•Y/N: Your Name
•E/C: Eye Color
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Your POV:
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After a few late nights and tons of hard labor, I managed to finish all prom dress orders before the dance, but, as predicted, Chloe's wasn't done until the day of prom. It was only natural for her to come running into Pins and Needles in a hurry, but she also seemed happy and excited to see the finished product. When I presented the dress, I could feel my heart melt at the adorable expression she made. I could tell she fell in love with it immediately, which made me happy. It always fills me with satisfaction knowing all my hard work is being appreciated.
"You can try it on if you'd like. Then, I can see if any adjustments need to be made."
"I'm sure it'll fit perfectly. Thank you." She hugs the dress close to her and gives me an appreciative smile before walking over to the dressing room, which is really just an area in the back corner of the store that's blocked by a thick, blue curtain. She flips the sign standing on the floor to state that it would be occupied before pulling the curtain aside to reveal a body-length mirror and a small, wooden stool. When she's finished, she pulls the curtain aside to reveal the slim-fitting dress with a toothy smile. I have to hold in a giggle at the reaction, but I'm glad to see it fits. I even catch Phil smiling softly at the teen as she twirls, causing the skirt to spin a little. Chloe's cheeks turn a rosy pink as she rubs her arm before coming closer to me.
"H- How does it look?"
"I think it looks perfect on you," I compliment truthfully, causing her blush to deepen.
"T- Thank you." My eyes light up a little upon remembering that I made something for her other than the pretty dress.
"Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot. Give me a moment, please. I have something for you."
"You do?" She asks, confused, but I merely smile and walk over to the backroom to grab a small, plastic container. I pop open the lid as I come back to the girl and reveal to her the colorful, flower-shaped hairpins inside.
"I couldn't help, but think of your dress when I made these. You don't have to take them if you don't want to; I just thought they matched perfectly. It's just a little something to make the whole thing tie together." Chloe reaches in to take out a pin with pink, fabric petals that form the shape of a rose and admires the craftsmanship. "Tell you what, I'll give them to you for free, simply because you're one of my favorite customers." I give the girl a wink and a smile, speaking the truth. She reminds me of my past self, and I know how difficult being a nervous teen can be, so I want to help her out. Chloe looked to be on the brink of tears, but she was not sad; she was overwhelmed with joy.
"T- Thank you so much. Th-They're all so beautiful." Her eyes dart over to the clock hanging on the wall, and her expression immediately drops. "Oh, shit!"
"Is something wrong?" I ask, taken aback by her sudden outburst. I haven't heard her speak so loudly or swear before, so I can't help but feel a little concerned.
"I don't have enough time to get ready. The dance will start soon!" She starts to breathe heavily, and I knew I had to take action. I set a gentle hand on her shoulder and give a comforting smile when she turns to me.
"Well, you're more than welcome to get ready here. Today's been rather slow, as you can see," I gesture to the nearly empty store. Other than us and Phil, there's only four people that appear to be only browsing. "Plus, I have some makeup in my bag that you can use, and I can help you with it if you'd like." Maybe it's a bit unprofessional to offer, but I can't help but relate to the poor girl. I understand what it's like to freak out over such trivial things, and I know it'll help her. She seems surprised, though, she did calm down.
"R- Really? Are you sure? Y- You've already d- d- done so much. I couldn-"
"I insist." It may have been rude to interrupt, but as she had stated earlier, time is closing in. Giving a small smile, the girl nods, and I immediately get to work. I take out my makeup from my purse. I had ran late today, so I wound up putting it on at work, which ended up being a good thing. I had her sit on my chair, while I put it on her face, but I did have to break from her a couple of times to help my customers. Afterwards, I put the clips in her hair and allow her to look at herself in the dressing room mirror. I must admit, I did a fine job. She turned out absolutely amazing.
Chloe covers her mouth with both hands in awe before looking over to me with tears of joy in her eyes.
"I really can't thank you enough."
"I'm happy to help." I take a glance at the clock and see that nearly twenty minutes have passed. "You should probably hurry before it gets too late."
"Oh, you're right!" Before she leaves, though, she takes out her wallet from her purse. My eyes widen when she holds out a hefty amount of money towards me. "I know I paid for the dress already, but I can't possibly not pay you for helping me get ready."
"Oh, no, really. You don't have to."
