Finally, chapter five is here! Man! I've been busy. Writing this took the whole weekend. Phew. *rubs forehead* Well, as some of you can guess, we see into Null's past. Finally! ^_^
Ooh man, there's a lot of drama here! *jumps up and down* And some mentions of the Stag are referenced. :D I can guarantee that you're all going to love this chapter.
Another week passed before 7 was allowed to go outside again. She went outside, but only to the courtyard. Now she was allowed to wander the Emptiness, which overjoyed her immensely. She was ready to see Null without having to sneak around. The whole incident of 7's injury was forgotten and out of their minds. But that didn't mean anything was left unsolved. Since that talk, 7's been worrying herself sick over Null, the Stag, and her life overall. She knew that news about the Stag's existence wasn't going to go unnoticed, including Null's. From the moment she met him, Null made it clear that he didn't want anyone else to know him. It engulfed 7 whenever she had to keep his promise. And it just wanted to make her want to tell someone.
Over the past days, 7 came up with possibilities about Null's insistent secrecy. She came up with a menagerie of possible explanations. One of which including Null being an enemy, but that didn't sound like him. Null wasn't a bad guy, but something did bother him. Was he running away from someone or something? The way he acted when 7 mentioned her home gave him away. What was it about meeting other stitchpunks that made Null uncomfortable? She planned on asking him once she sees him. It was only fair, she's told him about her and everyone else. Time has passed and still nothing about him. All 7 knew was his name and him disliking beasts. Perhaps, tonight she would even tell him about her attraction towards him.
Today, as she left the library with her spear, 7 did just that: think about telling Null. Looking back at the entrance, she silently gave everyone her best wishes and then strolled down the road. Despite her confinement 7 did stop two more beasts—Cat Beasts—to be precise. It was invigorating fighting them. Killing them gave her an adrenaline boost. She could feel her circuits sparking, her gears working faster; she was on fire. But meeting Null after so long would be worth it.
7 wondered how she should tell him. Should she go right ahead or tailor her confession to the moment? He might be overwhelmed at first, but after thinking about it he might be able to process this more carefully. Even if Null didn't feel the same, it was better than him never knowing. And if he did, it would be better. Just saying it would be all the better.
The white stitchpunk reached the place they met. Their spot. She turned and went on her way, eager to see Null. She knew that today was going to be a great day.
Arriving to Null's home was the same as any other day. She hadn't been spotted by any beasts, and frankly, the only beast she wanted to see was the Stag. If Null was up to it, then she could help in any way. 7 was hoping to meet Null outside, but he was serious about keeping his cover. She respected that and she even understood him. Before she went inside, 7 looked around to make sure it was safe. Once checked, she emerge from behind the like of bricks and ambled on. Going up the steps she was eager to help out with the Stag and what plans Null made on killing it.
Making her way up the stairs, she swiveled her head, catching sight of the house. Nothing changed, that was a surprise. Upon reaching the top she immediately made her way to his room.
"Null!," she called. "You there?"
Standing before the great doorway, Null came out. He looked happy to see her.
"7," he said. The white stitchpunk smiled, glad to see him, too.
"Hey," she said. "Ready to take down that beast?"
Null nodded. "You know it," he said. "I've come up with some plans to trap him. Wanna see them?"
"Sure," replied 7 enthusiastically.
She followed Null into his room, where he led her to a spot in the corner to the right of the bed. There were scraps of paper littered on the floor. An inkwell and a pen laid beside the papers. Obviously, he had been very busy.
"You worked on these yourself?," asked 7, raising a stitched brow, skimming the papers. She raised her bird skull, but at the last minute took it off, seeing how she didn't need it at the moment. She laid next to her as she crouched down to look at these plans.
Null joined her. "I've had plenty of time to come up with these," he said, "during your absence." He included flatly.
7 felt bad for not being there for him to help him think up his plans. Now that she was here, she could help him build these traps, which all looked great. She briefly thought of showing these to 2 and 5. Building a trap to kill the remaining Cat Beasts would be essential.
Null picked up a sheet of paper. "I was thinking of building these poles," he explained, pointing to the blueprints. "I figured we could tie them here, a few yards away from my home." He looked up from his scrap of paper. "I've already chosen a spot; it's far enough away from here, so that the Stag doesn't suspect anything."
"Nice," commented 7, nodding. She paged through a few loose leafs, observing each blueprint. "You wanna get started on them now?"
