Author's Note: There is no amount of apologies I could give to make it up to my dear, lovely readers. Besides writer's block, with the show making Sue x Darrin cannon I just lost my muse and my motivation, since there were no more scenes with this lovely pairing! Please forgive me?
To anyone still reading… I present to you the final chapter of Lullaby Delirium! All past glimpses into the future, and the height and fall of this relationship lies just ahead!
I often think about how lucky I am to be born. Not only to be alive, but to be born in this time. Where there is so much technology, so much understanding, and no current world war…I can't imagine how hard life was like a few generations ago. Heck, I know I wouldn't survive. I mean, look at me! You call me a dork all the time, and I'm a hapless loser who's always getting hurt. But, do you know what I think about most of all?
I often think about how lucky I am to be born around the same time as you.
X
"Mom! Can you please take me to the hair salon tomorrow? Pretty please with color sprinkles on top?" Begging her distracted mother, Sue was just one day away from the big dance. As Frankie waved her daughter with a noncommittal acceptance of the task, Sue danced in glee before running to her room.
"What was all that about? Sue being a beggar again?"
Refusing to chuckle at the joke, Frankie glared at her son in reprimand. "Stop it Axl, leave your sister alone, she's just excited about the dance! Speaking of, does she know who she's going with? Who is it Axl?"
"Geez, get off my back woman, I told you I got this!" Huffing dramatically, Axl left the kitchen and nodded to his dad as he passed him by. Knocking on Sue's door, he interrupted her mock dancing with the dress over her clothes. "Are you practicing dancing or having a seizure?"
"Axl! Get out! Mooooom! Axl's bothering me again!" yelling with a mischievous smirk only Axl could see, they both knew their mother would respond with half-hearted concern as Axl leaned in to kiss Sue softly.
"Axl! Go to your room!"
Whispering while pulling away, Axl kept firm eye contact with his sister. "Only if you come with me." Walking towards his room, he yelled back fake defeat to his parents before winking at Sue.
Debating whether or not she should take the risk of uncharacteristically being seen in Axl's room, just then Brick walked by slowly, intent on reading his book as he headed to his room. Sighing in disappointment, Sue closed the door to her room and started preparing her schoolbag for the last day of school before the dance.
X
"Oh my God Ms. Popular! You never have time for us anymore!" Flamboyant and full of energy, Brad was creating a ruckus by the lockers despite it being only nine a.m. "Where have you been? All these guys have taken an interest in you but they know they don't stand a chance, what with you never even having time to hang out with us! So who is he, this mystery guy?! You have to give me all the details. Oh! Unless you took up a new hobby, you know I said I'd do Zumba with you!"
"Brad, Brad! There's nothing to dish, there's no…guy, or anything. I've just been working on my, um, knitting!"
"Liar! There would be Band-Aids all over your fingers if you were knitting Sue Heck, don't forget I know you better than you know yourself! Ugh! Can't believe the day when you lie to me has come. He must be really worth it! Ooo, do your parents disapprove? Is he a college boy?"
"Um… I, you see… oh!" Catching the eye of her best friend, Sue reached out to her life line. "Carly! I've been looking all over for you!"
"Hi Sue!" Walking behind the short bubbly girl was Eric, Carly's boyfriend and date to the dance. The goofy pair waved enthusiastically at him, and after nodding at them, he waved goodbye before heading to class. "What's going on? You guys seem so lively."
"Sue has a boyfriend and won't tell us who he is!"
"I do not! Stop it, Brad!" Redirecting her attention to Carly, Sue perked up. "So, I was thinking that my mom could drive us both to get our hair done tomorrow before the dance, and then me, you, Brad, Eric and um…yeah, just us, can go all together!"
"Oh! That sounds like a great plan Sue! Is Brad your date for the dance?"
"As if! This girl ditched me for a mystery man!" Crossing his arms he glared tiny daggers at Sue before walking away with a wave. "Oh, hi Axl!" Enthusiastically calling out his name, Brad then turned down the hall to go to 3rd period class.
