•H/C: Hair Color
•E/C: Eye Color
•Y/N: Your Name
Your POV:
Phil's strong arms hold my limp body close to his, releasing soft breaths near my ear, which was oddly comforting to me. I feel like I'm made of jello, so I doubt I can even stand. That panic attack was just awful. It shook me up pretty badly. With a shaky breath, I nestle my face against his chest as stray tears dampen his leather coat. I can't even lift my arms to wipe them away. All my energy is focused on stopping the room from spinning.
"Feeling any better?" His deep voice was laced with concern, which sent my heart fluttering, but I am far from fine. With an aching neck, I shake my head against him, causing the male to let out a small sigh in response before leaning back a bit to lift my chin. My tired eyes meet his cerulean orbs that stare at me in pity as his gentle fingers push loose strands of hair from my face. "I can clean the store for you. Would that make you happy?"
"Y-You don't," I croak before clearing my throat. God, my voice sounds awful, and I can hardly speak above a whisper. "You don't have to." He gives me a small smile while cupping my left cheek.
"Close your eyes." I would've asked why, but I didn't have the energy to fight him on it, so I do as he commands. Phil cautiously slips away, making sure I'm in a stable position on the desk before walking elsewhere in the room. I plant my hands behind me, causing my weak arms to shake from the weight I put on them, and focus solely on not falling off the counter. Every now and again, I'd hear sounds from different sections of the store, but it was odd because they'd simultaneously some from both the left and the right.
I ignore it, though, knowing it's not important. All I should be worried about is getting my strength back. A few moments pass before the noise stops and a hand is set on my shoulder. Breath tickles my right ear, sending a pleasant tingle down my spine. "You can open them now."
Dark lashes part to reveal E/C orbs that meet my friend's face, which holds a small smile. He moves aside to reveal what he had done to fix the place. Obviously, there are products that can't be salvaged, like the fabrics that were ripped off some of the dresses, but, at least, the mannequins were picked up and any toppled toys and clothes were put back on the shelves and racks. I was in awe at how quickly he was able to clean everything up. I turn to the dark-haired man whose lips form a gentle, yet proud, smile on his face, likely due to my amazed reaction, but, then, the smile dropped.
"I assure, you needn't worry about those children anymore. I made sure that they'll never bother you again." He wipes away the tear tracks wetting my cheeks, and I can't help but lean into his touch, though, after examining his words, I immediately thought the worst and pull away with wide eyes.
"Y-You didn't-" I tremble at the very thought of him killing those teens. Sure, they were terrible, but to kill them... especially over me. The thought made me sick. "D-Did you?" A sudden chuckle erupts from the man, filling me with confusion. It was not of evil origin, but he did sound amused. I watch as he takes my hand in a tender grip and rubs the back of it with his thumb to bring me comfort.
"Don't think so badly of me, Y/N. That is something I'd never do unless you specifically asked me to do it," he assures, but his explanation gave me little relief.
'Would he really kill someone simply because I asked him to?' Just the thought of holding that sort of power frightens me. I can only imagine the sort of people who'd abuse that ability, after all, who can find an invisible man? I relax, nonetheless, knowing the teens are still alive. I have no reason to distrust him.
"I'll take you home, okay?" I nod my head, liking the sound of relaxing at home in bed, however...
"I don't think I can stand." He breathes out a laugh before reaching out his arms.
"There'll be no need for any of that." I'm effortlessly lifted into his arms, but my body was too exhausted to react, so I allow him. It's not like I'm opposed to being carried anyway. I was still surprised, though. "Can you close your eyes for me again?"
He requests in a soft tone. I obey, wriggling to get comfortable in his arms only to groan at the soreness of my joints. "You may open them now." Puzzled, I hesitantly open my eyes, not understanding what I closed them for when they were only shut for a moment. To say I was shocked is an understatement when I see we aren't in the shop anymore, but in my bedroom. I didn't even feel us move!
"H-How?" An amused laugh rumbles his chest as I'm put down on the bed before he takes off my black boots.
"I have my ways," he claims while sitting beside me, which only raised more questions. I've longed to know his identity the moment he came into my life, but he never spoke until recently. Perhaps now is the time to ask him?
"Phil?" He hums, quirking a brow for a mere moment while raking his left fingers through my hair as I practically melt against the plush pillows. The cold digits feel so nice against my scalp. "What are you?" He freezes and a blank expression befalls his face before a hesitant look appears in his eyes.
