Multi-Fandom One Shots

Keeper (Alma Peregrine)

Hugh and Millard went for the football (soccer ball) and Horace went in his own direction, a sketchbook you'd smuggled from the real world under his arm and a pencil in his hand. He looked out with his monocle to deem a decent seating place or inspiration.

Alma set the dishes in the soapy water and you took over the position of washing them. You slowly put suddy flatware and cups in the free sink, aware you hadn't heard Alma walk away. She had a light step, but you could always feel her. You were just aware, in the back of your head, not mind, she was still there. Your intuition was proven correct when she stepped up behind you, arms around your waist. She just watched what you did as if she hadn't done it a million times. Distracting lips plied their way across the expanse of your skin. She got this way sometimes, she was a terrible tease, but wouldn't dare think of taking it further. You'd only been in her home a month. She was used to the bigger picture needing thinking about.

You had to prove you'd stay by... well, staying. A deep breath kept you centered on washing, rinsing, and racking the dishes from a single position. You didn't dare vary from the task. You wished to stay as you were.

But, inevitably, she was called away. No rest for an Ymbryne. She was off from the kitchen and you dried off the dishes with a clean rag, focused on the task when a noise distracted you. "Miss Peregrine?"

You looked up to see little Claire, looking ever so shy. You wondered if she'd ever open up, in any way. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart. Could I help you with something."

The blonde looked around the room with the intent of not seeing you. "Um... no..." And she slinked from the room.

You frowned after her, stung but more concerned. You finished your task and stepped up the stairs to tidy up Victor. He never took much. You supposed you were a bit mad, you enjoyed talking to him as you cleaned up his room. You told him about Miss Peregrine, how much more sleep she was getting, how low her shoulders set (not drooping, but not as uptight as before). You skirted around the topic of Bronwyn, not wanting to upset him. You ran out of things to clean before you ran out of things to talk about, and you knew you had a schedule to keep so you left his room, making for the front door. You walked out a good ways past the house before turning. You walked the perimeter multiple times a day, one of the things the kids didn't understand. This kept the house being the focal point of the Loop. This made sure the kids remembered the day before. Which was still... the same day- It was confusing, still, after a month.

Your perimeter established the break between morning chores and afternoon chores. Any morning chores not finished by now would be punished, but have no lasting problems. You took the clothes off the line and folded them before dropping them into the basket. This was also a new chore and the children were only recently given permission to wear different clothes everyday. Alma usually saved it for how she measured a weekend or someone got sick or so.

Clothes were redistributed and you made another perimeter before taking to the library and grabbing a book. You heard the tell tale signs of the family leaving for their daily walk and the click-clack of Alma as she found where you hid out. "You're certain you want to stay here alone?" she asked for the millionth time, once each day.

You smiled at your routineer. "Yes, Alma. I love my alone time." You frowned. That was more than you usually answered. "Not that I don't love you all-!" you started to babble.

The Ymbryne silenced you with a kiss, one... long... She eased back, pecking your nose as she did in peregrine form before going for the walk.

Rather than a thirty minute trek whichever way they went, it was a whole hour now, allowing the family do whatever they liked. They went to the beach sometimes. You burned ever-so easily. And anyway, Alma never liked being away from her home for very long. That's why she never had such long walks before. Another new development. You'd volunteered to stay behind a few times, then it became the new norm. You sat in the living room, sensing the edges of the property you's walked several times. Eventually you grew bored with your choice in literature and you didn't want to start a new book so you put it up and went for another walk. You had made two perimeters before you sensed something off. You hadn't even had time to properly investigate when a sharp pain overtook your senses, submerging them in darkness.