Looking up at her brother's name, Sue watched as Axl's face turned from discomfort to interest as he made eye contact with her. When a teammate from his football team slapped his back playfully to most likely make fun of the interaction with Brad, Sue was enchanted with how he could hardly stop himself from looking at her.
After the third call of her name, Carly gave up on Sue and turned to see what she was looking at. "Oh, it's Axl, boy he is always so popular. Are you going with one of his friends to the dance? What was Brad talking about?"
Snapping out of it, Sue turned to Carly to usher her away from the lockers and towards class. "I really don't know what he's talking about, honest!"
X
Axl was desperate, Sean had told him at the start of lunch that he was going to take a senior classmate of his to the dance tomorrow, and that he had hoped Axl told Sue the truth. Panicked, Darrin had overheard the conversation and offered to take Sue, but Axl had a bad feeling about the combination of idiots and refused to hand Sue over to him.
"Wouldn't it be cool if we could have like, one of those themed balls, the ones in James Bond movies where the assassin is like- 'Oh! You look pretty fancy and bam! You're dead!'" acting out the scene, Darrin sat down with a hard thump, proud of himself for his idea.
"You mean like ones rich people throw?" Sean shook his head at his friend before stuffing the lunch meat in his mouth.
"Yeah, that!"
"Lame! You go to a dance to kiss a girl when the slow music starts, think about how awkward it would be if we didn't know how to dance like them, not smooth at all." Sean nodded at his own assessment before gesturing towards Axl.
"Worse, what if you get the girl wrong. Like, when they go crazy over wearing the same dress or shoes, girls don't like to share…and then you start dancing with the wrong girl because don't they switch partners and stuff? With Axl's luck he'll be partnered with weird Ashley all over again!" Laughing and playfully punching each other at the concept, Axl let out a groan at the idea before having an epiphany.
"I have to go! Save me that pudding!" Dashing off and missing Sue's curious gaze, Axl figured he could make it to the costume store and back before the end of the school day.
X
"You're here! When I saw you run out of the school I thought you left for the day, I tried texting you but didn't hear back. I was ready to take the bus. Is everything okay? Is mom and dad okay? Oh! Did mom leave the oven on again?! Did our house burn down?! Where will we live?! I'll have to get five jobs, but we can do it if we stick together!"
"What? No!" Giving her an incredulous look, Axl opened the car door with confusion. "Why are you such a spaz? Just get in the car, we're going home."
"Is everything really okay?"
"Yeah, it's whatever. Stop asking."
"Why are you suddenly treating me so coldly Axl?"
"Geez, I'm not. Stop getting so dramatic." As they pulled up to the house, Sue was disappointed that Axl didn't offer to drive them somewhere to make-out like he had every Friday for the past few days. Hesitating to get out of the car, when Sue saw Axl get out and walk to the house without looking back at her, she simply sighed and followed him in.
Axl's mind was preoccupied with how he was going to pull off his plan. Would he be discovered? What plausible lie could he come up with to throw suspicion? All the while he was thinking of this elaborate ruse, he failed to recognize Sue's growing anxiety.
With Axl ignoring her throughout the rest of the evening and not making a pass to kiss her or touch her, Sue became disheartened at the prospect of dancing with someone else tomorrow, and instead wanted to stay home with Axl alone. Glancing constantly at Axl to see if he was going to sit next to her on the couch, or come into her room to 'bother' her, Sue tried to distract herself by reading her teenage magazines that may give some tips on her boy troubles. Unfortunately for her, there was no tip on how to fix your secret love relationship with your brother.
When Axl finally emerged from his room to go to the bathroom, a near repeat of the first night that started him on this path of unforgiving sin, played out once more before him. Crashing on the floor, Sue perked up after her instantaneous apology upon realizing that she had landed on Axl. Shuffling under her, Axl tried to move her off him without eye contact but Sue held fast, concern decorating her features.
"Axl…" soft and innocent, she bent down and kissed his lips. Pulling back, she looked quickly up and down the hallway, ensuring that they were alone. With everyone in their bedroom, Sue rested her head on his chest. "I can hear your heartbeat. Why is it beating so fast?"
