Cursed Ones

Hidden Feelings

He paced back and forth in the large room, his boots slowly scraping the marble floor as his attention stayed focused on the woman in his bed.

Her waves of blonde hair rested neatly against the pillow beside her, and her chest slowly lifted up and down.

Hallow paused where he was, his curved gloves rubbing the side of his pumpkin head. He had taken Nova into his underground kingdom after transporting Vulcan into that place. Nova wasn't told, and instead Hallow distracted her by stuffing her belly with treats of all sorts. She had eaten so much, she eventually collapsed on the table. The spirit had to carry her back into his quarters, just so he could keep a close eye on her.

Nova grumbled in her sleep, pulling the covers up as she shakily curled herself into a tight ball. Hallow wondered if she was cold, and slowly tiptoed over to the slumbering woman. He could visibly see her body shaking underneath the thick sheets.

"Nova?" He whispered, bending forward so his lit head could visibly illuminate the woman. Nova didn't respond at first, causing Hallow to growl with annoyance as he prepared to shout into the girl's ear. No sooner did he open his mouth did the woman turn her head and grumble at the bright light of the creature's fire.

"Hallow?" She yawned, "Can you light the fireplace? It's cold."

"You've been sleeping aaall day. This is so very boring." Hallow pouted, muttering as he pointed to an empty fireplace in one corner of the room. In seconds, it flared with life and cast shadows that danced against the blood red walls.

Nova nodded to herself in satisfaction, muttering a groggy thank you. Hallow grumbled in response, seating himself at the front of the bed as he stared out at the open space.

He couldn't sleep, in fact he was rather jealous of those who were able to.

Peering behind him, his gaze focused on Nova's soft face and how innocent she looked wrapped up in his sheets. Hallow quickly turned away, then glanced back with narrowed eyes. He got up, slowly resting his hand against the bed. It sunk underneath his large size. At the moment, he wished he wasn't so tall.

Carefully, Hallow placed his other hand on the sheets, then both his knees as he gently crawled over besides Nova. She didn't seem aware of his presence, for which he was grateful.

Hallow cautiously snuggled himself behind her, wrapping a protective arm around the soft human. He breathed in her scent, carved eyes fluttering shut as the fire in his head dimmed, almost going out.

"Hallow?" The sudden, small voice of the woman broke him away from his relaxed state. He immediately yanked his arm back, making sure to slide over so there was some space between the two.

"Wh-what now!" Hallow responded defiantly, avoiding meeting Nova's stare. "If you are still cold, I will throw you out into the wilderness so you know what 'cold' really-."

Nova planted a small kiss on the side of his head, cuddling up to him as she rested her head against his armored chest. Hallow wanted to make a smart remark, anything to make a joke of the whole situation. Instead, he felt strange inside, like his whole body was going numb. There was only one time he had felt like that before, but it was long ago...

"Nova." Hallow found himself saying, his body moving on its own as his claw wrapped itself around her arm, "Get off me."

"What?" Nova sleepily lifted her head, her confused, round eyes barely able to keep themselves open.

"Get off me, you fool!" Hallow spat out, quickly pinning her down on the bed as he pushed down on her arms. He didn't even realize what he was doing until he had actually done it. Hallow's fingers slowly trailed towards Nova's lips, but he caught himself before he could do anything he would later regret.

"Aha...aha!" The spirit weakly laughed, trying to make fun of the whole situation, "Did I scare you? Oh I did, didn't I?"

Nova blinked a few times, as if trying to process what in the world just happened. She eventually gave a small nod, pasting a forged smile on her mouth, "You...did scare me."

They awkwardly stayed in that position, not knowing what to do next or how to treat each other after the rather intimate position they were in.

Hallow was the first to let go of his companion's arms before Nova abruptly latched herself around his torso, pulling herself to his chest as she squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm not a little girl anymore, Hallow, and you're not my uncle."

"Oh for hell's sake. Not now, you naughty child this is highly inappropriate." Hallow attempted to push her off of him, but she was stubborn and wouldn't let go.

"If you don't unhand me I will crush you."

"You won't."

"You don't know me. I have killed humans like you before and eaten their little tasty limbs dipped in chocolate. Dark chocolate, mind you!" Hallow was beginning to sound more frantic, his thoughts getting jumbled up as he tried to think of every little thing he could conjure to stop his own feelings from pouring out.

"You won't hurt me."

"I will hurt you right here and right now if you continue acting horrid." Hallow wanted to harm the girl, to throw her aside and quickly escape, but there was a side of him coming out. A side he hadn't felt since before becoming the Halloween King of the Underworld.

What he was feeling at that moment was a human feeling, and it terrified him.

"Don't be scared, Hallow," Nova stated in a reassuring voice. She looked at him, and him at her. "I've loved you for quite some time now."

Hallow felt his body start to sink back on to the bed. Before he knew it, he was back on top of Nova, intertwining her small fingers with his.

"You devilish woman " he muttered affectionately, resting his forehead against hers, "How dare you bewitch me." Nova beamed, her face glowing with joy and life once she realized Hallow felt the same way towards her.

The two spent the next few minutes holding one to one another, unaware of the catastrophe that was unfolding in another universe not too far from theirs.