Death and Destruction (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

15. Birthday

Jeff

I pulled my hoodie on while I got dressed, listening to Snow shuffle around her bag behind me until she pulled out an orange shirt and a pair of jeans. She still looked the same as ever, save for a black lined snake on the side of her stomach; my fingers twitched to trace it and I smiled to myself as I wrapped my arms around her from behind, leaning into me while my touch gently ran down the curving lines.

"It's taking every ounce of self control right now not to twitch," she chortled, "I almost slapped the artist who did that one, it's like the only spot I'm ticklish."

"Oh, ticklish you say?" I raised a playful eyebrow as I dug my fingers in and she cackled, attempting to rip herself out of my grasp but I'd grown stronger, pinning her to me while I squeezed her ribs and lifted her from the ground.

"You are suck a prick!" Snow's laughter was absolute music to my ears as I set her back on her feet to let her finish getting dressed, the same black backpack sitting aside before she grabbed it.

"You still have that thing?"

"I carry the mask in here, plus whatever cash and cards I have," she explained while she pulled it over her shoulders, "right before we left I pulled everything I had out of my bank account and basically loaded up a bunch of disposable debit cards."

"Smart move, take it you did the same thing we did and raided wallets?"

"I'd have been stupid not to," she snorted, pulling the door open for me, "I technically have more money right now than I've ever had, so there's that."

"Hey, you guys need a lift?" Chelsea asked; she had pulled her clothes back on and Thomas was dressed, his mask tucked away in his jacket while he stood around.

"I'm heading over to her place for the day." He flicked the house key over to me. "If there's more proxies I don't want them coming around there."

"Definitely, we'll hitch a ride," I nodded and we followed them out into the sunshine, not a cloud of fog in sight.

Chelsea's SUV fit the four of us comfortably while Snow and I hopped into the back, her body tucking into mine as I pulled out her phone again to show her what Thomas and I had done down in Tempe and she cackled while Claudia panicked through the screen. Thomas and Chelsea were talking about something or another and all I knew was that I stopped for a moment or two to take in everything around me. We were minus one with Nina so far away but...these were the only people who'd ever taken a look at me for who I was now and taken it. Even Thomas in all our past problems now felt more like a brother than a pest.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm the best I have been in months," I chuckled, squeezing her a little tighter, "I've wanted to come home to this for years but never realized it until I met you. Feels good to finally have a family of my own, you know?"

Snow offered a warm smile as she wrapped herself around my arm, resting her head on my shoulder while we took the street to her parents house. She seemed a little confused and infinitely curious as Chelsea pulled to a stop and I rolled out, walking her around to the backside of the house and finding the sliding door unlocked. She'd been waiting for us. I was trying to hide a smile as I let us inside, finding the kitchen empty but I knew there was no way she'd be at work today after what I told her.

"Why...are we here?" Snow asked tentatively as she followed me up the steps. Lights shone under the door in her old bedroom and I figured out right where her mom was.

"Because I promised her I'd have you home for your birthday."

The door swung open before I could knock and sure enough, her mom was on the other side, her eyes wide and hopeful as she heard my voice. Snow froze beside me and I watched the two of them take each other in for a moment before Snow's lip trembled, lunging for her mom. The two of them sobbed, her mother a little more loudly than her but they smiled from ear to ear as they parted.