No answer met her simple question, and eventually she lifted her head in frustration. "Why have you been ignoring and avoiding me today?"
"Just drop it Sue, and could you get off me? You're heavy!" Moving to accommodate his wishes, Axl had to fight the urge to hold her tight when her face morphed from confusion to offense. "Listen, I'm just thinking about a lot of things. Like the dance tomorrow. You shouldn't be so trusting to go with a guy you haven't even met, you know."
"But Axl, you told me to trust you, and I do. I know you wouldn't set me up with someone bad."
"That's not what I meant. Just…forget it. I think you should forget about the dance. Just stay home, alright?"
At first, she was quiet, watching him to see if she could figure him out. When she couldn't, her eyes started to water before she furiously wiped at them. "What are you doing Axl? Is it because you don't want to see me with anyone else? If that's the reason…why don't you just be honest and say it?"
Knowing that she has been looking forward to showing off her new dress and appearance to everyone at school, Axl couldn't take that away from her despite his plan to have a private dance with her somewhere. Though he wanted to be selfish and keep her to himself, he refused to cage her up like a beautiful bird, never to see the world and experience the joy of spectators gawking at her unique beauty.
"Pshaw. Like I care about you dancing with anyone else? Heck, I'm going to be dancing with tons of girls tomorrow night. I just didn't want you to embarrass me." Instantly regretting his on the spot lie, he reached out to Sue to try and take back the words he never could.
"Oh." As she stood up quickly, refusing to meet his gaze, Axl wanted the carpet floor to eat him whole.
Expecting Sue to cry or run away, Axl was not prepared for Sue's coldness. Quickly, she slapped him. In a flash, concern was etched across her face but was quickly replaced with a distant look in her eye. "So you're going to do this again? Lie and make up excuses to hide your true feelings?" Tilting her head after the summation of her guess, she nodded without his affirmation.
As Sue walked away back into her bedroom, Axl silently stood in the hallway; his eyes ablaze with the realization that everything was crumbling apart faster than it started. Angry at himself for unwittingly hurting Sue once more in an attempt to conceal a truth that was far more painful, he was more irritated at the idea that his sister could see right through him, and call him out on his nonsense.
Walking to the door, his fist hovered over the wood in hesitation. Eventually deciding to let things unfold tomorrow with his plan, he brought his hand to his side.
Softly, he murmured under his breath. "I promise I'll make it better tomorrow. You deserve better, Sue."
X
When Sue returned home from the hair salon with Carly, after a silent battle against Axl this morning, and giggling distractions while on her beauty date with her best friend, she was saddened when her father informed her that Axl already left to get ready for the dance.
"Isn't it…a bit early though?" Despite still being angry from yesterday, she couldn't help being hopeful in the idea that he would accompany her to the dance.
"I think a girl called and asked for him to pick her up and take her out to dinner or something, at least that's what he mumbled while rushing out the house." Mike shrugged. "Who knows?"
Frankie dropped the groceries on the table from when she went shopping while Sue underwent her hair make-over. "Mike, can you drive Sue and her friends to the dance? I want to relax after all this shopping- you wouldn't believe the fights I had to get into to get some of the deals!"
Rolling his eyes, he gave in to her plea and told Sue to let him know when everyone's ready to head out.
"Thanks Dad! Carly and I are just going to put on our make-up and dresses and we'll be ready in a jiffy!" Smiling while bringing Carly to her room, Sue glanced at Axl's door and visibly became dejected. Carly, picking up on the change in mood gave Sue a comforting pat on the back.
"It's going to be okay Sue, you look really pretty and I bet a lot of boys are going to want to dance with you tonight."
"Thanks Carly." Too bad the only one I want to dance with is forbidden, she thought.
Later, as the girls prepared to be driven, with Frankie gushing over how beautiful her daughter looked and what a shame their dates were not picking them up, Sue smiled for the picture that unknowingly would memorialize a soon to be metamorphic night.
"So Sue, do you have a date to this thing?"
"Yes Dad, he's going to meet me there, so will Carly's date."
