A/N: Although the main story is finished, I'll be posting here a series of one-shots dedicated to Robert/IT and Madeline, refering to their future (and maybe past as well, who knows). And so here's the first one, bringing some happiness to these two just because they deserve it ;)
The following chapter was suggested by - yasdnilgoth
Under Stars
Flames weaved brightly before her eyes, climbing up towards the omnipresent darkness to split into tiny glints, and rest on the near-midnight sky as shiny, little stars. Outside, it was still cold even while sitting near the fire at the backyard of the old Well House, with two shirts on. When the yard's been cleansed of all kinds of weeds and ivy (and there were many), she asked him about making a campfire one evening straight away. That was yet another thing she liked to do as a child: watch the flames. It was hypnotizing and calming in a way, that made her feel safe, and she did really love the contrast between the beaming fire and the darkness all around. Warmth and cold — both pleasing, but mixed together, they were sending goosebumps dancing on her skin along with the lively light. Speaking of contrasts. The House itself was a great example of balance between the old and the new. It's been renovated, but the overall look and feeling about the place was exactly the same, however now familiar, and not disturbing anymore. It was almost finished; only the basement had yet to be taken care of, and a single room on the first floor which Robert kept locked for a reason unknown to Madeline. But she didn't mind. The girl let him have his oddities as long as they weren't destructive. 'If' they weren't... Sometimes she wondered what was behind that door, and even the idea of breaking in has crossed her mind once or twice, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
Your curiosity will be the death of you one day, Maddie.
Sound of the door to the back porch being opened and closed drove her away from her thoughts, and suddenly he was there, with a blanket swung over his forearm. She was still watching the flames, as he spread it on the ground, next to their provisional seat made out of a big log, but what caught her attention was that he did it awkwardly, with one hand. There was a glass in the other one, less than a half of it filled with liquid of color she couldn't define in this lighting.
"Hey, what's that?" Madeline asked, eyeing the glass suspiciously.
"That, um... A drink." Robert tried to keep a straight face and avoided her stare while settling down, careful not to spill any on his jumper.
"I can see that. And you haven't brought me one?"
"That would be inappropriate, wouldn't it, little one?" There it finally was; a smirk bent his lips slightly. He knew she wouldn't be necessarily happy about this, but patted the seat next to him invitingly anyway. The girl denied the offer with a frown.
"And drinking by yourself is? Besides, since when do you care what is appropriate and what isn't?"
"Since you still haven't reached twenty-one. And just because my intentions weren't always justified, doesn't mean I want to demoralize you."
She just had to crack a chuckle at that.
"Demoralize." Madeline mimicked his sudden oh so practical tone. "So, you're playing the adult now, huh? I think you're just being an asshole." And yet, there was a half-smile on her face, while she sat down next to him, the log now serving as a backrest for the two.
"Maybe." He said, turning his voice so smooth, it made her forget the fire, and turn directly towards him. "Or maybe I just prefer you exactly the way you are..." Those flames reflected in the man's eyes, and just for a second she could've thought they were gleaming. "...with a bright, innocent mind." His hand went up to tuck behind her ear that one stubborn strand of hair that kept falling from her ponytail. "It is a treasure." She felt her cheeks starting to flush. Had she waited with answering just a while more, it would be hard to think straight.
"Are you sweet-talking me just to make me forget I don't like the fact that you're drinking?" She asked with just a hint of cynicism, and it made him laugh.
The topic wasn't brought up again, he only took an occasional sip from time to time, while the conversation went on, heard only by the pitch-black sky. They had spent many days together, but now the atmosphere was somehow unique. Robert's never imagined that such a simple setting would ever bring him as much joy, but it did. Some time ago, he actually wouldn't have even thought that anything could bring him joy, other than slaughtering the innocent ones. But now he was able to feel another kind of joy... Pure, so somewhat alien to him, but pleasant in the most odd way possible. He was still getting used to it. Sometimes he thought his current state was nothing but a dream, but each morning he woke up (to his genuine surprise), later on seeing her again, and then everything was fine. Not that Robert didn't enjoy his old ways oh no, the acts at the ghost rides were an utter delight to him. That was one of the things that'd never change. Well, that... and...
At times his fingers would start tingling with violent anticipation, and he'd force them to straighten and clutch into a fist repeatedly in an attempt to ease out the feeling. His eyes would dart into multiple directions, searching God knows for what, and his heart would be taken by what could be described only as an electric shock, pumping the blood way too fast. These were the times when the man still felt the strange pull back to his primal behaviors.
Some say that a monster cannot be human, but everybody knows that a human can be a monster.
And he still could. But that's when she came in. Just a tap on the shoulder, or her hand crawling into his would suck the rage out of his body, and make his vision of the world around clear again. It was all since he'd found his memories, but did not happen too often though. It was there to come at the most unexpected moments, reminding him just how much he needed her to go on. The fact that most of the time she wasn't aware of that, only deepened the feeling. She was like the roots of a tree, grounding him to common sense, steadying the mind. And it was evident especially now, when he had her back pressed against his chest as she was curled up in between his legs. He'd intended to keep her warm, or that's what he'd told her. In no time the lively brightness lighting up their faces started to dim, and slowly turned to a small pile of silently burning up embers, from which a shiny glint or two would be sent to the sky, then disappear. By the time their faces were already turned towards the stars, and stars only. Without the fire she'd started to shiver, and so she was now wearing Robert's jumper, not caring even if it was so big, it could fit not one, but two Madelines. Besides, its smell was soothing to her senses. Cotton candy.