"I started working on one of them," responded Null. "I was hoping you'd help me finish the rest."
"Of course," replied 7.
7 put her skullmet back on and followed Null outside. He took her to the spot he picked out. It was a little ways away from the house, not in the same direction in which they tried to disassemble it last time. She glanced at the ground and that's when she saw the net. She saw that the net was tied to four ropes which were tied to miscellaneous parts from every corner. It wasn't disguised very well, but 7 figured this was just the start of his plan.
"I was thinking you could help me set up the trigger," said Null, surveying his net.
"Where do you want to install it?," asked 7.
"I was thinking over here," replied Null, pointing to the ground before them. "But we can move it somewhere else if you'd like."
"No, actually," she said, "this is fine." She looked in both directions. "Have you picked out a string for it?"
"Yeah, I picked one out of a guitar string," said Null. He walked over to a toolbox. 7 looked over his shoulder, curious. Null pulled out a single string. It was indeed from a guitar, and from the looks of it, it seemed like it was pulled out rather than cut from said instrument.
"I've found some jumper cables to hold it in place," explained Null as he held one end of the string and 7 held the other. They walked over to the spot they were at. "I'll go get them. You can set up the poles I have picked out. There over there." He pointed to a stack of bricks behind her.
Setting the string on the ground, 7 went and carried one pole on her shoulder and then returned to retrieve the other. Null meanwhile brought the jumper cables. The two stitchpunks plunged the wooden poles into the dirt. Null took it upon himself to mound the dirt around them, so they don't fall to the side. 7 held one end of the string while Null clipped it together, doing the same to the other end.
"Now, what?," queried 7, raising her skullmet.
"I was thinking of this," said Null. "We hide and wait for the Stag to show up. When he arrives, one of us will come out and lead the Stag to this very trap."
"Alright," quipped 7. "What do we do after we trap it?"
"I'm glad you asked," retorted Null, pointing. He cocked his head over to his right. 7 looked and that's when she saw it: a catapult.
7 walked over to it, to get a better look at it. She wondered how she missed seeing it. Observing it, she saw that it had wheels that looked like they were taken from a small wagon. The wheels were nailed into two wooden blocks. The bucket was made out of a tennis racket. If she showed this to 2, he would want to build one just like it.
"Wow," she remarked. "You built this yourself?" She knelt down to check the wheels. They were a bit scuffed up, but otherwise worked fine.
"Well, I had to do something while you were away," said Null, putting his hands on his hips. 7 chuckled. "By the way," he added, "how are things with 2, and the others you mentioned?"
7 stood up, not sure how to word it. She scanned the area, from the mountains of debris to the sunny sky. She wondered whether she should take this conversation inside Null's dwelling.
Picking up her spear, she quoth, "Let's talk about this inside."
Quizzical, Null followed her back to his home, curious to find out what she had to share. The two strolled up the steps and stopped there. Null expected her to take him upstairs, but he was willing to do things her way. As soon as 7 sat down Null joined her, but he had to admit that sitting out here would give them away. He wondered if 7 would explain it fast, so they can get out of here.
"You see," said 7, brow furrowing, "back home...everyone's together. 9 and 5 are a couple. 3 and 4 have found love. 3 is with 8, and 4 is with 6."
"Good for them," said Null.
"Yeah," muttered 7. "Almost everyone."
Null eyed her curiously. 7 didn't look at him, rather she gazed down at the ground. There was this look on her face. A look of...longing. It took Null a few seconds to put two and two together.
"You want what they have," he said triumphantly. 7 had been trying not to chuckle, but he sort of brought it out of her. Shaking her head, she couldn't help but find it risible.
"I know, right?" 7 said. "It's pathetic, isn't it? I mean, I knew I was proud of them, and then I was getting secretly jealous and all. It's all misconstrued, you don't want to hear any of this."
"Naw, I do," assured Null, patting her on the back. "I know this is something that bothers you and I want to know: was there someone you were involved with? Maybe a long time ago?"
7 took her time with this. She had never talked to anyone about this, at least not so extensively. This personal topic burrowed into her.
"Well, there was," said 7, resting her chin on her knees. "But...that...that's all over." She shook her head in disbelief. "I...I'm sorry. Here I am venting out my innermost feelings to someone new and I..." She scoffed. "I..."