Gutturally responding, Mike pulled up to the curve in front of the school and looked back at his daughter to stop her as her friend got out. "Sue, you look really nice tonight." Mike raised his hand to stop Sue from interrupting his speech with a squeal. "So, I expect boys will be looking at you. Just promise me you'll be smart, okay? Look for your brother if you have any problems. I know he doesn't act like it, but he does love you Sue, and I know he'll protect you from any stupid boys that try to hurt you."
The million pieces that came together to create this heart-filled blameless love, now shattered and crumbled into fragmented bits of guilt laced sin.
"I will Dad. Thank you…" leaving the car before he could see her tears, Sue walked briskly past Carly so the breeze could gently brush against her cheeks and give cause for her glassy eyes.
The Spring Dance was filled with bright decorations and matched her canary yellow dress perfectly. As Carly met up with Eric quickly, and Brad gushing over how pretty she looked, all Sue Heck could do was scan the crowd for her brother, Axl.
"Sue! Is that you? You look great!" Blushing at the compliment, Sue thanked Darrin and inquired about Axl and Sean. "Oh, those jokers? Sean is with some girl by the punch bowl and I haven't seen Axl all night." Nodding, Sue wondered if Axl was still at dinner with his date. The feelings of envy and rage were new to her but she did her best to suppress them. "Hey Sue? If you're not here with anyone, do you think you would do me the honor of being my date?"
Carly, who was within earshot, giggled and pushed Sue towards Darrin. Eric, who was nice enough but didn't care much for sneaky flirtations, gave Darrin a pat on the shoulder and asked him to 'man up'. "C'mon Carly, let's leave these two alone. Darryl wanted to introduce his date to us, let's go find them."
Feeling embarrassed and awkward by the situation at first, Sue then realized that she should enjoy the moment, since Darrin was a great dancer anyway. "I'd love to, Darrin." Happily, the both of them started to dance off-beat to the music. After a few songs, Darrin asked Sue what happened with her date.
"I don't know, guess he was a no-show!" Shrugging, Sue stopped dancing when the music unexpectedly changed to a slow dance. Watching other couples get closer, Sue frowned at the idea of not having Axl here in this moment.
"Do you mind if I get a little closer?" Reaching out to Sue, Darrin, who was in a matte black shirt, bashfully grabbed her waist and brought her towards him.
In that moment, as Sue looked out onto the dance floor, as if a hidden S.O.S. beacon has been sent out, she met Axl's forceful gaze. For a moment, his expression underwent a kaleidoscope of emotions. At first, stricken, then a slow blend leading eventually into possessive anger. With three long strides, Axl had crossed the dance floor towards the exit. Sue without thinking and running on pure instinct, left the clueless Darrin and ran after Axl.
Once outside, Sue shouted towards Axl and demanded an explanation.
"Axl! Answer me!" Grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around to face her, Sue didn't take a moment to admire his choice of clothes and instead focused on being frustrated over his mysterious hot or cold game. When his eyes stayed fixated on the floor while clutching something dark in his hand, Sue sighed and stepped back to lean against the building's wall.
"Was this your plan all along…? To make me look so…stupid and alone? In front of everyone?"
"Sue…it wasn't like that…" Looking up, Axl stopped trying to explain the situation, confused because she ended up being perfectly fine, looking happy while dancing with Darrin. In this moment, he briefly wondered if he should just break it off now. Let this unhealthy obsession to be near her, and possess all of her, wither away so she has a chance at a normal, happy life.
"How could you? I trusted you!" Frustrated with his half-hearted answers and unfinished excuses, Sue started to walk away.
All the words he wanted to shout collapsed upon one another in a desperate attempt to get out first. Words like 'Don't leave.', or 'Run away with me' sought shelter through his cowardice. In the end, Axl knew he didn't have the power nor the means to force Sue into a permanent solution for a temporary problem. "Please-wait! Just hear me out! I didn't mean to-"
"ENOUGH! I'm done listening to your excuses! I'm done…with you!" Running back into the school gymnasium where the dance was being held, Sue had every intention to run to the bathroom in order to call her father to pick her up. However, Darrin, seeing Sue return walked quickly to her and interrupted her plan with a barrage of questions.