"Don't worry about such things. That isn't important right now." A slight smile twitches at the corners of his lips when he sees me frown before continuing to pet me. "I'll tell you another time. Right now, you need rest." I still feel disappointed. Who knows how long it's going to take before my curiosity can be quenched? But, I won't force him to tell me anything. It's his secret he wishes to keep. My eyelids droop as a blanket is pulled over my body, but they shoot open after there's a knock on the door.
"Y/N, is that you? Did you come home early?" Barbra asks from the other side, calming my racing heart.
"Yes. I wasn't feeling well, so I closed a little sooner." I would've told her the truth, but it'd only make her worry. Besides, the problem has apparently been taken care of. I try to sit up, but my arms are too weak to perform such a small task, so Phil assists me by pressing a hand against my back. The door opens to reveal my worried roommate, and I was almost tempted to smile. She can be such a sweet person when the circumstances call for it.
"What happened? You didn't have another 'episode', did you?" She asks, stepping closer until she reaches my bedside. I crack a smile and chuckle nervously.
"Just a little one," I lie, which she clearly didn't buy. The woman gives a soft sigh and drops it.
"You want something?" She asks, referring to food. After taking a moment to think of what we have in the kitchen, I decide.
"Something hot, maybe? Soup?"
"I gotcha, man." She turns to leave, but neglects to shut the door on her way out. Phil walks over to close it himself before looking at me.
"You look faint." He mentions before coming over to press a cold hand against my forehead. I didn't realize how hot my face was until he touched it, and, though, I want to sleep, how could I after all that's happened? Sure the store's fixed and those awful teenagers are gone, but one question that bothers me most of all is... Why me? Out of everyone in this entire world, why is Phil helping me?
Does he get anything out of this? He protects me, cares for me and keeps me company. What's worse, I can't help but imagine the scenarios where he wasn't with me. I'd likely be dead on more than one occasion, that's for sure, but he never told me the reason why. Hell, I don't even think he has a reason.
Another thing is that he knows tons about me, yet I know little about him. I don't even know his real name! I gaze up at him, the man on my mind, and, without thinking, I pull him into a tight hug. His muscles tense in surprise as I nestle my head against his chest with my eyes squeezed shut. After comprehending the action, he holds me back.
"Thank you. I don't know what I'd ever do without you." After saying that, I felt his heart pick up speed for a second, and his hug gets tighter. I look up to find him smiling softly, but, then, my eyes travel down towards his neck, where I spot black markings that I've never noticed before, likely because of the high collar of his coat. Brows scrunched, I lower the ends of the collar to get a better look.
"What's this?" The dark-haired male chuckles at my curiosity before undoing the buttons of his coat to take it off. I release him so that it can slip off his shoulders to reveal the dark grey button up underneath. He undoes the top few buttons on the shirt so that he can lower that as well, bringing a touch of heat to my cheeks. Phil then sits with his back to me, allowing me to see the entirety of his tattoo in the shape of a scorpion. It's large, black claws wrap partway around his neck, while it's tail goes down the upper portion of his spine. I stare at the amazing artwork in awe as a smile creeps onto the man's lips.
"I take it you like it?" He asks, knowingly while peering over his shoulder to view my expression. "I'm surprised you didn't notice it sooner." I shake my head as he gives me a smug smile before shuffling a bit closer to him.
"It's really well done," I compliment while reaching out to touch it and delicately trace my fingers from the top of the scorpion's head down to the tip of its sharp tail. As suspected, it felt different than the rest of his skin, almost matching the texture of his leather coat, only softer. I pull back instinctively when I feel him shiver at my touch.
'Is it sensitive?' I nearly grin at the thought of him being ticklish there and was almost tempted to touch it again, but maybe another time. Besides, he's already putting his coat back on, though, I do notice a faint blush painting his cheeks. I can't help but crack an amused smile upon seeing him flustered, even if just a little. I find it... Oh, what would be the right word? Cute? Adorable? Hilarious? Phil clears his throat before giving a light laugh.
"I think that's enough of that." He tilts his head towards me after fixing his collar to hide the marks again, while I give out a light sigh and lie back down to stare at the ceiling. I feel his hand rub above my knee soothingly as I shut my eyes. I was just starting to drift off when Barbra returned to the room.
"Could've knocked," I mention while looking in her direction. She only shrugs.
"Eh. Knocking takes too much effort," she jokes, causing me to breathe out a laugh before focusing on the steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup that she sets on my nightstand.
(If you don't eat chicken, I honestly don't care. Pretend you do like it.)
