to myself inwardly. No, I definitely wasn't human. Even if I wasn't sure of who I was inside at the moment, at least I knew my outward identity.

I was still a monster.

As absorbed as I was in my thoughts, I neglected to take notice of the fact my door was ajar already when I entered my office, and instantly froze at the realization I wasn't alone anymore. Two bright purple eyes gazed evenly back at me.

"It's been a while, cousin," my visitor greeted me softly.

My smooth face split into a grin, showing my only visible facial feature for an instant. "Almost a century isn't it, Ender?"

"Something along those lines," he said rising from my desk chair. The Enderman came forward and briskly we shook hands - that was as intimate as either of us prefered to get, baring my earlier excursion with Danny.

"Where have you been all these years? Generally, as is the nature of my business, I'm more than adequate at keeping track of people - you managed to vanish quite effectively though, I must admit," I commented as I sat down behind my desk and gestured for my admittedly favorite relative to sit opposite of me.

A ghost of a smile passed over the Enderman's somber face. "But if I tell you that cousin, you'll be able to find me when I decide to disappear again."

"So it's a 'when,' not 'if,' is it?" I inquired.

He shrugged. "You know how I am Slender. Not much of a people person."

I nodded at that. It was probably the reason why we had gotten along so well as we were growing up - we both hated everyone. "Well, if you're not going to tell me where you vanished to, at least tell me why you decided to resurface again," I pressed him, curious.

The tall being leveled his gaze at me. "Word's getting around - even to me... Did you not learn after Liza, Slender?" he asked softly.

I leaned back in my desk chair and folded my hands in front of me. I sat in silence for a while, thinking about my next words. Instead of answering his question, I tried one of my own. "How did something like this find even you?"

"The whole family knows just about. Unsurprisingly, your brothers and mine don't seem to mind your association with this girl - Trender and Offender have their affairs all the time after all - but it's your proxies that are making your private life far too public," he replied.

I growled low in my chest. "Which proxies?" I demanded tersely.

Ender raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think?"

Tiredly I ran a hand over my blank face. "Habit?"

My cousin nodded solemnly. "He and Observer both."

A swear tore through my lips at the impudence. I had gathered that Observer was dealing with Habit in this matter after I'd found them attempting to fraternize with Danielle at her place of work, but I wasn't aware that the two were making my business known to my entire family. Likely, they were hoping for some form of intervention from my brothers and cousins. According to what Ender was saying, however, that wasn't probable.

Or was it... Ender was here after all.

The black skinned entity nodded as he realize where my thoughts had led. I didn't have to vocalize my question... He knew.

"I won't intervene as the demons obviously were hoping I would, but I do want to caution you, Slender," the Enderman said. "Things were... quite rough for a very long time after Liza... passed," he said delicately, knowing how this topic affected me. He was one of the only people I allowed to utter her name in my presence without all hell being brought down upon them. Ender continued, "I don't wish to see you like that again. And regardless of whether you are the one to bring about her death or not, she will die eventually. She's only a mortal."

I sighed, looking down at my folded hands. "I know," I admitted softly.

"If it's a lineage your looking to secure, that's one matter, but if it's companionship... she won't be here forever," he said grimly.

A sneer twisted at the corner of my mouth at the mention of 'securing my lineage.' "Since when have I ever been interested in children?" I scoffed.

"Since when have you ever been interested in companionship?" he countered, and I shrugged. I couldn't argue there. Ender leaned back and sighed. "If you want the girl, then take her, but be cautious. The little female will have a lot of enemies she doesn't even know about if you become involved with her. In the least, you need to tell her everything she needs to know... including who you really are."

"I don't think I can do that..." I muttered quietly, "I'm too deep in this lie to expose myself now."

"And why is that?"

"She knows of the Slender man, but not that I am him. She fears what she knows to be a cold blooded monster... but she trusts me - the 'human' me," I grimaced, almost choking on my words. "Wrongfully so, obviously; even my less visibly aggressive guise is still a monster at heart. And the way she feels for 'Slen' would not be passed on readily to the hated Slender man, I guarantee."

"So you will keep up this charade for the entirety of your involvement?" he asked, raising a brow at me.

I only had to hesitate a moment. Honestly, I knew my answer. "Yes."

He nodded and considered me for a moment. "And what about if you do come to love her? Will you stay with your decision?"

A sigh escaped me, and had I any at the moment, I would have been running my hand through my hair with unease. "I'll have no choice at that point, if it does come to that."

We sat in silence for a long moment after that. My cousin was staring idly at the wall while he absorbed our conversation, unconsciously playing with the collar of his shirt. "What is her name?" He asked quietly after almost five minutes had passed.

I started slightly, not expecting the question. "Danny... Danielle Dare," I replied. "Why? What are you thinking, Ender?" I asked suspiciously.

"I think I'm going to stick around here for a little while - impose on your hospitality if I may," he shot me a rare smile before continuing, "and I'd like to meet this human woman."

He didn't seem surprised by my hesitation or my slight frown in response to his plans. "You staying with me could lead the others to think its acceptable," I pointed out, "and I certainly don't want them here, let alone anywhere near Danny."

The Enderman shook his head, chuckling slightly. "Oh Slender, come on now. They started making plans the moment Habit told them you found yourself a girl. You're going to have to deal with them whether I stay or not."

A growl ripped from my chest and I swore loudly, causing Ender's eyes to glint in amusement. "How soon?" I demanded.

" A month, maybe two if your lucky. I believe Trender has a show in a few weeks that he doesn't want to miss, and he would have a fit if the other two left without him, you know."

I growled again, this time more aggravated than aggressive. "Yes, believe me, I know my eldest brother way better than I would like to. That sounds just like him." I hadn't even realized I'd stood and started pacing until I stopped and turned to Ender. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me where you've been the past seventy years? We could always run before the vultures descend," I suggested, only half joking.

Ender shook his head again, amusement still making his purple eyes glow even brighter than the normal light they gave off. He rose to his feet, coming up only slightly shorter than me. "Just make sure you warn little Danny, that's about all you can do," and in an instant he was gone, leaving behind only a faint purple glow to the air around where he'd teleported. I knew he was still somewhere within the complex most likely - he couldn't teleport long distances as I could - but I didn't care to try and find him. Instead, I checked the time and tuned my sigma radiation down as low as I possibly could. The entire night had passed while Ender and I had sat here conversing... As normal human courtship dictated, it was customary for the male to initiate first contact the day after the first date, wasn't it? I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I'd been given over dinner last night.

It was time to call Miss Dare.