The sky unfolded itself before them part by part, as she tried her best to describe some of the constellations to him. However, each time he objected, claiming that the display of the stars had nothing to do with the constellation's name, and so they ended up inventing their own. For example the Big Dipper ended up as the Big Balloon, and the girl was one hundred percent sure that's exactly how it should be called.
"You know, I always wondered how it would be up there. In space, I mean." She admitted quietly.
"But you have experienced it, haven't you?" Robert asked staring up as well, the darkened memories of that time lingering at the back of his mind.
"Well, yes, but it wasn't like I could take my time to enjoy the view, really. It was more... spiritual, than physical experience. Plus, I hardly knew what was going on."
"Hm." That was true. What she went through then must've been awful. "Guess you're right. For a human, it must be odd in the least." Her head turned up to look at him, biting her lower lip to keep in the question she's wanted to ask for quite some time to. It got out anyway.
"But not for you. How would you describe it? Is it where you come from?" He wanted to suppress the answer as well, to say that he won't discuss his past, but a part of him wanted to open up to someone. And in her eyes there were again those little sparkles of fascination. Just how could he not let them burn?
"Yes. It is. Although now I'd probably see it as you did, what it meant to me before was power. Untamed and alive, and deadly enough to drive a mortal mind insane just by being in the presence of it." As Robert talked, his fingers came from behind to caress her jawline deliberately. There was a hint of the old harshness in his voice, and her heart quivered. "Where I could be infinite. But it was still a curse, unbearable nonetheless."
"I can't even imagine." Madeline mused, lost in thought. "So the universe really is infinite? Is there really nothing to hold it together?"
"Of course, there is." He remarked, a bit bemused by how little did humans know about the world. "Your Earth is just one of many universes, that exist."
"W-what?"
"It's true. They subsist as parallels, or even worlds completely distinct, inhabited by creatures different from any of those known to you. This world is not the only one I've been living in."
Well, that was a shock for Madeline. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised her, considering how much she's already witnessed, but to hear a clear confirmation to a thing so extraordinary was truly overwhelming. She wanted to move away to have a look at him, and see that he was being true, but he wouldn't let her. The man's arms coiled around her waist, holding her tightly in place. "No, no, stay just where you are."
"But-"
"Unless you don't want me to continue?"
"I do, but..." His tone brooked no opposition, and so did his grip, and she let out a deep, defeated sigh.
"Good girl." He was so pleased with himself, the good girl just had to elbow him in an act of defiance. "Ouch!" Robert laughed. "So, where was I? Ah yes, before I came to Earth there was another place. A place, which is now almost completely ruined and desolated. My stay there was quite fortunate, my performances were the main attraction in the local theme park." Madeline's brows slightly furrowed. Was that really possible? She didn't want to interrupt him, though. "That is, until it all turned to dust. War is typical not only when it comes to your kind. And there are many dark, powerful beings with the thirst for power. Many are much stronger than me, but there are other shape shifting creatures as well; monsters as you'd call them. While some are just as nightmarish as one could imagine, others turn to the object of your longings and desires. To dreams."
"Dreams?" She asked, dazed by his words.
"Yes. To lure in their prey the more effectively. They consider sentimentality as weakness, and so they use it to their advantage."
That was the cruelest of tactics the girl could imagine. What would that kind of monster show to her, she wondered.
"And what about the Turtle? What is he?"
"Maturin? That ancient fool?" Robert's tone gave off clearly the aversion towards the entity.
"So you're still against him? Why? He helped you. And I clearly wouldn't think of him as foolish." Madeline spoke in Maturin's defense. A short scoff escaped the man's mouth.
"That he was of use once, doesn't mean I'll change my opinion of him." But a while after he heard how ignorant the words sounded, it was obvious he should've though twice before making that statement. "But you do have a point. Although, there's nothing really interesting about him. Maturin's one of the so said 'good' ones, and a sworn enemy of mine. Born billions of years ago, and all he does is sleep."
"Aand cure ungrateful entities, such as yourself." She added, trying again to prove the Turtle's worthiness, with hardly any effect.
"Yeah, I bet he'll choke up on a galaxy or two one day."
She just rolled her eyes, and her stare went back to the stars above them. Now that Madeline knew, that while she sat there in his weird embrace, there were many wondrous things hidden behind the skies, it saddened her.
"Rob, don't you... miss it? I mean..." It was hard to find the right words. "There's the whole wide world out there. Your world. And you can't be a part of it anymore. You can't even see it." And it's because of me. She spoke with guilt in her voice, hoping he wouldn't notice.
"Oh I can see it. I see it clearly right now, little one." Replied Robert so smoothly, it made her twist her head and look up, thinking how the hell would he be able to do that, and then she froze.
He wasn't looking up, but down. At her.
The realization set Madeline's heart aflame. She didn't really know what to say. Just the subtle movement of her lips on his expressed how she felt. Though his hands never left her waist, he didn't stop her, when the girl changed her position to sit astride him, in fact, nothing could make him more pleased. Her kisses were different from anything he's ever experienced, for no one has ever been so gentle with him. Oh, if she'd only knew what cravings it awoke in him...
"Why do you keep calling me that?" She asked, when the kiss broke. "Am I really that little?"
"Out of sentiment." Was his answer. Being able to see the man's expression again awoke a strange feeling in Madeline. It was always so... equivocal. For a second his teeth flashed white in a wide smile, and those green eyes melted into hers, filled with adoration, while his hands slid lower, pulling her even closer. "It is a paradox, you know." Robert's tone became a whisper, when his lips inched to her neck. "That someone's whole world can be enclosed in one person."
And when in between his kisses he didn't abstain to bite, the stars still shone, sparkling like jewels.
A/N: Those, who know about the little easter egg in the Dark Tower movie will get where I got the Pennywise theme park idea from. Just saying ;)