"There you go. Careful, though, it's hot." I lightly nod my head while sitting up to grab the food and ignore the burning heat radiating through the ceramic bowl as I set it on my lap. I take the spoon and lift it to my lips before lightly blowing on the hot liquid. From the corner of my eye, I see my roommate sitting and fidget in place, causing me to give her a questioning gaze.
"Uh, Y/N, we gotta talk." I stuff the spoon in my mouth while urging her to continue through my eyes. "I'm gonna move back in with my parents." At that, I nearly choked.
"What?! Why?!" I had moved so quickly that I almost tipped the bowl over, but, thankfully, I was able to catch it in time before it could spill. I put it back on the nightstand while waiting for her to elaborate before wincing when my head is struck with pain. I gently massage it to soothe the headache, but it does little good and causes Phil to send me a worried look.
"Sorry! I know it's kind of sudden, but my dad got into an accident, and my mom isn't in town. He wants me to help him out, so I have to go back." My expression falls, and I look down because I know that if I meet her eyes, I might cry. I grip my shirt, where my heart lies, when it clenches.
"No, it's fine. I understand." I give her a fake smile. I'm going to miss her. Hopefully, we'll remain best friends.
"I already took care of all the arrangements, so I'll be leaving tomorrow. I would've told you sooner, but I kept forgetting that I didn't tell you yet." She chuckles. "You know me, I don't even remember what I ate this morning for breakfast." The fact she's still cracking jokes only made me feel like I'll miss her more. This place is going to feel empty without her.
"It's fine. I get it." Barb was easily deceived by my fake smiles and gave me a tight hug, but it lasted only seconds.
"Get some sleep, all right? I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning." I can only nod as she turns to leave, and, once the door is closed, I bend forward and cover my eyes with my hand. My shoulders shake as I resist the urge to cry.
'Can today get any worse? First, my store is trashed, now this.' I sniffle before feeling a light tap on my shoulder, leading me to look up into kind, blue eyes. With a faint smile on his lips, Phil holds out the bowl of soup towards me with the spoon held to my lips, but I've lost my appetite. I lie back down and turn away from him, not saying a word. From the corner of my eye, I see him frown and hear a clink from him putting the spoon back into the bowl.
"You still have me, you know? I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon," he comforts, while he sets the bowl on his lap. I turn slightly to view him, causing him to smile slightly. "Don't look so down. It's not like you. A smile suits you far better."
I don't respond, not even a twitch at the corners of my lips or a blush on my cheeks. I'm too upset to say anything in response. His shoulders slump as his smile once again drops. "At least eat. You shouldn't go to bed hungry." I exhale a sigh through my nose before slowly sitting up, since I really am hungry. He transfers the bowl to me, and I just stare down blankly at the soup inside before starting to eat.
'Why is he always so nice to me? I don't even feel like I'm worth the attention. I don't deserve him.' It took me awhile to get through my meal. Though it was delicious, I could hardly comprehend the taste with all the thoughts bustling in my mind. When I'm done, I put the bowl back before looking at Phil, who is clearly lost in thought too. Without warning, I grip the front of his collar and pull him down, catching him completely off guard. He lands on top of me with his hands planted on either side of my head to prevent his face from slamming into mine. He only stares down at me as I wrap my arms around his neck while leaning up a bit to rest my chin on his shoulder. He makes no attempt at getting up; in fact, he melts into my hold, breathing close to my ear as I shut my eyes.
"P-Please, don't leave me," I mutter against his neck, my words muffling a bit. I almost hope that he didn't hear me, since the request does seem a little ridiculous. I couldn't see his face, though, I can faintly feel his lips pull into a smirk against my skin before he nestles against my neck, bringing heat to my cheeks. The man then moves up a bit to look down at me, the locks of his raven hair hanging down in an attractive manner around his flawless features as he cups my cheek and connects our foreheads. I have nowhere else to stare but his beautiful eyes and can't help but notice how one small movement can connect our lips.
"I wouldn't dream of it." He smiles while pulling back. I release a breath I had no idea I was holding and smile back happily before yawning into my hand. Phil stands up to remove his coat and shoes before draping the heavy fabric over the foot of my bed. He then covers me with the blanket before sitting beside me with his back against the wall. My eyelids flutter shut as his fingers entangle in my H/C locks to gently massage my scalp. My sleep, however, isn't as peaceful as I hoped it would be, for, when I opened my eyes,
I found that I had returned to Hell.