"No, it's okay," he said. "I don't mind hearing this." He smiled gently. 7 looked at him. The longing plucked at her chords. A pulse sparked. She hadn't seen him for days and she was already dreading leaving him. So many conflicting emotions flooded in. Frustration, anger, worry, dread, fear, sadness, and most of, all the burning passion. Breathing evenly, she got ready to speak, but she hoped Null didn't read too much into this.
"Null," she uttered, closing her optics, "after you...kill the Stag...what do you plan on doing?"
"Easy," he replied. "I'm gonna find more beasts to kill. I know there are more out there. And honestly—" He looked over his shoulder, at the the gaping hole, at the staircase, at everything that surrounded him. "—I don't see myself staying here much longer."
"Huh?" 7 perked up.
"Yeah, believe it or not," said Null, "but...I'm not too keen on staying in one place all my life." He glanced away, almost in shame. "It's great and all, but this was the first place I saw when I left."
7 gave him a confused glance.
"You said you wanted me to talk about myself, and I think you deserve it." Null replied firmly.
Here it was, the moment she was waiting for. 7 could practically feel her circuits pulsing.
"My human created me a long time ago to look after his little boy," began Null, optics staring down at the wooden steps. "The boy's name was Timothy. My human, who created me, his name was Robert. Anyways, he gave me a name after bringing me to life, he introduced me to his son." A smiled tugged at his lips. "We were inseparable. Timmy and I would play with his toys. Robert would leave me in charge of his son when he went out to find supplies and food for him and Timmy." Null stopped to catch his breath. 7 could see the distress in him.
"I knew what was going on outside our home," said Null after catching his breath. "I've never gone outside before, and I needed to be by Timothy. One day, Robert went outside to get more matches and canned goods...and he never came back. I thought the worst; Timothy thought he was lost, but I knew Robert. He wouldn't just disappear like that. I knew something happened.
"Timmy grew hungry and, against all the rules established, we went out to get something for him to eat. We managed to find some canned food and I found a can opener. But before I could get him to eat, trouble struck. A machine found us. We ran. It chased us, I don't think running away made any difference. The machine was a canine one I called the 'Wolf.' It had a bear trap for teeth, a wolf's skull, barbed wire tail, and bulb eyes. We were almost at the house, but it was too late. The Wolf got Timmy. It took a huge bite out of his neck. I stood there, hiding behind a trash can. I saw the blood pour out... I couldn't do anything.
"But I told myself that Robert wouldn't have wanted me to leave his little boy undefended. So, I grabbed a knife and stabbed the Wolf's eyes. Blinded, it couldn't see its prey. It ran aimlessly in circles for a while before I sliced its head off. Once it was dead I went over to Timothy. He looked at me and I couldn't do anything for him. Timmy looked at me and smiled. He told me that he'll always remember me. I stroked his head for a while. Then his eyes closed...dead." Null stopped again, this time turning away. 7 knew not to badger him and waited for him to speak. She felt this unexplained pang of regret overtake her. She wanted to know more about Null and now she was thinking getting him to open up wasn't a good idea.
"After," rasped Null gruffly, running a hand through his head, "after Timmy died I went back inside the house. I don't know why, I should've just left, but part of me wasn't ready to leave. I stayed in the house for two weeks. When Robert brought me to life...he showed me his blueprints, said they were given to him by a friend. I remembered the friend's name...it was Joel Croirdeu."
7 glanced up, optics wide. Null turned to her, confused.
"What?," he uttered, raising a brow.
"That...that was the Scientist's name," said 7. "My creator. That was his name. I-I remember reading his name in one of his notes."
"No kidding," said Null. He chuckled. "Wow...I'm...I'm impressed."
"Small world after all," quipped 7. She smirked incredulously.
"Well, at least I've finally figured out this puzzle," said Null. "I've spent years trying to figure out who came up with my blueprints and I find out that he's been dead for I don't know how long." He crossed his arms. "Now that I know, I still want to leave, see what's out there. Kill more beasts."
"But then," uttered 7. "We would never see each other again." She sounded genuinely upset, which was rare.
Null's answer was just as quick. "Why don't you come with me?"
"What?" 7 hooted, incredulous.
"Come with me," said Null more seriously. "You and I...we make a pretty good team."
"I don't know." 7's voice was drenched with worry. "What about the twins, and 6 and the others? I can't leave them."
"You left them before," reminded Null. "And they were alright without you."
