Phoenix: The Risen ✔️

Mine

"Hey" He murmured; his fingers ghosted her skin, his touch successfully drawing her out of her absentminded state.

Penelope hummed, before realizing that she still hadn't answered the boy's question.

"O-oh, sorry. That was nothing. W-we're nothing, I mean...it's nothing."

"Right..."

Phoenix appeared unconvinced as the girl stumbled over her words. He wondered why she even bothered trying to deceive him when she was obviously so bad at it. Still, he didn't question her further on the topic and by the slight drop of her shoulders it was evident that she was more than relieved.

~

"...So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Penelope finally resumed talking once they had left the school and they'd been driving around in Phoenix's car for a few minutes.

Phoenix feigned confusion and furrowed his brows.

"What's tomorrow?"

The shorter girl gasped and attempted to pull her hand from his grasp, but Phoenix was quick to tighten his hold and intertwine their fingers.

"I'm just fucking with you baby," He chuckled lightly, giving her a short glance before refocusing his gaze on the road, "I'll be ready for dinner tomorrow, don't worry."

Penelope huffed in annoyance, but a small smile brightened her expression when the Norwegian brought the back of her hand to his lips.

"tilgi meg" He pouted. The uncharacteristic expression had the girl giggling.

Forgive me

Phoenix's lips quirked up in a smile at her laugh and his insides warmed as she brought their joined hands to her lap.

They drove in silence for a moment longer, on their way to the town's small, hole-in-the-wall soup shoppe. Although Phoenix could tell that something was on the girl's mind. She was being more fidgety than usual and seemed a bit absent. His mind flashed back to her weird behaviour at school.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened earlier? You know you're a terrible liar baby."

Her pink lips drew into her mouth and her teeth nibbled on the bottom pout in anxiousness.

"I know" She mumbled; her dainty finger traced the tattoos that covered his hand so that she wouldn't become consumed by her thoughts.

"Fiona and I..." She started, a soft sigh escaping as she danced around the subject. "She said that she likes me."

Phoenix rose a brow, a look of surprise crossing his face.

"Really? But why are you upset. Did something else happen—"

"No, nothing. It's just...she likes you too."

"Me?" Phoenix tried not to, but a small laugh escaped him "So what, she wants a threesome?"

"Phoenix!" Penelope snapped in annoyance. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head to look out the window.

Obviously, he was joking but the suggestion, regardless of the tone used, was upsetting to the small girl.

Penelope was known for being generous and giving, always accepting less so others could have more. But Phoenix, he was an exception. She couldn't share him, she wouldn't. Joke or not his words struck a nerve within her and successfully hooked into all of her suppressed insecurities. She hated feeling this way, it wasn't like her.

"What? Baby you know I wasn't being serious."

Faun hair fell over the girl's shoulders as she nodded her head, although a quiet sniffle left the boy with a sunken feeling.

He swiftly turned into a random parking lot and stalled, a frown resting on his lips as he watched the girl wipe her tears away in frustration.

"Hey" He whispered, "Tell me what you're thinking."

He reached over and pulled the girl on his lap, allowing his hand to smooth her hair as she nuzzled her head in his neck.

"I'm sorry. I'm being dumb."

"If you're crying, it's not dumb."

"I...." Penelope hesitated, but then decided to just say it, "I don't like that she feels that way about you and...and I don't want you to feel that way about her. You're mine, not hers."

Phoenix was silent for a moment; but then his hand lightly gripped her jaw, and he turned her head to face him.

"Have I ever done anything to make you think that I want her? Do I even really know this girl?"

Penelope sniffled once more and went to shake her head, but his expectant brow made her respond otherwise.

"No..."

Phoenix hummed, "So who do I really want? Whose skin do I touch and kiss? Who do I talk to baby, who do I make love to?" His hand slipped from her jaw to swipe at a tear that wet her pink cheeks. Usually, he loved the colour on her but knowing that they were flushed due to her saddened state brought him no satisfaction.

"Who is it baby?"

"Me" She whispered; although her eyes couldn't find their way to meet his gaze.

Penelope was embarrassed; everything he was saying made sense and was completely rational. Why did she think he would leave her for a girl he barely knows? The mind was a powerful thing, the control hers held over her was almost scary. How easy it was for her to become consumed by dark thoughts and feelings.

"I'm sorry," She apologized for the umpteenth time, "Gosh, I'm so embarrassing, I don't even know why I'm crying. She's just so pretty and exciting a-and the more I started to think about it...I don't know, I was just scared that you would eventually get bored and leave me."

Phoenix frowned at her words and he couldn't deny that they were ironic. Him leave her? He would have to be out of his goddamn mind. He was the one who should have this fear, he did have this fear. He's told her countless times that she was completely out of his league yet here she was, coming with the opposite.

"Leave you?" He lightly scoffed, "I've never been in love in my life and no one...alive, has ever loved me, not really. How could I leave you?"

Penelope bit her lip and shifted on his lap to straddle him. Her dainty fingers ghosted the sides of his face, one of the few parts of him that wasn't smothered in ink.

She was sure he could feel the intensity of her heartbeat, it raced with such rapid fire the sound almost deafened her. She knew that he loved her, he's told her before. But he hadn't said it since they were...together for the first time and she was starting to think that he regretted it or had said it too soon. But he didn't sound regretful, he sounded genuine; and Penelope wanted to sigh in bliss.

"I'm sorry I don't say it enough, and I'm sorry I have trouble opening up but I'm trying baby. I don't want you doubting my feelings for you. You know I love you, right?"

The girl smiled, her eyes no longer teary although her nose and cheeks were still dusted red.

"I know."

Phoenix mirrored her expression and let his arms trap her against his chest. She was so warm and soft; he couldn't help but take a sniff at her strawberry scented strands, allowing her to consume all of his senses.

"And I am yours," he mumbled in her hair, "I know possessive you can get."

His lips quirked up in a smirk when he felt a light slap on his bicep, but the girl didn't refute his statement because it was true. A certain party incident flashed in her mind and a blush set on her cheeks. Evidently, she didn't react well when she felt her relationship was being...threatened.

But who could blame her?