"I know." She gives a soft smile while waving the cash a bit, ushering me to take it.
"You're sure?" She gives a nod, so I hesitantly take the money from her and form a thankful smile. "Thank you." She gives a curt nod before turning around to leave the building, but, when I remember something, I stop her. "Wait!" She turns to look at me, and I take a small breath. "Your family was looking for you. They're worried." She looks down a little, looking almost guilty.
"They did?" I nod my head, and a tiny smile came to her lips as she meets my eyes yet again.
"Thank you." Without saying anything else, she leaves. Through the windows, I can see her enter one of the cars parked outside on the street before taking off.
'What a sweet girl.'
"That was very nice of you," Phil comments, bringing my attention over to him. I shrug my shoulders.
"She's a lot like how I was in high school, so I wanted to help. Besides, you rarely find teens that nice nowadays. You've met the pink disaster." With the store now empty, I didn't see any issue with speaking to my black-haired companion. The man cracks a small smile at my description of the bubblegum girl, and I can't help but do the same.
"Have you gone to this prom she spoke of?" He spoke the word, prom as though it was foreign on his tongue. Perhaps he's never said it before, and it's clear he doesn't really know what it is.
"Actually, no. I never did," I answer while putting away the small tray of makeup I used on my customer's face.
"How come? You've had quite a few customers ask you to make dresses for it, so I imagine it's a popular event."
"I don't know. It just didn't really interest me. Besides, I didn't have anyone to go with at the time, so I would've been all alone." I shrug my shoulders and give him a smile. "It's fine. I don't feel like I missed out on anything. It's just a dance."
"A dance," he mutters sounding almost surprised. He really had no idea what a prom was, did he? I must admit, his cluelessness is a kind of adorable. Phil stands from my chair after giving a soft hum and comes over to me. I raise a brow as he comes closer with a smirk twitching at the corners of his lips as his eyes look me up and down in thought before he circles me like a vulture.
"What?" I ask, but he says nothing while walking over to the radio I keep on a shelf. Right now, it's playing some popular song that's probably replayed about six times in the past five hours. Phil sets his hand on top of the device, and the music cuts to static until he lifts it. Now, the station had changed to one that plays orchestra music instead.
'I didn't know he could do that.'
"Much better," he says to himself before returning to me and taking a knee. A shiver rolls down my spine as he grabs my hand in a gentle manner due to the coldness of his skin, and a smile comes to his lips. "May I have this dance?" That smile shifts into a mischievous smirk as we lock eyes. I can feel my cheeks heat up slightly from the expectant look, but I laugh it off. How can I possibly refuse?
"Sure, stranger." He gives a light chuckle while getting to his feet and bringing a hand to my waist as his other continues to hold my hand in a delicate grip. I instinctively jump from his icy touch and stand closer to him as my free hand rises to hold onto his shoulder. Honestly, I've never danced this way before, but it doesn't matter so long as it's for fun, though, I can't help feeling inexperienced when in comparison to his fluid movements. Seems Phil is far more experienced than I thought.
There'd be times I'd mutter out apologies after I accidentally stepped on his toes, but he never flinched or complained, only gave that charming smile that made my chest feel lighter than air. Not wanting to damage his feet, I keep my gaze down to watch my sloppy movements, which made him release a soft laugh. A hand lifts my chin after leaving my hip, forcing me to meet those beautiful, blue eyes of his. I could get lost in them like a boat staring out at a vast sea that goes on forever and ever. This moment right here is special, where the world around me disappeared and all that mattered was him and the steps we take as we dance upon the floor. Smiling in content, I look away from his eyes and hesitate before pressing my head against his chest, listening to the soft thuds of his heart that began to beat just a little faster. My E/C eyes shut, and I revel in the moment as the slow song fades out and a new one begins.
It starts off with a mysterious, almost eerie vibe before a violin cuts through at a rapid, yet hypnotic pace. This caused us to speed up our movements, which I found a little difficult at first until my body seemingly went numb to the beautiful sounds coming from the radio. As I became entranced from the music, our dance turns into something a little more... intimate. My breath nearly hitches upon feeling his hand gliding up and down my side as I'm pressed closer to Phil's body for a small portion of the song before he lets me go to dance separately from each other. He then spun around before taking my hand and raising it to twirl me like a ballet dancer and leaning me back quite a bit.