"But still..." 7 stood up and paced. She felt dizzy. Leave with Null? This was happening so fast. She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't leave everyone. 7 couldn't find another way out of this. Changing his mind was too late, but not seeing him was worse. She couldn't think of anything more worse than not seeing Null.
Null rose up and walked up to her. "7," he said, clapping her on the shoulder. The white stitchpunk looked him in the optics, waiting for him to answer. She was more confused when he got down on one knee and he held her hands. "7," he repeated, not sure what to say next. "I can't think of any other person to spend the rest of my life with than you." He paused. "And...I know you might not feel the same way, but I...I love you, 7. I...I really do." He smiled, hopeful.
7's circuits pulsed. Her mind was racing. She thought she was in a dream because she never thought this would happen.
"I...I..." 7 trailed off. "I...I don't know what to say, because I love you too, Null."
Null's hexagonal pupils widened. He didn't know what to say, he stumbled over his words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"But...I..I don't know if I want this, Null," said 7, brow furrowing. She looked around like someone was watching, and she almost wished there were. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I want to do this or—I-I... This is so sudden."
Null's face became serious. "I understand," he said. He stood up this time, seeing no further need to do this. He held 7's hands though. The white stitchpunk didn't mind it and she liked this. "But...could you maybe consider this?"
"I—"
"You don't have to do decide right away," interrupted Null. "Take your time. But once we kill the Stag I will want to leave, I don't know when—"
"Then why don't you come with me?" 7 offered. "That way we can be together all the time."
Again, the same paranoia took over. Null couldn't find any way to speak up, or rather, change 7's mind. It was clear that they both wanted to be together, but had different ways to pursue it. Now that she knew he loved her, she wanted no more than to be with him and make it work.
"I...I'll think about it," replied 7. "Just give me a few days to think about it." Then she needed to change the subject quickly. "I have to go now." She let go of his hands. "I...I'll see you tomorrow." She walked down the steps, picking up her spear on the way.
"Ah, no worries," said Null. "I'll be...here."
7 nodded and lowered her bird skull. She strolled down the wooden stairs. She turned back and waved to him. Null waved back. Once he went inside his dwelling, 7 turned around and strolled down the road, desperate to get back home.
"Leave with him?" 7 told herself, staring down at the ground. The offer still burrowed in her mind. She had never been more confused in her life. There was still so much to think about and it felt like she was on a deadline. Null announcing his departure was evidence of that.
She glanced up. The library was just ahead. On her way home, she came across a Cat Beast a few yards back. It now laid dead, headless. Killing it really got Null's offer out of her head if only for a moment. Now that she was home, she wanted to make things back to the way they were. Putting her troubles behind, she jogged up to the gate. She was glad no one was around. It was just the flourishing grass. Entering the library, 7 immediately made her way to her room, not caring who greeted her.
When she pulled the curtain over, she stopped, surprised to see a visitor in her room.
"1!," she hooted, raising her bird skull. The latter spun around, slanted pupils widening. 7 put her spear against the wall. She then removed her bird skull and placed it on her block of wood that served as a makeshift table.
"7," said 1, wringing his hands.
"What are you—"
"I came to see you."
"I was out."
"I can see that." 1 cleared his throat. "I need to talk to you."
"What about?" 7 retorted, walking over to one of the cushions. As soon as she sat down, she saw that he wanted to join her, but instead chose to stand.
"Well," began 1, looked in both directions, as in noting the room for the first time. "You see... You know how everyone's paired off? 9 and 5 are an item. 3 and 8 are together. And..." He waited for 7 to get the point, which she got rather quickly.
"Yes?" She raised a brow in confusion. Annoyance dripped in her voice. She was suddenly deciding to end this conversation.
"Well," he said, approaching 7. The latter prepared herself to stand if he so much sat on the next cushion. "I was thinking...," 1 stated. "That maybe we could start things up again."
7 stared, dumbfounded. This couldn't be happening. She had to be hearing this. No, this has to be an insane dream, because this was out of this world.
"1..." 7 rose to her feet, walking towards the corner where her candle was. She folded her arms under her chest. "I...I don't think that's going to happen," she stated, closing her optics, even though her back was to him. "It's just not."
The elder stitchpunk approached her. "Why not?"
