𝖆 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘 - 𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖞.

eleven.

after the kiss, ashtray invited seraphina inside. everything was so strange between them two for a moment. he was she you were silent.

but all of a sudden, they just burst out into fits of laughter, ashtray shaking his head as he did so.

"i don't know what this means between us, but i gotta say, you look fine when you're soaked," he grinned, seraphina blushing wildly at his words.

"stop," she giggled, pushing his shoulder. "i'll get you a towel, hold on," he said, standing from his seat and rushing off to the bathroom.

sat there on her own, seraphina pulled her phone out of her pocket and smiled at a notification off lexi, someone who she had only met a couple of times, but loved all the same.

'heyyy, do you want to come to my play tomorrow? i forgot to ask you.'

'sure, i've seen the posters about, looks good. i will definitely be there.'

'thanks, seraphina.'

when the conversation was finished, seraphina sighed softly when she looked at her home screen. her and rue.

god, she missed rue.

after everything that happened, she heard that rue had been getting clean, but didn't want to disrupt the process.

"do you wanna stay the night?"

ashtray threw a towel over to her and as she caught it, she replied, "i was gonna go to lexi howard's play tomorrow."

"ah, don't worry, ma. fez will give you a lift, he's going too."

+

it was weird sharing a bed with ash. he kept his distance at first, but then his hand brushed against seraphina's waist, until he decided to just wrap it around her all together.

and the next morning, he was up before her, blushing as he stared down at her sleeping figure. how the sunlight shone through the window and beamed off her face.

"yo, you gotta get to that play, phina."

she groaned as her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the sight in front of her. ashtray didn't have a top on, just his gold chain, and she'd by lying if she said it wasn't attractive.

"yeah, yeah. i'm up."

"here, you can wear this," ashtray said, placing a white top and grey jogging bottoms besides her. "thanks," she replied, ashtray leaving the room to give her some privacy.

as she got dressed, the sound of faye and fez's laughter caught her attention, and as seraphina left the room, ashtray was in a separate room, glaring at faye.

"you okay?"

"yeah, don't trust her much, that's all," ashtray responded, hand falling to his side. her own moved to his, making small circles on his skin, sending a comforting smile.

like always, something had to ruin their special moment.

someone knocked on the door and ashtray checked the cctv, groaning at the screen before he opened it.

"yo, what's good, playa?"

custer, who she vaguely remembered to be faye's boyfriend, walked into the house and went straight past them, guiding himself to faye and fez.

"there's something weird with him as well," seraphina pointed out, noticing the way he looked back at the two cautiously.

"i know," ash said, shutting the front door and his eyes following custer. but he rounded the corner, out of their sight.

"just, keep your eye on him, okay?" seraphina said, slouching down into a seat and eyeing the cctv footage that ash had.

custer was resting in the living room, but faye's slow walk over to him caught her attention. and as she slowly looked up from the screen, ashtray was already staring at the pair with an almost scared look in his eyes.

ashtray quickly turned around, eyes focusing on seraphina. "i need you to promise me something, phina."

"what?"

he crouched down in front of her, hands resting on her either side of her waist, looking up at her. "i need you to promise, that if anything kicks off, you stay here, aight'?"

her smile fell, eyes widening as she whispered, "ash, you're scaring me-"

"promise me!" he sternly said, causing seraphina to nod, muttering the words, "i promise."

pulling back, he sent her a reassuring smile, but maybe he was just reassuring himself. the knife he kept on the side came into view, and he grabbed it, shoving it up his sleeve as he walked through to where custer sat.

she knew that she had promised to stay where she was, not interfering with any conflict if it happened.

so, she looked at the cctv.

ashtray had his legs crossed, eyes slanted at custer, who was smoking a joint on the couch. "how you doin', playa'?" she faintly heard, but that was it.

everything was silent after that.

"alright, i'm finna head out. phina, you ready?" fez shouted, and she jumped from the chair, having completely forgotten about the play due to all the tension.

"wait, you're uh, you're leaving?"

as seraphina heard custer say that with that tone, something deep inside felt caused her to feel sick. like a knot in her stomach that she couldn't swallow down.

and as her eyes met with ashtray's across the room, whilst she entered the room, they both knew.