Without his arm slipping beneath the curve of my back, I would've likely fallen to the floor. He laughs lightly at my surprised expression while bringing me back to a stable position and leading me a few steps across the room. I could hardly keep up, but, thankfully, he wasn't forcing me to overexert myself. Actually, this is a lot of fun. I'm tugged towards his chest by the wrist, which I was unprepared for, and ended up bumping into his chest.
I laugh it off as he smiles before taking a step backwards and turning so that my back pressed against him. The lanky man releases my wrist to drag his cold fingers down my side as his other hand skims over my arm, guiding me to lift it. When he reaches my own hand, he spins me back around to face him, revealing the faint blush on my cheeks due to his feathery touches. We choreographed perfectly, as though we've been practicing for days on end, and,during the finale, Phil picked me up from under my knees and spun around with me slightly above him. Thankfully, the ceiling is high, otherwise I would've likely bumped my head on it.
I yelped at the sudden grab, but giggled while looking down at my companion before I'm set on my feet. He gives a sincere smile while setting one of his cold hands on my cheek and leaning forward. My E/C orbs widen a touch as my heart pounds louder than a drum, while I find myself coming closer as well. I almost felt disappointed when he pulled away right before our lips could connect. I nearly shudder after feeling his warm breath brush against my face, and my reaction caused the creature to grin, embarrassing me further.
He spins me one last time before the song ends and another plays. This one was much more calming, and is fit for simply swaying side to side while in your partner's arms, which is what we do as I catch my breath. My heart flutters after seeing the sweet smile on his face before we stop. Phil brings one of my hands to his lips and plants a small kiss on the back of it, like a gentleman.
"You're not half bad," he compliments, causing my cheeks to heat up, but I can't help but frown a little when he lets go of me.
"Thank you. I think you're much better, though," I admit with a soft laugh while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Afterwards, my fingers come to my lips for a few moments. We were so close. I swear he was about to give me a kiss, and, when he didn't, it felt strange that I didn't receive one. Upon seeing this, he gives an amused chuckle and opens his mouth, likely to make a cheeky comment, only for his cheerful expression to drop as his blue orbs travel over to the entrance behind me. Following his gaze, I turn around, and my heart nearly jumps into my throat. There, stands a group of giggling teens, the leader of them being Miss Bubblegum herself, wearing the dress she picked up yesterday. In her hand, she holds an iPhone in a glittery, red case, which I assume is recording me. My face reddens in embarrassment, realizing she had seen me dancing with "myself".
'What is she doing here?'
"What the fuck was that?" She laughs hysterically at me, making me feel worse as she puts the device into the small purse slung over her shoulder. "Who dances like that by themselves?" I clear my throat to regain composure before turning off the radio.
"I- Is there something you need?" I don't want to ruin my deal with the girl's father in any way, so I'll just have to tough out whatever torment she plans to put me through this evening. "Isn't your prom today? Shouldn't you be there?"
"Oh, it is, and we were, but it turns out prom is boring as all hell, so I suggested we do something a lot more fun." I didn't like how she said that, and that twisted smile that curled the corners of her and her friends' lips unnerved me further. The group consists of three boys and two other girls, and it became quite clear that something bad was about to happen. What's worse, I'm outnumbered. While keeping eye contact with me, the pink-haired teen walks over to one of the mannequins displayed in the store and pushes it over. My eyes widen as their intentions became clear, but my surprise soon shifts into anger.
"What are you—"
"Oops. Did I do that?" She says innocently, cutting me off. My fists clench as I march towards her, but stop when she holds her palm out towards me. My glare remains, however, as her smirk widens. "Uh, don't even think about it. If you put one hand on me, I'll have you shut down before you can blink."
"Why are you here?" I ask in a low tone. I've had enough of this girl.
"Isn't it obvious? We're going to destroy your store." My body starts to shake as my heart pounds loudly in my chest, but I do my best to remain calm. However, I know it won't matter in the end. I already know how this is going down, with me watching my life's work get torn by the hands of bratty teenagers.
"Don't," I beg, my voice still firm, hoping that they'll reconsider.
"Or what? What are you gonna do? Fight me?" She laughs, knowing full well that I wouldn't. "Well, What are you waiting for?" She asks, leaving herself open for me to hit her. My fists shake, and I was so tempted to do just that, but I know it would only result in more problems. She scoffs at me, and I can't help but look away. "See, you can't do a damn thing to me."
