Imagine That: Multifandom Part Two

moving on【four】| alicia clark

As I was walking carefully, I almost tripped over a rock or a step and caught myself with the help of Alicia before I could fall flat on my face.

"Shoot, sorry, that was totally my bad," she said, not letting go of my hand when she helped me stand up again.

I heard the amusement in her voice and looked to her, hoping she could sense my displeasure and impatience. "Are we there yet?"

She squeezed my hand gently. "Almost."

"Almost," I mimicked childishly, mostly still annoyed that she'd almost let me fall.

She laughed quietly, tugging me along more carefully this time, and then we finally came to a halt. Letting go of my hand, she stopped behind me and her hands wavered by the knot behind my head.

"This is it," she said in my ear, admittedly sending chills down my spine because it felt oddly intimate with her so close. "You ready?"

All I could do was hum in agreement, thrown off all of a sudden.

She undid the knot and removed my blindfold, making me blink to get used to the light. We were still outside and I was confused to what I was supposed to be looking at at first. And then I saw the sign in front of me and raised my eyebrows with surprise and confusion.

Jackson's Art Gallery & Museum

"Where are we?" I asked, tearing my eyes from the building and looking at Alicia.

She grinned like it was obvious. "I thought the sign was pretty self explanatory."

I shook my head, still surprised. "No, I mean– it is, but what are we doing here? How did you find this place?"

She began to walk to the entrance, leaving me no choice but to follow as she said, "I was on a supply run when I came across it. And then I thought, you know who would love this?"

I blinked, unsure how to react, and continued to follow her through the front revolving doors and to the deserted reception desk. Like she'd been here before, Alicia rounded the desk and grabbed a brochure before smiling up at me.

"Welcome to Jackson's Art Gallery and Museum," she said with a funny voice, making me smile because I realised what she was doing. "Can I interest you in a brochure, ma'am?"

"Alicia."

She cleared her throat, flashing me a smile and tilting her head. "My name is Candy, ma'am. I'm the receptionist." My smile widened as she continued, "So, would you like a brochure?"

"I would love a brochure," I played along, accepting it.

"Excellent choice," she said, before joining my side again.

"Alicia, what is this? What are you doing?" I asked her before she could lead me further into the gallery.

Her expression softened as her eyes met mine. "I thought you'd like it. I've already scoped the place out and most of the exhibits are still in tact. Plus there's no dead, so we can have a look around without any interruptions."

She made it sound so easy, like it was a completely regular thing to do and like she hadn't completely gone out of her way to give me this special visit. My heart warmed at the realisation and I exhaled softly, appreciating it.