Nico's POV

Elijah turned over sleepily to face me, slowly opening his eyes as he awoke to find me sitting up next to him on the bed while I scrolled along on my laptop.

"Nico Holland, if you are so much as thinking of buying another face mask, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to stage an intervention." He yawned. "I mean, where do you even go that isn't my bedroom or up a tree?"

"Bold of you to think that would even come close to stopping me if I was…….or that I even leave your room anymore." I chuckled. "But no. I'm Halloween hunting."

"Halloween hunting?" He asked, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he sat up.

"For my costume." I explained. "Gotta start getting it all together, if I wanna get it right."

"...It's August."

"Exactly." I pointed out. "Which leaves me only two months to perfect it."

"I rest my case then." He shrugged, his eyes skimming the eBay search results on my screen. "...Your costume is a croquet player?"

"For your information, Mister Man, these are roque mallets." I chuckled. "For my Jack Torrance costume."

"...I fail to see the correlation." He sighed. "I thought his weapon of choice was an axe."

"My God." I muttered under my breath. "...You get the benefit of the doubt for being cute, but only for that reason."

"...Thank you?"

"Stanley Kubrick's excuse for a Jack Torrance wields an axe." I corrected. "The real Jack Torrance wielded a roque mallet "

"The real Jack Torrance?"

"Book Jack Torrance. The one that Stephen King wrote."

"...Is that not what the movie is based on?"

I sunk my head back into the pillow I was leaning against. "Not well…..And now we're watching the miniseries tonight."

"There was a miniseries?"

"Elijah, I love you…" I sighed, pinching my finger to my thumb. "But my patience is about here, right now."

"Alright." He chuckled. "Calm down. We'll watch the miniseries tonight."

"Damn right we are." I smirked, roughing up his already messy bed hair. "I'll stop by my house for it when Leon and Imogen leave for their hunt. Liz is supposed to keep me updated on that."

"Still watchin him stew, huh?"

"...Aaaand enjoying every second of it!" I added, perhaps a little too cheerfully. I digress, though."What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall and watch it firsthand.

"Have I told you how much I'm loving this new evil, petty side of you?"

"Who says it's a new side of me?" I smirked.

"Well, new to me, then." He corrected. "Happy."

"Well, more so."

"I'll take it." He chuckled. "On that note, what might your agenda for today be…...besides staring at croque mallets?"

"Roque mallets…..and, very funny."

"Whatever." He sighed. "And thank you, I do try."

"It shows."

"Good. So...back to my question. What's the plan, Mr. Evil Genius?"

I raised my finger to make my point. "I never claimed to be a genius….although, I am flattered by the title."

"Still not an answer." He sighed.

"I was hoping you might have something in mind. Surprise me, and whatnot. You seem to have a knack for that."

He grinned, obviously flattered. "Suppooose I could come up with sooomething."

"Alright, well hold that thought for now, Liz just texted me." I kissed his neck before standing up to make my way toward the window. "I should pop over there real quick, grab said miniseries and a book for myself before you know who gets back from his hunt."
"You want me to come with?"

"Mmmm, normally yes, but if Leon or Imogen comes back early for whatever reason, I don't want you involved with that." I swung a leg over the other side of the window. "I'll text ya once I'm on my way back. Alright?"

He nodded. "Sounds good."

I kissed him again, before making my leap down to the ground.

Liz was waiting for me, back in my room, not saying anything til I grabbed the stuff to toss in the backpack to take back with me.

"So, how much longer are you staying over there again, exactly?" She finally asked.

"As long as it takes for Leon to see what a dick he's being about all this."

She shook her head in disappointment. "You're gonna be over there an awfully long time then….and I miss you. I miss having you around here, to watch Stephen King movies, good and bad, and whatnot.

I smiled, a little half smile. "Well, don't think you can't see me at all. You're welcome to come hang at Elijah's with us, for a bit or whatever."

"It's fine, I couldn't impose like that. Besides, I' hate to be a third wheel too."

"It wouldn't be like that, but alright." I sighed. "If you insist."

" I do, I appreciate the offer though."

"No prob." I slung the backpack back over my shoulder, after I'd zipped it up, and made my way back to the window. "I'll still keep in touch with you this time."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"See you around."

I leapt back down from the window before she could respond again, darting through the woods as I made my way back to Elijah's house.