"It's just not!," spat 7, trying not to shout. She felt 1's hand on her arm. Snapping her optics open, she looked at his hand like it was a bothersome insect. She tried her hardest not to snatch her arm away. The least she could do was listen, and maybe he'll get the message and leave.
"But...but...," stuttered 1. "I've changed, 7. I'm not how I was before." He wasn't wrong. 7 did note the change after he was resurrected. Even though he was a little kinder, he was still coldhearted. The white stitchpunk was not having any of this.
"I know you have, 1," said 7, glancing quickly over her shoulder, "but we can't go back to how we were." She shook her head. "It's just not going to happen."
"Don't you remember?," pleaded 1, moving his hand up to her shoulder. "The first time we met? In his workshop? It was not long after 6 was awoken, and I waited by the Scientist's side, waiting for him to transfer his soul..." The elder stitchpunk hoped he was getting through to her.
It baffled 7 that he brought that up. After all, he was the one that ended things. And the only good thing he'd ever done was yell at her to leave. She knew he didn't want her to take the twins, but she knew he would corrupt them if they stayed. Her head span. She needed to sit down again. Sighing, she turned around, about to speak, when 1 pressed his lips against hers. 7's optics widened. The moment he broke the kiss, the moment 7 shoved him away.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
1 was at a loss for words. "I-I-I...," he sputtered. "I..I thought—"
"You thought what?!," shouted 7, fists clenching. "That you can just kiss me and everything would be alright?" She slapped her forehead, frustration ensuing. "Everything won't be alright!" She walked away to retrieve her bird skull. "You made sure of that when you sent me away." 7 looked over her shoulder then glanced away, holding her bird skull.
"B-but I've..." 1 strode up to 7. He put his hand on her shoulder, hoping he would get her to look at him. It didn't work and decided to just continue with his spiel. "7, I've thought about this a lot. Whenever you'd go out to the Emptiness. When you'd returned. What we had is not all gone, 7."
7 turned away, closing her optics in resolve. Holding her bird skull, she thought about what they used to have in the past. Long before 9 showed up. It was love at first sight back when she first awoke. She saw 1 and it just clicked. When they left the Scientist's home, they meandered through the war-torn town, avoiding getting stomped or thrown in the air. They made it to the cathedral, their first sanctuary. Arguments broke about between 7 and the leader. He wanted to keep everyone inside, but she wanted to go out and fight the beasts. Leaving was the hard part, but it was worth it. She took 3 and 4 with her, and she's been on her own ever since. After everything she'd been through; leaving the cathedral, spending her life with the twins in the library, stopping the Fabrication Machine. She'd dealt it all. But this was one thing she wasn't going to deal with.
"I'm sorry," 7 stated bluntly, walking away, skullmet in hand.
"7," said 1, following her.
"What we had is over," she said as she put her helmet on. She grabbed her spear next.
"7, please." 1's voice was shaking, but 7 was not about to fall into his arms.
"It's over, 1," spat 7 sharply. "Our relationship's been dead for years." She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, 1, but I don't love you anymore." She turned away and strode out the doorway. The elder was not letting her go so easily.
"7, wait!," he called, exiting the latter's bedroom. Luckily, 7 wasn't very far and she stopped. If only 3, 4, 6, and 5 weren't present for what he was about to say. But the expression on 7's face told him otherwise.
"Like I said, 1," said 7. "We can't go back to how it was. Things between us are over. It's over. OVER. I've..." No don't say anything. You promised. Oh come on, just say it! "I've found someone else, 1!" She was so out of breath she could've fainted right there. "And I'm leaving with him!" She lowered her skullmet. "Goodbye." She turned heel and ran, not caring that the twins and 6 listened to the whole thing. She didn't care. She needed to get out of here.
1 stood, dumbstruck. His pain was like a storm. It swallowed him whole and threw him back into the world. He felt like his whole body was crushed, stretched and crushed again. To hear that 7 met someone else struck him. It ate away at him. He wished for the ground to open up and swallow him up.
He knew there was nothing left to hold on to.
7 ran, her anger washing away. As soon as she announced leaving them, she immediately regretted it. She wished she hadn't said that, especially in front of the twins. Now that they partially knew, what would become of them? She knew they couldn't go with her, they had their relationships to think of. If she could convince Null to stay, then that would be okay, but he was serious about leaving. The thought of having Null living with her was a dream come true, but having him him under the same roof as 1 was complicated. There was no doubt that 1 would try to fight him for her. It seemed like something someone younger would do, and that's didn't sound like 1.