"What's wrong Sue? You looked really angry back there? Did you get your…you know what?"
At first confused, Sue focused on what Darrin was saying and visibly tensed up. "Ew! Darrin! What's wrong with you? You're not supposed to talk about that out loud." Frantically throwing her hands in the air, she tried waving Darrin away. "I just…have a lot on my mind right now, I'm sorry Darrin. You're a great dancer and really nice but I…"
Smiling, the senior year boy placed his hand on Sue's shoulder in a comfortingly gesture. "Nah, it's fine. If you want some punch or to continue dancing, I'll do whatever I can to make you feel better."
On the verge of replying, Sue became shocked into silence when a figure dressed in a pale grey suit while wearing a shiny silver mask emerged behind Darrin. Noticeably, the guy's hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, and his lips were small yet in a firm line before it spoke.
"Dance with me."
As if she were hypnotized, Sue nodded and placed her hand in the welcoming black gloved palm. Darrin, who was confused and felt he had recognized the voice, but couldn't quite make the connection, watched wordlessly as Sue started dancing with the mysterious figure.
As to be expected, the spectators grew quickly as everyone around them turned to see who Sue was dancing with, no one seemingly able to figure out who it was. Sue, who knew the moment she saw him walk up behind Darrin, had to fight back tears of happiness as she let her brother, Axl, lead her in a soft, slow dance.
"Everyone is watching."
"Let them." A twirl and then a shift of his hands as it trailed gently from her hip to rest softly on the nape of her neck.
"Why are you doing this? How did we…get here?"
The music was reaching its' peak, and as teachers started to walk out on to the dance floor to break up the commotion, Axl dipped Sue smoothly so her hair touched the floor.
"Before I realized it, I had spent a couple of hours thinking about you." Gently, almost timidly, he whispered in her ear.
"Hey, you there! Take off your mask! Do you even go to this school?"
When picking her back up, his lips turned into a defeated smile. "And after it was far too late, I had fallen in love with you."
Placing a quick kiss on a breathless Sue's lips, Axl dashed out of the gymnasium in a flurry, leaving excited teenagers in his wake. Sue, who blinked back tears and was unable to leave her position, was swarmed by classmates and teachers alike, asking her to explain what just happened.
"I…have to go." Catching Darrin's heartbroken gaze, Sue silently apologized before running outside to see a familiar car.
Still wearing the mask, Axl had his face pressed up against the driving wheel of his car. As Sue walked slowly up to the passenger door, she bent down and watched him silently for a moment. When had she fallen so completely in love with her brother, she questioned. Using her nail to tap softly against the glass, Sue smiled warmly as Axl shifted his face to the side and watched her in disbelief. She didn't know if this was the right decision, but in heart she knew there was no going back now.
Quickly, Axl took off his mask and opened the car so he could sit up straight to face her as she sat down. "You came." Nodding silently, Sue sat still, trying to absorb all that happened. "We should leave…um. Yeah, mom and dad are home so…"
"Just drive, Axl." Following her command, Axl started up the car and drove out the parking lot just before a few students came out to investigate the exciting event further.
X
Silence enveloped the car as the star-crossed couple drove outside their small town for a half-hour. With each passing moment, Axl wanted to pull off to the side and ask if Sue felt the same way as he did, and if she understood his confession on the dance floor.
"Is it alright if we park here?" Pulling up to a motel, Axl instantly realized the implication of his words and immediately tried to take it back. "No, I mean not like to do anything…"
Turning towards her brother, Sue blushed but took a deep breath before answering. Working to make her voice sound mature, she placed one hand into his open palm and the other on Axl's cheek before she kissed him. "I think…we should go in."
Wide-eyed and speechless, every bone in Axl's body screamed at him to stop this plan and turn the car back on so he could drive them straight home; however, Sue's ambivalent eyes yet earnest grip on his hand clouded his judgment and allowed him to lead Sue out the car.
