Chapter 1

Wandering Thoughts

Her mind had been waltzing around a single thought, a single emotion all day. She had already been residing in the Shadow Gallery for couple of months now and even though V wasn't always the best roommate, she was growing to love him.

"Wait," she thought. "Love him? No…just…fond of him."

But she knew better; what was fondness without love? Yes, he did prove difficult to live with. Always watching her through that mask. God! When he stared at her it felt as though he was gazing at her very soul. She felt naked, transparent, and even a little violated. She wanted to keep her soul's inter-workings and desires to herself; after all they were very personal and private matters. Those dark vacuous eyes, searching her, sucking every last inch of breath from her lips. Again, oh God! Such stares would make her knees weak and heart racing.

Evey peered from above her book to look at her subject of such private thoughts. There he was dressed in his usual black and sat opposite of her on the couch reading silently. Blushing, she quickly looked back down at her book. The mask's lidless stare bore into her and whether or not they actually made eye contact, she did not know. She felt he was studying her again. She sighed loudly and shifted her weight, all the while mentally kicking herself.

"Stop being so paranoid!" She grumbled in her head. "In fact he's the one that should be paranoid, you can't keep from gawking at him for one moment! She frowned to herself. This was quite the frustrating matter.

It was true. She couldn't help but get a quick look at V whenever she could. He was just so fascinating to her. She simply could not get enough of him. She was by the very definition attracted to him. His speech matched perfectly with his voice. Everything syllable he uttered flowed gracefully with sophistication and dignity. The words he spoke were but an ornament of his smooth, deep, and silky voice. He had this very air of mystery and wonder about him that she could never get enough of. The very way he walked and dressed himself. All black, but handsome nevertheless.

Her eyes peeked out from above the book again and fell upon his vest. His vest was carefully stitched with grace, with small but elegant details covering the garment; her gaze then followed along his high black collar. Her eyes trailed slowly down and noticed that his gray poet's shirt underneath seemed to be made with the finest materials. She noted that both his gloves and boots were made out of black leather. She wondered how such exquisite leather gloves would feel on her skin. Shaking the thought, her eyes continued to travel. She silently complimented him for keeping his lean but slightly built form. She wondered what he looked liked without such clothes. Her eyes became hesitant as they wandered lower and lower. Embarrassed and not wanting to be noticed, she returned to her book where she had been studying the same page for an hour or so. Yes, in her mind he was attractive. Even though she had never seen his face, he presented himself in an attractive way and she believed that to be enough.

"Anything you that particularly like?" V said with curiosity.

He had notice that it had been quite a while since she had last turned a page in her book. She was not reading, he could tell. "She has been distracted," he thought smiling to himself. Yes, he had trouble reading, though it wasn't quite as apparent as Evey's predicament. He did not fail in getting distracted when he noticed how soft her champagne curls fell softy against her ivory face. Or how soft her pink lips looked. "Such works of art!" He was truly astonished. And her eyes; the thing he loved doing the most was looking into her gentle doe-like honey eyes. It was as though he couldn't drink in the sight fast enough; he drowned in her amber pools. When they locked eyes, then and only then did he feel truly chaotic. A burning sensation, "no…" he thought. "A burning desire." This burning desire awoke and lashed out painfully inside of him. He felt the need to taste those lips, her skin, and her own mouth. He needed her touch, her caress. "By God!" He screamed in his mind. This was all too much for him and too soon, but alas he remained motionless and calm on the outside.

Evey's beautiful symphony of thoughts had suddenly crashed together making an alarming, unbearable noise, all simply because of his disturbance. She jumped from the sudden noise.

Flustered and in a panic she responded, "What?" She said, surprised.

She had awakened from her daydreams to apprehension at the discovery of her previous actions and thoughts. "Did he notice that I was looking at him?" She thought nervously as she closed the book, but careful to not make eye contact. V, noticing her discomfort, sat his own book down on his lap.

"I am referring to your book. Is it pleasing to your taste?"

Feeling a slight release of tension, she smiled, "Ah yes, it is excellent." She looked at V again, feeling the heavy weight of silence upon them. "But I am afraid it is getting late in the evening and I cannot properly do it justice in such a tired state." V nodded and placed his book on coffee table and stood up, offering his arm to Evey. "Emily Dickinson would have appreciated such a gesture. Please, allow me to escort you to your room."

"His voice," she thought warmly. "Like silk…" She placed her book full of Emily Dickinson's poems on top of V's novel. She took his arm. Sighing blissfully, she rested her head along his arm as they walked together, arm in arm. Appreciating the gesture V glanced down at his resting beauty.

"As always, thank you for your excellent company tonight V," Evey said smiling as she stopped in front of her bedroom door. V took her hand in his and, bowing slightly, he lightly touched his porcelain lips to the back of her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mademoiselle."


Whoa! I was much rustier than I thought! This newly reloaded chapter that is now so excellently fixed is because of my wonderful editor-Ellina Hope! Much kudos to her for fixing my unsettling errors! And make sure to check out her out on And please feel free to leave and review! I am open to suggestions!