"I'll call the police," I threaten, causing Bubblegum to laugh as though it were the funniest thing in the world.
"Go ahead, I dare you. My dad's one of the best lawyers in the city. I doubt you can even afford your own. Besides, what proof would you have? I could just as easily say, 'she was crazy! She just jumped me out of nowhere when I came to compliment her on doing such good work on my dress.' And, they'd believe me because, unlike you, I have power on my side." Momentarily, her eyes roam around the room and her grin widens.
"Oh, would you look at that? No cameras." At that, my heart dropped, and the girl snapped her fingers, giving a silent order to her crew. The teens all split up around the store as I back away towards my desk, watching in horror as they tore dresses off the racks, knocked down mannequins, and ripped apart the stuffed animals. One boy flicks open a pocket knife to repeatedly stab the couch as tears threaten to spill from my eyes while my body trembles, and, from the corner of my eye, I can see that Phil was just as shocked by the scene.
My breathing quickens as I attempt to reach for his hand, but I can't tear my gaze away to find it, and he doesn't even notice, since he was also focused on the teens. A vicious growl forms in his throat as a dark aura seeps into the store, and, God, was it suffocating! I badly wished to run towards them, to fight them, to stop them, but I couldn't. If I did, this all could end up worse. I could lose my store completely or even get hurt in the process of the fight.
"P- Please, st- stop," I beg, choking back sobs while gripping the desk behind me tightly for comfort.
'I need to calm down. Breathe! Breathe.' I take in sharp breaths through my mouth, tears streaming down my cheeks as I slap a hand over my pinching heart.
"Awe, look, she's crying," Bubblegum teases while ripping off the head of a plush, blue and black, triceratops toy with skeletal markings.
"STOP IT!!!" I scream at them at the top of my lungs, triggering my throat to close. Gasping and coughing desperately for air, I bend forward with one hand on my knee and the other over my mouth to prevent blood from forcing its way out. I can feel it building in my throat, waiting to spray all over the floor. Legs become weak and send me falling. I caught myself before my face could hit the floorboards with one hand before releasing a rough cough, causing blood to slip past my fingers.
"Woah! What the fuck?!" I hear before all the commotion stops, but I remain in pain, struggling to breathe. One of the boys start to freak out while another told them to call an ambulance. The phone was smacked out of their hand and thrown onto the floor, but, sadly, it was nowhere close to me.
Everything...
Feels so...
Heavy...
"Are you crazy?! They'll know what we did!" Was all I heard before white noise replaced their voices and my vision blurred. I then felt something pry open my lips before something was forced into my mouth. Recognizing the texture of one of my pills, I do my best to swallow it without vomiting it up with more blood. Knowing the medicine will work at any moment, I fully collapse against the floor and wait for my sight to come back to me. The room darkens in an instant, the lights flickering rapidly before going out. The blue curtains slide shut simultaneously, and I can hear the loud click from the door's lock. The teens jump in fear while looking around for the invisible culprit.
"What's going on?" I hear one of the girls scream before something covers my eyes, leaving me blind in darkness. My body tenses as I shakily raise my hands to my face to feel what it was, but came into contact with nothing.
'What's happening?! Did I go blind? I don't understand what's going on!' I cry harder, afraid and lost, until a voice cut through all the ruckus. I felt breath on my ear as Phil swore to me,
"I will take care of this. Everything is going to be all right." I give a shaky nod, knowing I can trust him, but, still, I'm worried he might go too far with the teens. They are still children, regardless of how cruel they are, and I don't want Phil to do anything bad. He releases a low growl, and, then, he speaks, but, this time, not to me, to our unwanted guests.
"You are going to regret this."
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Phil's POV:
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'I've had enough of this! These idiotic children have tormented my sheep for long enough. Y/N says she wants them to stop, so I'll gladly grant her wish. It will be my pleasure ridding her of these pesky mosquitos.' An evil smirk appears on my lips as my bones twist and shift beneath my skin. My darling's eyes are covered, so I have no problem revealing my true self to six pests. They made a mistake crossing me.
"You are going to regret this," my voice was laced in both anger and excitement. It's been so long since I've harmed a living human. I was just itching to torment them. I won't kill them, no, but they'll be receiving a taste of what they'll have in the afterlife after they die. All stare, speechless, at my towering, horrendous form while quivering like little dogs. I was almost tempted to laugh, but I am beyond pissed.