After a questionable look from the man behind the counter, Axl and Sue sat on the dingy bed and laughed awkwardly while making remarks about how creepy the room was. Hesitantly, Sue stood up and excused herself to the bathroom. Axl knowing this usually meant the girl was preparing herself for the next step, quickly checked to see if his armpits and breath smelled badly-giving it a passing grade, he then removed his grey suit jacket and unbuttoned his black dress shirt before taking off his belt. When he heard the bathroom door unlock, his heartbeat rose to a concerning speed as he watched Sue attempt to sexily walk out the bathroom.
Overly haughty at first, Sue flicked her hair and acted like a car show model by using her hand to point out the length of her body. Wiggling her eyebrows at first, she then muttered 'shoot' under her breath, remembering that Axl thought it was gross when she did that. Chuckling, Axl shook his head at Sue as she continued to muster up her courage to appear sexy. Little did she know that Axl had to fight back the urge to grab her and throw her on the bed right then and there.
"Do you…like what you see?" Her timid voice was all the invitation Axl needed as he closed the space between them and kissed her passionately on her lips. Sue, at first taken aback by the strength of his kiss, slowly dissolved into his arms as he worked to unzip her dress. When they pulled apart to gasp for air, Sue was standing clad in a soft pink slip.
"You're absolutely beautiful." Pulling her into a kiss before she could ramble off in embarrassment, Axl lead her gently on to the bed to lie under him as he traced the outline of her body with his free hand. When Sue moaned softly, a moment of clarity hit Axl as he shot straight up and broke contact. "Wait. Sue, this…you and me. I don't know if…"
"Do you not…want me? I know I might not be as sexy as all the girls you know but…"
"No! I mean, Yes, you are very, very sexy, you have no idea how hard this is for me right now… but I just need to make sure you know where this might…lead to. You're young Sue, and I'm afraid that I might be taking advantage of you." Sighing, Axl sat beside Sue while holding her hand. Kissing the back of her hand before taking the plunge, Axl turned to look at his sister.
"I love you Sue. I really do." An intake of breath. "Do you love me?"
Without hesitation, Sue hugged Axl and nodded multiple times before shouting yes into his chest.
"Please, let me hear you actually say it." Pushing her to arms' length, he searched Sue's eyes for the truth he felt in his own.
"I love you, Axl. I know it's against all of what Reverend Tim Tom taught us, and that we might be banished to the fiery pits of hell but I don't care! You're my brother and you've bullied me countless times, even making me cry on occasion…" Axl grimaced at the honesty but allowed Sue to continue. "But you have also, always, been there for me when it mattered most. No one looks out for me like you do, and no one knows me better than you do, either. You see not only the weak in me, but my strong points too. For better or for worse, your excellence at everything you do was always the motivation that kept me trying to succeed. I think…without you, I wouldn't be the Sue Heck that I am proud of today, and I know, without you, I can't imagine a life where I am happy."
Pursing his lips and rubbing his eyes vehemently, Axl tried hard to stay cool and refused to cry. "Dammit Sue, I didn't need you to say all that…" Falling back on the bed face first, Axl draped his arm over Sue's stomach when she laid down on her back.
"Axl?"
When he looked up, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her.
"Kiss me?"
X
Creeping back into the house late at night, they were immediately yelled at when the light turned on the reveal an upset Frankie and very grumpy Mike.
"Where have you been?! I tried both your cellphones, your friend's numbers, and the school but no one knew where you had run off to!"
"Frankie, calm down. To be fair, the school didn't even know Sue existed. They probably mixed her up with some other girl who ran off with the supposed masked vigilante."
Inwardly freaking out, Sue tried to think up of an excuse and wanted to blurt out how sorry she was when Axl stepped forward.
"Whoa, first of all? You almost gave me a heart attack jumping out of the dark yelling at me like that. Do you want to spend money on a hospital bill? Because that's how you end up sending your kid to the hospital." Frankie tried to interrupt Axl but he refused to allow her. "Second! My phone died, and Sue never gets any phone calls since she's a loser so she just forgot to check it. She was all whiny that some girl was getting special attention at the dance with this Zorro guy or whatever, so I did the brotherly responsible thing you always yell at me to do, and took her out to get a burger and then we came back! There! Gosh, making me talk so much and stuff. I'm exhausted and need to replenish my coolness after spending too much time around a loser!" Storming off to his bedroom, Frankie chased after him yelling that he was grounded while Mike watched Sue curiously.