Either way, she needed to see Null.
"Null!," she called once she saw the house up ahead. Please be home. She turned to look at the horizon, the sun was already setting. Null had to be home. "Null!"
She thumped up the stairs and stopped in the foyer, looking around for any signs of Null. When she saw the coast was clear, she ran up the staircase.
"Null! Null, where are you?"
"In here!"
That didn't sound like it came from his usual room, but from the hallway. Reaching the top, she saw him walking up to her from the hallway on her left. He had a worried expression. 7 wrapped her arms around him, shaking hard. Null didn't know what happened to cause to be in this much distress, but he was prepared to listen. He led her to his room. 7 noticed he had a line of candles beside the human-sized bed. There was also a matchbox. While he busied himself lighting the candles, 7 plopped down on the cushion. 1's words still rang in her head, and she came all this way to forget about him. Setting her spear on the floor, 7 took off her bird skull, placing it gently on the floor.
When Null lit the last candle (the tenth), he sat beside her on the cushion next to hers. He still had that worried expression.
"What happened?" Null asked.
7 winced. It was bad enough having 1 kiss her, but talking about it just felt worse. The sooner she talked about, the better. It'll be out of mind then.
"I...," started 7, looking down at the floor, brow furrowing. She needed to say this right, one slip up and she might end up starting over again. "I went home, and when I went into my room I...found 1...waiting for me." She folded her hands, glancing away, closing her optics.
"I see..." Null said, giving a deep nod. He blinked, grabbing his bearings. "What...exactly did he do?"
"He...," said 7. She closed her optics again, frustration entwined in her. Exhaling, she hugged her knees, shaking her head.
Null observed her. He tilted his head to catch a glimpse of her face. It was hard when she didn't turn to face him, but that didn't matter once he figured it out.
"He was..."
"My first love," replied 7, slumping her shoulders. She opened her optics, her head resting on her knees.
"What did he—"
"He," interrupted 7. She looked at him this time, thinking it appropriate to look him in the face when she tells him. "He wanted us to get back together, seeing how everyone else is together. But I told him that our relationship was over a long time ago. I told him it was over. I...I didn't want to go back to what we had. There's nothing to fix." She glanced away, hunching her shoulders. "He...he kissed me."
"He what?" Null blurted, pupils widening.
"I...didn't want him to," pointed out 7. "I didn't... I... He... I was just so mad." She slammed her hand on the cushion. She grabbed at her forehead with the other. "I told him that it was over, that we're never getting back together." She flopped back on the cushion, huffing out an exasperated breath. 7 gaped up at the ceiling.
"So," said Null, "you and 1 aren't..."
"No," responded 7. "I don't love him anymore, Null. I let him know that." She looked over her chest, focusing on him. Gazing back at the ceiling she added, "He made sure of that when he broke things off. It was after I came home after fighting a Cat Beast"—7 sat up, turning around— "That's how I got this patch." She pointed with her right hand, at the red patch that covered her number.
"Whoa." Null uttered.
7 faced him, teetering between telling Null the next piece of news. "And...," she braced herself for what she was about to tell him. "I told him that I...I've met another."
Null's head jerked up, his optics wide. "Y-You told...?"
"I didn't tell them your name," corrected 7. "I just told them that I met someone else." She cocked her head, looking for nothing in particular.
Null shut his optics in resolve. He hesitated before speaking. "I'm glad that you didn't tell them anything about me."
"Yeah, well, now I'll have to explain why I'm leaving them," said 7. "Especially since 3, 4, and 6 were there when I told them I met another."
"That doesn't sound good," said Null.
"They've probably told everyone else about me leaving," uttered 7, crossing her arms.
"What are you going to do?" Null queried.
"Well, I know one thing I'm going to do." 7 answered. "I'm leaving with you."
Null might've misheard but he didn't. "W-What? You're serious?"
7 nodded. "Yup. I'm coming with you. And you know, this might be good for me. Get on out there, see the world, find others in need." Then she became pensive. "'Course, I'll be away from the twins... They'll all miss me, especially the twins. But..." She taxed her mind.
"Hey," said Null, creeping closer to her. "You only have one life to live." He gripped her shoulder, making her look at him. "And if you want to spend it coming here and back to that library, do it. If that's what you want. But let me tell you. It's not going to be easy, having to come and go, and then having 1 fight me for you. No, I won't stand for that."