"You were foolish for coming here." They race for the door and pull at it's handle while screaming for help, and one even tried to break the windows with one of the mannequins.
"Oh, there'll be none of that." They all scream as shadowy hands pull them back. "You've done enough damage here today." My hands force them on their knees, as the arms snake around their mortal bodies and squeeze. Claws clutch their throats and the nails pierce their fragile flesh, choking them.
They cry and try to plead their way out of it with annoying voices, so to shut them up, I wrap shadows around their mouths. Y/N does not need to hear this. I watch as their faces change color from red to blue and purple, while they desperately claw at the shadowy limbs in useless attempts at getting even the slightest breath of air. A frightening chuckle erupts from my throat as misty shadows infiltrate through every orifice in their body, filling their heads with the dark fog. Their eyes roll to the back of their heads as blood pours from them like tears.
They will experience the crushing pain my sheep felt in her chest, the fogginess that clouds her mind during her attacks and the painful tears that'd prick her beautiful, E/C eyes. Satisfied, I force the mist out of their minds and allow their heads to hang low. I walk towards the girl in the middle, the problematic one with pink hair, with heavy, daunting steps. She stares at me with terror as I kneel to her height.
"One day, you shall experience a far greater torment than this, and I will be the one to administer it. You will regain all memories then, of what you did to deserve it, when you can no longer whine to your mummy and daddy," I whisper in a voice so low that only she would hear me and tears spilled from her eyes, cleansing away some of the blood on her cheeks. I, then, stand up and mutter words in Latin under my breath, clearing their minds of any memories they have of this shop, of my pet, of me and what happened here tonight. They will remember nothing.
When the spell ends, they fall limp and pass out due to lack of oxygen in their lungs. My eyes then drift to the purse the pink-haired one holds and can't help but glare as I approach it. Digging through the contents, I find her phone and huff when I see it requires a password to gain entry. I crush it with ease in one hand, and the electronic bits fall to the floor before I retract my arms from their bodies, revealing the bruises covering them. When I saw them, I was tempted to grin, but the thought fades when soft sobs reach my ears. Through all of the commotion, I had completely forgotten about my poor sheep.
"Y/N," I mutter her name under my breath with worry as I look back at her. She's shaking like a leaf, reeking of fear. I release a sigh, knowing my fun must end. I have to comfort her before she can slip back into a panicked mindset. Deciding to send the children someplace far, I consume their bodies in a blanket of shadow and teleport them to the high school they likely go to.
I've been in this city for as long as I've known Y/N, so, naturally, I was compelled to explore in my free time. I know where everything is, which came in handy this time. My bones crack as I revert to my human form, and I go back to being invisible to the human eye. This wouldn't effect Y/N, though. She can still see past this ability whether I want her to or not. My boots tap against the floor as I make my way towards her and sit beside her curled form to lightly rub her back. She flinched before realizing it was me.
"I... I can't see," she claims in a weak voice. I hush her and bring a hand to the blindfold made of shadow that I wrapped around her eyes to remove it.
"It's all right. I'm here. It's over." She blinks a few times to adjust to what little moonlight seeps into the room before meeting my ocean orbs. Her own eyes are a little clouded, probably because she's zoning out from the medication. I form a small smile on my lips to comfort her before helping her sit up. I let her lean against me for support, and she doesn't hesitate to grab onto my coat.
"Easy, now." I cup her cheek, and she shuts her eyes while leaning against my hand. She seems to be slipping in and out of unconsciousness, while I revel in the warmth her face brought to my hand. I bring her head to my chest before slipping an arm under her legs and putting a hand on her back before lifting her off the floor. I set her on the counter, but, before I could pull away, her arms wrap around my neck and pull me close for an embrace. Soft, shaky breaths escape her lips, causing me to sigh and hug her back. She's so vulnerable. How could I resist?
'This was too close a call. I need to protect her from these filthy humans, and the best way to do that is to bring her home.' I pet her hair and close my eyes as I rest my chin on her shoulder.
'I need to tell her the truth. I need to tell her what I am. I need to stop being scared.' I don't know how she'll react when she finds out I'm a demon. I can't imagine the outcome will be good. Waiting until the time is right might take too long, but I want to do it when she's calm, not now when she's like this.
'I don't want to lose her.'