"Hey, Sue, c'mere a sec." Unable to refuse her father, Sue walked quietly up to her dad. "Why do you look so…disheveled? Did you meet up with your date? Please don't tell me he laid his hands on you." Firm with worry, Mike waited for Sue to answer his worse fear.
"No Dad, I was just dancing a lot by myself and then knocked into some decorations and fell over…" smiling bashfully, Sue hoped her father would accept her lie.
Sighing, Mike waved his daughter off in exasperation. "Got it. Just…go to bed, and check your phone next time. You're usually much more responsible than this Sue."
Nodding before running to her room, she yelled goodnight to her mother before slamming the door.
X
When the daylight streamed in, Sue groggily opened her eyes. A soft snore had brought her out of her nightmare of being arrested and thrown into a jail that was located in hell. Coming to a sudden realization, Sue yelped at Axl's half-naked figure that was basically sleeping on top of her. Vaguely remembering him coming into the room with an excuse that he couldn't sleep after what had happened last night, they ended up whispering nonsensical ideas back and forth about their future before falling asleep with a smile on their faces.
"Sue? Can I talk to you for a moment? Are you awake?" Pure terror radiated through Sue at the thought of their mother catching them. Violently shoving Axl awake, when he muttered that he needed five more minutes, Sue covered his mouth to muffle the sound before throwing him off the bed.
"Sue? Are you alright in there?"
"Um, just a minute!"
Axl's eyes widened as he caught on and quickly dove into Sue's closet. Frankie gave one more knock before letting herself in just as Sue pulled the covers up to her chin. "Sue? What was that just now? Usually you're up bright and early."
"Sorry, I think I had too much punch from the dance, and you know juice makes me hyper…so I couldn't fall asleep until much later."
"Right. Well, here's the thing. I wanted to talk to you about last night. Now Sue, I know you're usually responsible and you're the one I have to worry least about, but I was thinking that, maybe I should start getting a bit more involved. I mean, after all, I am your mother, and I don't even know who you went to the dance with."
Constantly glancing at the closet, Sue tried to rush her mother out of her room. "Actually, Mom, as a growing teenager, I'd actually prefer it if you don't ask too many questions. You know! Just being a typical moody teen!"
"Uh-huh. Well…can't say I didn't try, right? Listen, you do look tired, and Brick said Axl must have left early to go somewhere since he's not in bed. Probably to freakin' Donohue's again since he left his car here. Anyway, your dad, Brick and I are going to head to Sunday church, but if you're not feeling well, I'll let you pass on going today."
"Thanks Mom, yeah, I think I'll rest up and make it up next week."
Patting Sue's bed, Frankie nodded and left the bedroom. Axl, peeking out to check if the coast was clear, pretended to wipe sweat off his brow before jumping on Sue's bed.
"That was close! Good save. Can't believe mom wants to get to 'know you better'. Ha!" Reaching up to twirl Sue's hair, Axl stopped when he saw Sue's face. "What's the matter?"
Listening for the sounds of their mother yelling at Brick to hurry up, followed by the door closing and the car leaving the garage, Sue sighed. "Axl, we need to tell them."
"What?! Are you out of your mind?" standing up, Axl checked out into the hallway to make sure they were alone. "They'll crucify us, Sue!"
"But Axl, I don't think I can keep lying to mom and dad…" on the verge of tears, Sue brought her hands up to her face. "Maybe they'll understand!"
"Sue! Look at me!" Crawling towards her on the bed, Axl pulled his sister's hands away from her face and forced her to face him. "We'll be separated. Or worse! Do you honestly want that?"
"No! Of course not! But what if they find out on their own? Wouldn't that be worse? I don't want to hurt anyone…especially not mom and dad."