"Heh, it would make things interesting," smirked 7. "You and 1 fighting over me." She let out a hearty laugh. Null shot her a look, which only amused 7 more. By the time she stopped, she was still amused but serious. "I—" snorted 7. "I'm sorry...but you're right. Sneaking out. Making up excuses. Having 1 trailing behind me. That's...that's not fair—to any of us." She shook her head. "I think it's best if we just leave." Sighing, she laid on her side. "Am I doing the right thing?"
"Yes and no," replied Null. 7 looked up, like she had misheard. "In one way, you have to think about taking care of yourself. And on the one hand your decisions won't always please everyone." He put his hand on her leg. "But," he added, "I know this: no matter where you are, no matter what...they won't stop loving you."
7 looked at Null's hand. She placed her hand on his. She smiled. "Really?" 7 looked at him.
"Really," replied Null. "Besides, we can visit them from time to time. If you want that."
"Actually, I'd like that."
Null pressed his forehead against 7's. Then suddenly he pulled away, excited.
"Oh wait," he said, standing up. "I have something for you." He ran over to the left side of the bed. "I found it the other day. I've been wanting to give it to you." 7 leaned over the cushion, to catch a glimpse of what Null was doing. Then he emerged from the corner holding a small gold box. The box looked like it was used to store earrings, but she doubted there were earrings in that box.
Null sidled up to 7, holding the box out for her. "Open it." He smiled.
7 took the box from him and placed it on her lap. She removed the lid, putting it beside her. She picked up the dress by its crimson red straps.
"What is this?" 7 asked, standing up. She looked at the dress with an amused expression. It was made of silk and it was long, skimming the floor. She liked how the red looked against the candlelight.
"I found it in an old toy store." Null explained. "I saw it on a doll, and I decided it'd look better on you. Go ahead, put it on."
"I don't know," said 7. "I'm not a big fan of dresses and, uh—"
"Aw c'mon, please?" Null begged. Seeing how he said it in a way 7 found adorable, she was willing to humor him.
The dress didn't have any zippers or anything, so she slipped it on easily. Smoothing it down, she looked down at her body drenched in red, a red that was in between crimson and blood. In the candlelight it threw back the flames in a flashy way. 7 stepped down from the cushion, lifting the skirt to keep from tripping.
"Do you have a mirror?," she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"There's one in the hallway," replied Null. "Over here." He led her outside the hall and they strolled to the right. 7 saw the door behind her reflected in the mirror. Standing before the mirror, she looked at herself.
Her fabric looked whiter with the red dress on. 7 wasn't adept in dressing up or fashion, but it looked great on her nonetheless. She liked how the dress made her look thinner. Even in the dark, the bright red fabric gave her away. With her alabaster fabrics draped in dark red, she looked ravishing in a hauntingly way.
"You look beautiful," said Null. He rubbed her arms, then his hands rested on her waist.
"Tehehe. Such a flatterer," mused 7. She rested her head on his shoulder. She caressed his face with her left hand. She sighed contently.
Null kissed her. Sparks flew. 7 felt the rest of the world melt away once his lips touched hers. Her feet were lifted off the floor. Opening her eyes, she was in his arms and the look he gave her suggested he'd like to take it a step further. Null took her back into his room. Walking past the arrangement of candles, Null climbed onto the cushion, dropping to his knees. 7 laid down as Null kissed her again. Wrapping her arms around her neck, 7 was ready to forget about 1 and everything he put her through.
"I love you, 7," said Null huskily.
"How much?"
"Ah, I'll show you how much," replied Null. He engulfed her in another kiss. 7 felt sparks in her circuits. By the way Null held her down, she was going to spend the night here. She slept here the other night, and she was alright with this. She could get used to this.
Ooh, talk about drama. O.O Well, now that we've gotten this far, I might as well clue you in on a few things. I headcanon that 1 and 7 used to be a thing back before 9 came along. Way before he came along. And well, 1 wanted to keep her safe; 7 wanted to go out and kill the beasts. He didn't want her getting hurt, so he tried to keep her inside. She snuck out one day and got injured, that's how she got the patch on her back.
I'm feeling bad for 1, but not so much in the sense that he broke it off. Now that we know more about Null and his past, maybe he can be a better mate for 7. 8D
Chapter six is on its way, guys. Don't go away. ;)