LOVER TO LOVER ━ AHS Hotel

TWENTY

"Yes, and we should go. I could definitely use my compulsion to get us through the door." She argued, edging herself closer to him on the bed. With her hand resting on top of his, Percy found it hard to refuse. "You're not going to have opportunities like this anymore. You can't live your college years to the fullest if you stay here. I want you to have these experiences."

Percy narrowed his eyes, looking away from her for a moment to see his missing person's flyer on the television screen. The eleven o'clock news blared from her tiny TV, and as he reached for the remote to turn down the volume, Percy found himself being caught up in his own image on the television. He swallowed hard. Maybe Hadley was right. There was only a handful of things he could do now as a missing person, and there would be even less if she ever decided to inflict him.

Turning to her again, he asked, "Is there any ulterior motive behind this? Using this as a disguise to hunt?"

"No!" Hadley exclaimed, taking a short moment to think over his words. Tapping a finger against her chin, she smiled. "That would be a good idea though. Except, it wouldn't be too fun getting all that blood out a new dress."

"Speaking of that," Percy added, "what would we wear? We never have anything fancy to wear. We have no masks –"

She rolled her eyes. "We've stolen from Elizabeth before. It'll be easier to get to her credit card. A little hundred dollars will go unnoticed, trust me."

Percy was still not convinced, causing him to huff under his breath in annoyance. Hadley's grip got tighter on his, and she smoothed her thumb across the prominent veins in his large hands. Percy had been staring at the news again, even though his picture had vanished, and her touch alone already had his icy eyes on hers. She smiled softly.

"You only get a handful of moments, Percy. Moments that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again." She lifted a hand to his cheek, and her cold touch caused his face to flush. "Let me have them with you."

•••

So, maybe it didn't take a lot for Percy to agree. She knew that he was putty in her hands, and he didn't quite mind it.

Except when she made him try on suits. He absolutely hated wearing them, and not even Hadley could change that opinion. After hours of shopping – with a hoodie covering most of his face, might I add – Percy hadn't found one that fit him just right. Hadley had been looking with him, but he insisted that he could find a suit on his own. However, when he was changing, she took it upon herself to look through the discount suits. It didn't take her long to find a good one.

Hadley managed to slide a suit over his changing station, urging Percy to "try it on and trust me." He hated that she had been right – like always. The tux fit him perfectly.

It was a classic black and white suit, matching effortlessly with the slim-fitting mauve dress she bought for herself. Hadley kept it hidden from him until they got back to the hotel to change. Once she stepped out of the bathroom – face beaming with excitement, hair curled to perfection – Percy felt his lungs collapse. The dress had a low-cut neckline, one that he enjoyed but also something that he didn't want others to see. Her chest was practically tumbling out of the dress, but it fit her so well that his mouth threatened to water while they were in public.

She raised her arms, waiting for a reaction from him as she stood in the doorframe idly. Percy could only open and close his mouth, fixing his bowtie absentmindedly. Eventually, he shook his head, coming back to reality, and walked over to her. "You look ... really pretty," he said in one breath.

She grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks," she replied, reaching out to fix his lapels. "You don't look too bad yourself, fella."

"Not as nice as you," he whispered, carefully leaning down to her ear. The second she felt his breath on her ear, she froze. "I can't wait to rip it off you."