The Rhythm of Your Heart [Yan!DSMP x Reader]

CHAPTER XXXV: Ten of Wands

"Are you okay, Y/N?" Niki asks, her cheeks slightly red as there are some splatters of food on her clothing, a plate with cake having fallen on the floor. "What happened?"

"Nothing," you respond immediately, still feeling light-headed as you're trying so hard to forget about what set you off. "Nothing happened."

"You fainted."

"No, I didn't." You didn't faint. You can't remember actually fainting. Yeah, you remember trying not to, but you don't think you actually ended up drifting off to a short and unvoluntary sleep. However, it still happened, and you're not exactly able to come to peace with this.

Niki doesn't decide to argue further about it as she puts her hand on your forehead, a grimace found on her face. "I made a cake for you," she whispered with a smile, before looking over her shoulder at the place where the fallen cake is lying, "but you startled me so much that I dropped it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," you whisper, as you lie back down on the bed. Niki looks up surprisedly at this, lying right next to you as your black cat approaches you as well, smelling the food on the floor before he starts licking up the whipped cream. "I just- I found the doors of my balcony open." And after this, you voice your worries for your safety. Niki listens with great care and attention. Her concentration is so strong that anybody would believe her to be a perfect best friend to vent to, but of course, this is hard to say in your eyes thanks to the lack of knowledge on her intentions. She trash-talked Jared, after all. And honestly, you're not sure what to make of her response either.

"I did think that I saw something going in," she admits. "It can't have been anything other than a spirit. At least something non-corporeal. I don't understand why they wouldn't have gone through the front door, though."

"Well, if Jack was already back it would only make sense for them to try and find an alternate way to sneak in. Jack doesn't seem like the kind of person to just accept people that try to break in."

"He may have done unforgivable things, but he draws the line at invasion of privacy." Her comment really makes you wonder what he's done, but you still keep your mouth shut. "You know, if you want, you can sleep in my apartment for a bit? It may be a bit safer." As if her mere suggestion bring you pure panic, you frantically shake your head right away. You don't know why: it's just an impulse. Niki seems to be a bit hurt by your immediate reaction, so you try to explain it to her.

"I just don't think it's a good idea, like, at all. I mean, let's say that it was someone who tried to kill me and they discover that I do sleep over at yours? That can't lead to anything good."

"I can protect myself, Y/N," Niki laughs, blushing immensely as she turns around to lie on her stomach while you still lie there on your back, already feeling better thanks to the distraction she offers. "I'm one of the best fighters of my family, you know. Trained by the siren Marylin Kabeljau herself! I know that probably doesn't say a lot to you, though, but she's known to be one of the best fighters ever known, mastering almost every weapon and being amazing at strategy and in general a very intelligent woman." Niki's eyes are filled with wonder as she looks away from you, instead staring at the wall now. "Puffy knows of her too. She created the book of magic that Puffy still uses, actually! But stories say that she met the Reaper herself. That she defeated death and left this world to live in what was meant to be hers. At least, she claimed that she didn't belong here. That she was meant to live a life in a world somewhere else, but was unable to continue it there. She was a very odd woman, but she always were my idol when I was younger."

That's quite interesting. Niki didn't strike you as a person to look up to someone so strongly, but her fascination with the siren is quite evident and honestly adorable. "I can see that she still is," you comment, causing her to get all flustered.

"I honestly didn't realize I still was so fond of her. Imagine being mentored by the person you look up to the most. I just wish she didn't disappear like that."

"But you said she met the Reaper?" you ask, wondering what that may mean for you. If it means anything for you, that is. "What is the story surrounding that?" To be frank, you didn't expect your anxiety to disappear so quickly just because of a conversation about a stranger. But you're grateful for that nonetheless.

"They vary like a myth, honestly, but most say that it was during a memorial day where she had a normal conversation with Death about life. That's the one I like the most as well, since it wouldn't surprise me. The thing that made me look up to her so much, after all, was her indifference towards it. While many see Death as either a monster or a saviour, she treated it as human, you know? I think that's why I like that version the most."

You hum, wishing that there was more information on it. Maybe you should ask XD about her? Surely, he can tell you something? After all, you don't think the Grim Reaper is just going to appear when you want to, but she still sounds like an interesting person to do some research on, mainly because of her apparent meeting with the Grim Reaper and her sudden disappearance.

For a bit, you and Niki just lie there. While Niki holds her eyes on you, her beating slightly beating as she starts more and more realizing that she's developing stories for you, not being as willing to talk about her interest to other people. Of course, she already knew that you made her feel young again. However, she could've never guessed that it could've turn into this.

She has no idea how long she's lying there, when another knock on your door startles her, resulting in her sitting up right immediately, crawling more towards you, while you roll off the bed to consider opening the door. You're still in your pyjamas after all, so maybe you shouldn't just allow anyone into your house. That, and there's a cake lying on the ground while your cat is licking up the parts he likes.

"Who's there?" you ask carefully, approaching the door only to hear the confused voice of your dearest friend.

"It's just me." Jared's answer is enough for you to open the door, even if this may not be that necessary, and he quickly enough floats in. Immediately, you close the door again. Jared looks at the black cat before his eyes fly towards your bed, where Niki is trying to collect herself and her thoughts. Unlike you, he already seems to know what's up, although this is mostly thanks to Sally.

"I'll go," Niki says almost immediately, once she recognizes the suspecting look in Jared's eyes, for you to simply nod. When Niki passes the cat, he doesn't look up, but when she approaches the front door, he looks up alert. However, when she's gone, he focuses on the food again.

"Do you want me to clean that up?" Jared asks you, for you to give him a smile.

"I could certainly use some aid, if you want to help."