"But you said you loved me! What we did last night…don't you know what that means to other people, Sue?!"
"Axl…maybe if we just tell them how we really feel, they'll allow it." At the look of his face, Sue instantly changed her pleas. "What if we run away? What if we just up and run away, Axl? I can quit school, and you'll be graduating soon…we can both get jobs, I know I'm clumsy but I can be a waitress and…"
Her voice turned into muffled sounds as Axl became dizzy. This was exactly what he had feared when continuing this liaison. Thoughts of running away had plague his every thought when he felt he was going to have to give up Sue, but the idea of Sue missing out on a normal future gave him the resolve to push the idea into the far depths of his brain. Now, Sue was proposing just that, and Axl became wrought with regret that he had pushed his fragile and honest to a fault sister so far. Physically in pain, Axl left Sue's embrace that had somehow transpired throughout her convictions and stood by the bedroom door.
Thinking about how much the sounds in the house has changed; Sue was lost among her reminiscing. Back in the day, this place was like a house of magic. A place so filled with tears and laughter. Surely, she thought, we would always be this happy. Slowly, Sue became attentive to Axl's sudden shift in mood, the silence scared her and tentatively she watched as Axl turned his body to leave.
"Axl! Don't-" Getting off the bed in haste, Sue attempted to reach out to Axl but missed when he pulled back. Falling to the floor in shock, Sue looked up at Axl in dread. before trying to stand up again.
"You're delirious Sue! You always have been! I don't know how you could possibly think this would ever work!"
She takes a last glimpse of comfort at the ticking on the clock's face and she swears those hands move faster every day. There's a moment, a small moment of hesitation, of desperation, but then they soon fall away out of reach.
The noise of the door shutting far off echo within her and she knows they've finally crossed the line. She silently falls to the floor but all she can do is gaze at the time.
You were my lullaby delirium.
X Epilogue X
"Sue! Are you sure you don't want to take Brick trick or treating?"
"Mom… I don't even want to go. I rather read my book on the world of Pharmacology." Brick's deadpanned voice had become deep yet his height remained mainly the same throughout the three years that had passed. Frankie, who was covering grey hair with department store dye, simply shrugged at her son before waving to Mike.
"Forget it then! Your Dad and I are going over to the Halloween Block Party, tell Carly we said hi and be careful out there! Oh! And if you see your brother hanging around at that party, tell him to come home more often! And that I'm still mad at him for choosing to go to school so far from home! Love you!"
Opening her bedroom door to shout back her mother's endearments, Sue gave a thumbs up to Brick before slipping five dollars into his hand. "So, how do I look?"
"Like a girl?"
"Thanks Brick, always a charmer." Smiling gleefully, Sue jumped up and down in excitement but was still not use to the new bra she was wearing that emphasized her cleavage. Seventeen going on eighteen, Sue had kept her dorky personality but obtain a fashion sense and had become somewhat noticed at school. Wearing a little black dress with one inch heels, Sue waved goodbye to Brick before heading out to her car. After multiple failing grades, Sue finally got her license one year and a half ago and had been able to work hard to get her own car.
When her phone buzzed with a text after she buckled her seat-belt, Sue smiled before pulling out of the driveway. An hour outside the city later, Sue was naked and changing into another outfit. Zipping her up, rough hands from far too many football games tickled her sides before kissing her neck.
"You ready?"
Blissfully, she whispered "Yes."
Walking up, holding hands tightly, a door opened to reveal a middle aged woman holding out a bowl of candy. "My, aren't you two a little old to be going trick or treating?" After a moment's thought, the woman grabbed candy out of the bowl and put it into the shared bag. "I must say though, you two make an attractive Wizard of Oz pair! Tin-man and Dorothy…who would have thought of making them a couple?"
"Oh, didn't you know? The Tin-Man needed the heart only Dorothy could give."
Hands held tight, Axl took off his metal hat and placed it on Sue's head as they fought over the candy they had received while walking back to her car. On nights like these, the two escape their reality and bask in the delight of their secret rendezvous. One day, their whispered promises of a world for only them will come true, but for now...
~Fin~